Jamie Reaney 100: Saving the Last for TAP
December 3, 2026 at 5:00pm
As the celebrations of Jamie Reaney's centenary come to a close, Words is very pleased to join the Reaney family to host a celebration of one of the most iconic literary figures to emerge from southwestern Ontario.
Jamie Reaney 100: Saving the Last for TAP
Hosted by James Stewart Reaney
Featuring Adam Corrigan Holowitz, Kyra Ryan, and Jerry Prager
Thursday, 3 December 2026, 5:00 PM
TAP Centre for Creativity
203 Dundas St, London, ON
Our event will be hybrid: you can join us onsite at TAP Centre for Creativity or online via Zoom Webinar! Your registration here is good for either an online or onsite ticket. Tickets are free! Click the registration link below.
This year’s centenary celebrations for acclaimed Canadian writer James Crerar (Jamie) Reaney reach their finale at TAP Centre for Creativity with a programme of readings by and about Jamie, featuring special guests James Stewart Reaney, Adam Corrigan Holowitz, Kyra Ryan, and Jerry Prager.
Jamie Reaney (1926-2008) was recognized with three Governor General’s awards, the Chalmers Award for drama, four honorary doctorates, and the Order of Canada. Born near Stratford on 1 September 1926, he died on June 11, 2008, in London, where he had lived since 1960.
The afternoon's events will proceed in two acts.
Act One, "In his Own Words," combines Susan Reaney’s selections from Jamie’s autobiography recalling his early years in and around Stratford. A passage from a later publication recalls the revelation when Jamie understood the dramatic possibilities of the tragic deaths of The Donnellys. Decades later, his 1970s trilogy about the Lucan area family murdered by a mob of their neighbours was applauded as a monumental accomplishment in Canadian theatre.
Act Two, "As Other Saw Him," shares a wide range of memories of Jamie from such luminaries as his wife, soulmate, and fellow poet Colleen Thibaudeau, Canadian literary superstar Margaret Atwood, and others who knew him well.
His grownup children have branded the centenary tributes to their late father as #Jamie2026. The sibling co-organizers are Susan Reaney of Galiano Island, B.C., and James Stewart Reaney of London, Ontario. They are thrilled the centenary’s final event reunites two Jamiecentric London arts forces, AlvegoRoot Theatre and the Words Festival’s Josh Lambier.
AlvegoRoot’s Adam Corrigan Holowitz and Kydra Ryan will present Act One, "In His Own Words." Friends and community readers will take over for Act Two, "As Others Saw Him."
As always, for more on the legacies of James Crerar (Jamie) Reaney and Colleen Thibaudeau, visit these websites helmed by Susan Reaney — jamesreaney.com and colleenthibaudeau.com
Register HERE
