The Guelph Lecture—On Being

Friday, May 8, 2026: Keynote Lecture by Cory Doctorow, featuring a literary reading by Madhur Anand and music performance by Billianne.

Our keynote lecture will be presented by Cory Doctorow on the “enshittification” of the internet, and how we can collectively respond to the decay of civil discourse caused in part by social-media-driven disinformation, greed, and an increasingly policed internet. Prior to the keynote lecture, poet and novelist Madhur Anand will present a literary reading, and chart-topping musician Billianne will perform a set of introspective folk-pop. Tickets are on sale now at riverrun.ca!

Over the past two decades, the Guelph Lecture—On Being has become a widely recognized series. It is co-presented by Musagetes as part of the ArtsEverywhere Festival in early May.

Past keynote speakers include Chief Ninawá Huni Kui, Naomi Klein, Will Valley, Severn Cullis-Suzuki, Guy Maddin, Atom Egoyan, Madeleine Redfern, Haroon Siddiqui, Joseph Heath, John Ralston Saul, Jeannette Armstrong, Lee Smolin, Jaron Lanier, Louise Fréchette, Henry Mintzberg, Alexandre Trudeau, Brigitte Shim, Janice Gross Stein, and Mark Kingwell.

Past literary guests have included Tanya Talaga, Taqralik Partridge, Lee Maracle, Miriam Toews, Sandra Birdsell, Rawi Hage, M.G. Vassanji, Michael Helm, Ann Hui, and Thomas King, and many others.

Past musical guests have included Lu Kala, Laakkuluk Williamson Bathory, Tanya Tagaq, Ndidi Onukwulu & Madagascar Slim, Eccodek, Melissa McClelland, Kevin Breit, Carolyn Mark & NQ Arbuckle, Jane Burnett, Sarah Neufeld, Lauren Mann, Marianne Trudel, Basia Bulat, the Penderecki String Quartet, Midnight Shine, Okavango African Orchestra, and Digging Roots.