Acclaimed author, poet and activist Lee Maracle of the Stó:lō Nation delivers the Margaret Laurence Lecture, an annual event commissioned by the Writers' Trust of Canada. This episode features excerpts from her lecture, and Maracle in conversation with award-winning author, and former Massey Lecturer, Tanya Talaga.

Lee Maracle delivers the Margaret Laurence Lecture

IDEAS is a deep-dive into contemporary thought and intellectual history. No topic is off-limits. In the age of clickbait and superficial headlines, it's for people who like to think.

Society & Culture

Personal Journals

History

Philosophy

Places & Travel

Twenty-five years ago, reality TV exploded in popularity, and the media panicked. But could shows like Love Is Blind and their like actually help make us more media literate? IDEAS examines the culture, morality, and philosophy of unscripted television.

A Reality Check on Reality TV

These are anxious times for journalism and democracy. As part of an event hosted by the Samara Centre for Democracy, former news anchor Lisa LaFlamme tells IDEAS what can and must be done to bolster journalism so it can better safeguard democracy. *This episode originally aired on Jan. 15, 2024.

Lisa LaFlamme: In Defence of Democracy

Civility is under threat, authoritarianism and autocrats are on the rise and there's an erosion of institutional trust. Three pre-eminent speakers join IDEAS host Nahlah Ayed to discuss how Canada and other countries can promote respect and protect liberal democracy. 

Starting a global conversation to restore civility and liberal democracy

You can’t pay rent with experimental poetry, so Hilary Peach trained as a welder. Twenty-plus years on, she’s now a boiler inspector, poet, and author of an award-winning memoir, Thick Skin: Field Notes from a Sister in the Brotherhood. Peach talks about the joys and contradictions of being an outsider inside the trades.

An Outsider Inside the Trades: Hilary Peach

Salman Rushdie sees reality through the lens of time. There are the months after the nearly-fatal attack of August 2022 that he details in his memoir Knife. And the decade following the Iranian state’s February 1989 fatwa against him. In this conversation with Nahlah Ayed, he describes hinge moments in his uncannily storied life.

Lee Maracle delivers the Margaret Laurence Lecture

Download our free app to listen on your phone