Best Toronto Public Library Podcasts (2024)

1
Jamaica Kincaid: Brothers, Mothers and Antigua 53:56

6h ago53:56

53:56

Works by Jamaica Kincaid My Brother (print edition) See Now Then (print edition) (ebook) Annie John (print edition) (ebook) A Small Place (print edition) (audiobook) Lucy (print edition) (ebook) At the Bottom of the River (print edition) Works by Dione Brand Salvage: Readings from the Wreck (print edition) (ebook) (audiobook) An Autobiography of th…

1
How the Just Cities Project is Using 3D Modeling to Co-Design Smart Cities in Kenya | Titus Kaloki 58:08

21d ago58:08

58:08

What makes a city truly smart? Or just? The answer lies with the people. In this episode, we explore the human-centric side of Smart Cities with our guest Titus Kaloki from the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung Kenya office. Through their Just Cities Project, Titus is on a mission to make cities both smart and just, leveraging technology to put people at th…

1
Mario Vargas Llosa: Literature Can Help People Live 49:03

29d ago49:03

49:03

In 1988, when Mario Vargas Llosa sat down on a Toronto stage with Adrienne Clarkson, he hadn't yet won his Nobel Prize for Literature (that came in 2010) so he wasn't yet a "central" figure in the world of writing. In this conversation, he teases out the hazy line between being an artist (who inhabits the world of the imagination), and being a prof…

1
Hilary Mantel: Experiments in Love 48:06

2M ago48:06

48:06

This audio recording of Hilary Mantel in conversation with Rosemary Sullivan was recorded on stage at Harbourfront Reading Series in 1997. It is used with the kind permission of the Toronto International Festival of Authors. Thanks to TIFA for allowing us access to their archives for this series. Find out more about the Festival and its annual fest…

1
How Escrevivências Challenge Urban Planning Norms: Afro-Brazilian Communities’ Strategies for Reclaiming the Right to the City | Mayara Almeida de Paula 52:50

2M ago52:50

52:50

What if the true architects of our cities are not the government officials or urban planners, but the communities who live in them? In this episode, we dive deep into a provocative question: When governments fail to provide essential services like water and electricity, and communities step up to fill the gaps, who define the future of urban develo…

1
How Think Tanger's Multicultural Approach Transforms Suburban and Urban Spaces | Amine Houari & Naziha Nasrin 1:07:54

3M ago1:07:54

1:07:54

In this episode, we're headed to Tangier, Morocco. My co-host Naziha Nasrin and I speak with Amine Houari of Think Tanger, a non-profit cultural agency shaping Tangier's development through art, research, and collaboration. Together, we discuss crucial topics such as creative insurgency, planning in suburban contexts in Toronto (Scarborough) and Ta…

1
How the Bicycle Mayor of Toronto is Making Toronto's Streets Safer for All | Lanrick Bennett Jr., Joycelyn Guan & Erin 1:09:56

11M ago1:09:56

1:09:56

Join me, along with my co-hosts Joycelyn and Erin, as we dive into an insightful conversation with Lanrick Bennett Jr., Toronto's Bicycle Mayor, and the Executive Director of Charlie's FreeWheels. We explore his tenure as a bike mayor and the expansive network of BYCS-appointed mayors, stretching from India to Uganda and beyond. In this episode, we…

1
Artistry Beyond Borders: Exploring the Power of Public Art in Toronto with Destinie Adélakun 12:21

11M ago12:21

12:21

This episode marks the first video episode of the podcast! Here's a sneak peek of my conversation with Destinie Adélakun, an emerging multi-disciplinary artist, who masterfully weaves her Nigerian-Indian heritage into her breathtaking solo exhibition, "Journey of Adé." Destinie also shares the excitement of exhibiting at Toronto's renowned Nuit Bla…

1
How the Charter Cities Institute Promotes Inclusive and Adaptable Planning for Sustainable New Cities | Heba Elhanafy 43:18

1+ y ago43:18

43:18

Join me in this captivating episode of the podcast as I have an insightful conversation with Heba Elhanafy, an urban researcher from the Charter Cities Institute (CCI) Zambia. Together, we explore the fascinating world of charter city development and dive deep into the Planning Guidelines Report titled "Guided Organic Growth: An urban planning fram…

1
How Ushahidi is Using Crowdsourcing to Help Community Disaster Response and Recovery | Angela Oduor Lungati 35:42

1+ y ago35:42

35:42

In this episode, I chat with Angela Oduor Lungati, the CEO of Ushahidi. Ushahdi is a mobile platform dubbed “Africa’s Gift to Silicon Valley” by the New York Times. Born out of a crisis, the open-source software enables virtually anyone with a cellphone or internet connection to efficiently crowd-source information, map it and share it with those t…

1
Climate Fiction 49:05

2y ago49:05

49:05

In his final episode as host of the podcast, Oliver chats with author Kim Stanley Robinson about Climate Fiction. KimStanleyRobinson.info Merril Links The Merril Collection! Friends of Merril (Facebook & Twitter)By The Friends of Merril

1
Comment le Centre d'Art Waza fait la promotion des artistes et de l'art populaire à Lubumbashi | Patrick Mudekereza 51:30

2y ago51:30

51:30

En novembre 2021, j'ai eu le plaisir de parler avec M. Patrick Mudekereza le Directeur Exécutif du Centre d'Art Waza. Le Centre d'Art Waza, situé à Lubumbashi, en République démocratique du Congo une ville désignée en 2015 par l'UNESCO, comme étant la Ville créative d'artisanat et des arts populaires. Ainsi, pendant notre discussion nous parlons pa…

1
How CLUSTER is Bridging Western Urban Understanding From the Middle East to North Africa | Salma Elbasty & Sami Ferwati 35:20

2y ago35:20

35:20

In this episode, my co-host Sami Ferwati and I chat with Salma Elbasty from CLUSTER (Cairo Lab for Urban Studies, Training and Environmental Research). CLUSTER undertakes a number of research, architecture, and arts-based urban initiatives with a special focus on analyzing urban informality and highlighting its role in our cities. During our discus…

1
How Book Bunk is Restoring Public Libraries Across Nairobi | Marion Anvango & Jane O'Brien Davis 40:13

2+ y ago40:13

40:13

In this episode, my co-host Jane O'Brien Davis and I chat with Marion Anvango at Book Bunk. Book Bunk is "working to restore some of Nairobi's most iconic public libraries into sites of heritage, public art, collective memory, knowledge production, shared experiences, cultural leadership and information exchange." During our discussion, we explore …

1
Folklore and the Four Winds Storytellers Library 32:07

2+ y ago32:07

32:07

Oliver talks with Norman Perrin about folklore in general, and Norman's unique, privately owned, publicly accessible archive of folklore knowledge he’s run from his Toronto apartment since 1990. The Four Winds Storytellers Library on Facebook Merril Links The Merril Collection! Friends of Merril (Facebook & Twitter)…

1
Beyond Lovecraft 48:48

2+ y ago48:48

48:48

Oliver talks with Scott Dorward about H.P. Lovecraft, how his legacy has been built on, and how writers might take things even further. The Good Friends of Jackson Elias, a Lovecraft & gaming podcast Scott co-hosts (Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, Discord) Scott’s Twitter Merril Links The Merril Collection! Friends of Merril (Facebook & Twitter)…

1
How Black Futures Now Toronto Turned Local Histories into a Virtual Community Centre | Adwoa Afful 44:07

2+ y ago44:07

44:07

In this episode, I chat with Adwoa Afful, the founder of Black Futures Now Toronto (BFN TO). BFN TO is collective that uses a mixture of storytelling, radical mapping, and a whole lot of creative talent, to develop a number of interactive ways of archiving, experiencing, and celebrating overlooked Black histories and geographies. During our talk, w…

1
Graphic Novels 31:50

2+ y ago31:50

31:50

Oliver talks with the man behind Beguiling Comics, Peter Birkemoe, about graphic novels. The Beguiling (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) Little Island Comics Merril Links The Merril Collection! Friends of Merril (Facebook & Twitter)By The Friends of Merril

1
How Buildher is Empowering Women Through Construction | Tatu Gatere 47:57

2+ y ago47:57

47:57

In this episode, I speak with Tatu Gatere, the co-founder and CEO of Buildher. Buildher is a non-profit based in Nairobi Kenya that is on a mission to promote gender equality within the construction industry through the provision of accredited construction, artisanry, and manufacturing skills to women that participate in their training program. Thr…

1
Alternate Histories 34:25

2+ y ago34:25

34:25

Oliver talks with author Gideon Marcus about alternate history speculative fiction. Gideon Marcus (Twitter) Galactic Journey (Twitter, Facebook) Merril Links The Merril Collection! Friends of Merril (Facebook & Twitter)By The Friends of Merril

1
Norse Mythologies 27:23

2+ y ago27:23

27:23

Oliver discusses Norse mythology, and its influence on speculative fiction, with Senior Department Head of both the Merril and Osborne Collections, Sephora Henderson. The Merril Collection! Friends of Merril (Facebook & Twitter)By The Friends of Merril

1
Haunted Houses 35:50

2+ y ago35:50

35:50

Oliver talks with author Gemma Files about haunted house stories. Gemma’s Website (Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads) Merril Links The Merril Collection! Friends of Merril (Facebook & Twitter)By The Friends of Merril

1
Sci-Fi Digests 51:33

2+ y ago51:33

51:33

Oliver talks with Trever Quachri, head editor at Analog magazine, about scifi digest magazines. Analog Magazine’s Website (Twitter, Facebook) Merril Links The Merril Collection! Friends of Merril (Facebook & Twitter)By The Friends of Merril

1
Sword & Sorcery 56:00

2+ y ago56:00

56:00

Oliver talks with Brain Murphy, author of Flame & Crimson: A history of Sword & Sorcery, about the mighty thewed fantasy sub-genre birthed by Robert E Howard when he created Conan the Barbarian. The Silver Key, Brian’s Sword & Sorcery Blog Buy Flame & Crimson! Merril Links The Merril Collection! Friends of Merril (Facebook & Twitter)…

1
How Justice Defenders is Using Education to Defend the Defenceless | Milly Kakungulu & Hannah Ahamedi 1:10:13

2+ y ago1:10:13

1:10:13

In this episode, my co-host Hannah Ahamedi and I chatted with Milly Kakungulu, the Education Department Lead at Justice Defenders Uganda. Through our discussion, we learned more about how the Justice Defenders (formerly known as the African Prisons Project) are defending the defenceless by educating prisoners on how to provide legal services for th…

1
How Lima’s Sonic Landscapes Are Shaped by Afro-Peruvian Women | Roxana Escobar Ñañez 1:10:33

2+ y ago1:10:33

1:10:33

In this episode, I chat again with Roxana Escobar Ñañez. Roxana is pursuing her Ph.D. in Human Geography at the University of Toronto and she was recently one of five special guests on the 12th episode of the podcast. Given her unique research interests, after our last conversation, I decided to invite her to the show again to dive deeper into her …

1
An Exploration of Black Excellence in Future Geographers and Planners at the University of Toronto | Jane, Brianna, Priscilla, Roxana & Bola 57:32

2+ y ago57:32

57:32

This special episode of Urban Limitrophe is brought to you in collaboration with the Graduate Geography & Planning Student Society (GGAPSS) in celebration of Black History/Black Futures Month! In this episode, I speak with Roxana Escobar Ñañez (PhD Human Geography), Brianna Lane (MSc Physical Geography), Priscilla Ankomah-Hackman (MSc Planning), Ja…

1
How the Black Planning Project is Diversifying Urban Planning One Story at a Time | Abigail Moriah 39:48

2+ y ago39:48

39:48

In this episode, I speak with Abigail Moriah, a registered urban planner and founder of the Black Planning Project. Through this initiative, Abigail and her team, collect and share the stories of Black urban planning professionals and students to highlight their important work and encourage more diverse voices to enter the profession. Most importan…

1
How the BuildX Studio is Creating Dignified Circular Affordable Housing Across Kenya | Carolina Larrazábal 45:40

3y ago45:40

45:40

In this episode, I speak with Carolina Larrazábal, the co-founder and design director at BuildX Studio. BuildX Studio is an innovative award-winning architectural studio based in Nairobi, which is the first architecture, engineering or construction company in Africa to become B Corp™ certified. The team at BuildX Studio is on a mission to build rad…

1
How the Dikan Center Is Building the First Photo Library in Ghana | Paul Ninson 37:05

3y ago37:05

37:05

In this episode, I speak with Paul Ninson, a photographer, and filmmaker about the importance of visual storytelling and how after collecting over 30,000 books on photography and film, he is in the beginning stages of building The Dikan Center. The center will be the first visual storytelling library in Ghana. The Dikan Center will train not only t…

1
How Waste Reclaimers Recycle 80 to 90% of South Africa's Waste | Dr. Melanie Samson 36:58

3y ago36:58

36:58

In this episode, I speak with Dr. Melanie Samson, about the important role that waste reclaimers play in our cities, particularly in Johannesburg. Melanie works closely with the African Reclaimers Organization (ARO), a non-profit group that is fighting to get waste reclaimers the rights and recognition they deserve for their hard work and ensuring …

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