Vulnerability and Voice in Fiction, or how writing can change us, and maybe the world too with Farzana Doctor
The 2026 Margaret Laurence Lecture
Event Details
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Monday, February 23, 2026
12:00 PM - 2:00 PM
City: Peterborough
1600 West Bank Drive
Building: Otonabee College
Room: Otonabee College Commons
Cost: Free
Date: Monday, February 23, 2026
Time: 12:00 p.m. (noon) - 2:00 p.m.
Location: Otonabee College Commons, Otonabee College, Trent University, Peterborough
Speaker: Farzana Doctor
Speaker Bio: Farzana Doctor is a Tkaronto-based author, activist and psychotherapist. She’s written four critically acclaimed novels: Stealing Nasreen, Six Metres of Pavement, All Inclusive, and Seven, a poetry collection, You Still Look The Same and a self- and community care workbook for helpers and activists, 52 Weeks to a Sweeter Life. In September 2024, The Beauty of Us, her first YA book was released. In 2023, Farzana received the prestigious Freedom To Read Award. In 2020, Seven was chosen as an Amnesty International Book Club’s Reader’s Choice Pick and was shortlisted for the Trillium, Evergreen awards. Six Metres of Pavement won the Lambda and Writers’ Trust Dayne Oglivie prizes and was shortlisted for the Toronto Book Award in 2012.
Lecture Description: The Margaret Laurence Lecture is an annual lecture in honour of Margaret Laurence, organized by the Gender & Social Justice Department, and funded by a combination of a generous endowment from the Bennett Family Foundation and matching funds from the Canadian Studies Directorate, Heritage Canada (formerly the Canadian Studies Programs, Secretary of State).
For more information about the Margaret Laurence Lecture, please visit Trent University's Gender and Social Justice website.
Community Speaker Series
At Trent University, we believe in the power of lifelong learning and professional development for our alumni, staff, faculty, students, and community members. Each year, Trent offers public lectures featuring visiting distinguished visiting scholars and experts, sharing ideas and knowledge on subjects such as the Environment, Business and Public Policy, Philosophy, Chemistry, and Mathematics. Thanks to generous philanthropic support, these talks are free and open to both the Trent community and the public.
Contact Info
Main Organizer: Karleen Pendleton Jiménez (kpendletonjimenez@trentu.ca)
Academic Administrative Assistant: Ngco Bui (geso@trentu.ca)