Keynote Speaker

Carol Radford-Grant has been the Provincial Archivist of Saskatchewan since September 2021. She leads a team that preserves and provides access to the province’s historical records of the government, as well as individuals, organizations, businesses and associations. In addition, the Archives also provides expertise and advice to government about information management, policy standards and effective record keeping practices in the public sector. Before joining the Provincial Archives, she worked as a leader in the archives field for over 20 years in Toronto in various organizations, including the City of Toronto, the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario, the Archives of Ontario, and the Ontario College of Teachers. Carol holds a Bachelor of Arts in English and Philosophy and a Graduate Diploma in Public Administration from Western University, an Archives Technician Diploma from Algonquin College, and a Masters in Information Studies from the University of Toronto.

Radford-Grant will be speaking on Thursday, April 30th, at 9am.

Mary Donaldson Lecture Speaker

Danny Ramadan is a Syrian-Canadian author and LGBTQ+ refugees’ advocate. His memoir Crooked Teeth received raving reviews and was nominated for the Governor General’s Award for Non-Fiction. His latest novel, The Foghorn Echoes, won the Lambda Literary Award for Gay Fiction and was nominated for both the BC & Yukon Book Prizes and the City of Vancouver Book Award. His debut novel, The Clothesline Swing, won the Independent Publisher Book Award, was longlisted for Canada Reads, and has been translated into multiple languages.

Ramadan is also the author of the award-winning Salma children’s series, which has received the Nautilus Book Award, the Publishing Triangle Award, the Middle East Book Award, and numerous other accolades.

Since arriving in Canada, he has raised over $300,000 to support LGBTQ+ refugees, securing safe passage for more than two dozen queer and trans individuals. He holds an MFA in Creative Writing from UBC and an Honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters from Adler University.

He lives in Vancouver with his husband and two dogs — and when he’s not writing, he’s probably playing video games.

Ramadan will be speaking on Thursday, April 30th, at 7:30pm. The Mary Donaldson Lecture is a Free Public Event. Although you do not need to register for the conference to attend, please reserve your spot by emailing us at  info@saskla.ca.