About this Event
Hosted by Simon & Schuster Canada and the Toronto Metropolitain University.
Join one of Canada's most prominent & decorated journalists, Brian Stewart, in conversation with foreign correspondent Paul Workman, as he reflects on his riveting career and the launch of his memoir, : My Life as a Foreign Correspondent.
Wednesday, November 12. Doors open at 11:30 am. Conversation starts at 12 pm. Book signing to follow.
LOCATION: Rogers Communication Centre (J-School)
ROOM: RCC103, The Venn
ADDRESS: 80 Gould St, Toronto, ON M5B 2R1
BOOKSELLER: York University Bookstore will be on-site copies copies (cash & card accepted).
Brian Stewart’s On the Ground is a powerful insider’s memoir from one of Canada’s most trusted foreign correspondents, revealing the pressures, joys, and traumas of bearing witness to history’s turning points. Over decades on CBC’s The National, Stewart reported from sandstorms and shootouts, famine‑stricken fields and diplomatic palaces, bringing viewers face‑to‑face with Margaret Thatcher, Nelson Mandela, armed militants, aid workers, and the heartbreaking aftermath of conflict. With honesty and empathy, he recounts both the exhilaration of reporting triumphs and the burden of chronicling humanity’s darkest moments—from the Gulf War to the Ethiopian famine—underscoring the enduring value of fearless, principled journalism.
PRAISE FOR On the Ground: My Life as a Foreign Correspondent:
“Brian Stewart’s reporting brought us many of the most important stories of our time. Here, in his memoir, he brings a Canadian lens to those stories, reminding us that our perspective matters now more than ever.” —PETER MANSBRIDGE, #1 bestselling author of Off the Record
“A magnificent, gripping memoir. . . . Brian Stewart [is] one of the legendary foreign correspondents of his generation. This ranks with the best pieces of reportage in the footsteps of Edgar Snow, Martha Gellhorn, Matthew Halton, and Ernest Hemingway." —MARK STAROWICZ, award-winning journalist and producer
“On the Ground is a remarkable book. One of Canada’s most distinguished international correspondents, Stewart takes his readers around the world from Ethiopia to Iraq to London and Afghanistan as he reflects on what he saw during his extraordinary career. Like all great journalists, Stewart does not flinch from telling unpleasant truths. Everyone who is interested in the world and in Canada’s role in the world must read this book.” —JANICE GROSS STEIN, Founding Director, Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy
“One of the best foreign correspondents in television news . . . [Stewart] woke up the world to the catastrophic famine in Ethiopia. He is thoughtful, literate, and very knowledgeable. [Here] he explains how to cover war, how to bear witness, how people come back from disaster, and how he recovered from the moral injury of doing his job.” – VALERIE PRINGLE, award-winning broadcaster
“Before I knew Canada, I knew Brian Stewart. I grew up at a time my father—a then Ethiopian government official—telling me about a certain Canadian who used journalism to tell the story of millions of vulnerable Ethiopians. Had it not been for him, many would have perished. . . . This book is a reminder why Canadian journalism and Brian matter at home and in the world” – SAMUEL GETACHEW, award-winning international journalist
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Brian Stewart was for decades one of the Canada’s most prominent television journalists and was acclaimed for his foreign coverage for both CBC’s The National and The Journal. Born in Montréal, and originally a newspaper reporter, Stewart went on to become foreign correspondent for CBC in London and NBC in Frankfurt. He worked in ten war zones, was host of the CBC Foreign Affairs show Worldview, and interviewed many of the historic figures of his time, including Nelson Mandela, Margaret Thatcher, Salman Rushdie, and Henry Kissinger. After retiring, he was appointed Senior Fellow of the Munk School of Global Affairs, University of Toronto. Stewart is a recipient of the Order of Ontario, the Queen’s Jubilee Medal, and the Order of Canada.
ABOUT PAUL WORKMAN: Paul Workman spent 35 years as a foreign correspondent with CBC and CTV, ending his career in London as CTV's Chief International Correspondent. He was honored in 2024 with the Gordon Sinclair lifetime achievement award for broadcast journalism.
MORE ABOUT THE BOOK: Brian Stewart is a trusted voice who brought stories of the world home to Canadians for decades on CBC’s The National.He saw it all firsthand—triumph and ecstasy; carnage and unspeakable suffering—and bore the responsibility of shining a light on the most exciting and most horrifying moments of the late 20th century, including the Gulf War and the Ethiopian famine, reporting from sandstorms and shootouts, palaces and embassies. He spoke with the likes of Margaret Thatcher, Pope John Paul II, and Nelson Mandela; with armed militants, activists, aid workers, and more.Now, for the first time, he is sharing his experience of the cost, both personal and professional, of bringing truth home from around the world. Reading like a whirlwind trip through the highs and lows of modern history from one of its most passionate students, On the Ground brings politics, war, and social change to vivid life.An arresting tale of courage, curiosity, and empathy from a time when the news media held the public’s trust, Stewart’s honest and balanced storytelling is not only the fascinating tale of where one man’s quest to witness history took him but also a sobering reminder of the staggering value of wise, responsible, and honorable journalism.
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Rogers Communication Centre, 80 Gould Street, Toronto, Canada
USD 0.00
