Gilbert Reid

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Gilbert Reid
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Born
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
EducationUniversity of Toronto; London School of Economics; University of Cambridge; Birkbeck, University of London; Sciences Po, Paris
OccupationWriter, journalist, broadcaster, cultural diplomat
Notable work
So This Is Love; Lava and Other Stories; Son of Two Fathers; CBC Ideas documentaries

Gilbert Reid is a Canadian writer, broadcaster, and former cultural diplomat whose work spans international media, literature, and government service. He is a Gemini Award–nominated documentary writer, director of the Canadian Cultural Centre in Rome, and a long-time contributor to CBC's Ideas.[1][2][3]

Reid served as press attaché to Canada's G7 delegations and was a member of the International Administrative Committee of the Venice Biennale. His literary fiction and speculative trilogies have been published in Canada and internationally, with critical recognition and appearances at institutions like the Empire Club of Canada and National Geographic.[4]

Early life and education

Born in Toronto and raised on a dairy farm near Kleinburg, Ontario, Reid earned a B.A. in Economics and Political Science from Trinity College at the University of Toronto, an M.Sc. in Monetary Economics from the London School of Economics, and a B.A. in English Literature from the University of Cambridge. He pursued doctoral studies at Birkbeck College, University of London, and studied international economic and diplomatic relations at Sciences Po in Paris as an auditeur libre.[5]

Career and reception

Reid served for over a decade as Director of the Canadian Cultural Centre in Rome, where he promoted Canadian literature, music, and visual arts in collaboration with leading Italian institutions.[6][7] He also served as press attaché for Canada's delegations to the 1980 and 1987 G7 Summits in Venice and sat on the International Administrative Committee of the Venice Biennale.[8][5]

He also worked as an economist at the OECD in Paris.[5]

Published work

Reid's work has appeared in major Canadian publications, including The Globe and Mail and the Toronto Star, where he has published essays, opinion pieces, and commentary on cultural and political issues.[9][10]

His radio documentaries have been featured on CBC Radio's Ideas, including the multi-part programs Gilbert Reid’s France (2009) and Pleasures of the Flesh (2010), both of which explored social, cultural, and historical themes.[2][11]

His fiction has been acclaimed and reviewed by independent literary publications. So This Is Love: Lollipop and Other Stories received critical attention from Books in Canada and January Magazine.[12][13]

Reid has contributed essays and reviews to The Walrus and the Literary Review of Canada.[14]

Reid has been an invited speaker at high-profile historical and civic events, including those organized by the Empire Club of Canada.[15][16][3]

In 2022, the Glenn Gould Foundation featured Reid in programming celebrating “Glenn Gould @ 90,” recognizing his contributions to international cultural discourse and historical programming, including references to his role in biennial exhibitions.[17]

Broadcasting and documentary work

Reid has written, hosted, and produced numerous radio and television documentaries for CBC (Ideas), TVO, National Geographic, Discovery, and The History Channel.

Notable works include:

  • Gilbert Reid’s Italy and Gilbert Reid’s France (CBC Ideas)[18]
  • The Great War Tour (TVO)
  • Ultimate Engineering: Angkor Wat and Machu Picchu (National Geographic)
  • For King and Empire and For King and Country (History Channel)[19]

He received a Gemini Award nomination in 2002 for Best Writing in a Documentary Program for the "Storming the Ridge" episode of For King and Empire.[20]

Other radio and TV works include:

  • Life and Times of Robertson Davies (CBC)
  • History down the Barrel of a Gun (Discovery)
  • La Séduction au Canada (TFO)
  • The Mating Game: A History of Flirtation (CBC Ideas)[21]
  • Seduction, How Humans Created Animals, War Science: WWI, and No Way Out: The End of Utopia (CBC Ideas)

Literary work and publications

Reid is the author of several fiction and non-fiction books, including:

  • So This Is Love: Lollipop and Other Stories (2019)[22]
  • Lava and Other Stories (2019)[23]
  • Son of Two Fathers (2019), co-written with Jacqueline Park[24]
  • The speculative fiction series: Extinction Trilogy, Pandemic Series, and The Adventures of V (2020–2022), published by Twin Rivers Productions[25]

He has also ghostwritten books for authors including a forthcoming biography of Eric Jackman and a history of the Jackman family.

Public speaking and jury roles

Reid participated in a 2022 roundtable at the Empire Club of Canada on Canada's wartime legacy.[3]

He has served on juries for the Prix Vercorin (Switzerland), the Festival International du Film sur l’Art (FIFA) in Montreal,[26] and other European literary and cinematic competitions.

References

  1. ↑ "Pleasures of the Flesh, Part 1". CBC Radio – Ideas. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. 2010-02-02. Retrieved 2026-01-09.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Gilbert Reid's France". CBC Radio – Ideas. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. 2009-05-25. Retrieved 2026-01-09.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "Canada and War". Empire Club of Canada.
  4. ↑ "She Answered the Call: How Teenage Girls That Supported the War Effort Changed Canada Forever". Empire Club of Canada. Empire Club of Canada. Retrieved 2026-01-09.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 "Gilbert Reid – Writers' Union of Canada Profile". The Writers’ Union of Canada. Retrieved 2025-07-22.
  6. ↑ Stoffman, J. (2018-03-01). "Writer turned a footnote into a bestseller: Inspired by historical figures of the Italian Renaissance, she published her first serious novel, *The Secret Book of Grazia dei Rossi*, when she was 72". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2026-01-09.
  7. ↑ Ross, V. (2006-09-30). "Cuts reduce our role abroad". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2026-01-09.
  8. ↑ "Glenn Gould @ 90". Glenn Gould Foundation. Glenn Gould Foundation. Retrieved 2026-01-09.
  9. ↑ Reid, Gilbert (2019-07-12). "Sir Kim's exit, recycled?". The Globe and Mail.
  10. ↑ Adilman, Sid (1993-01-23). "Clarkson turns director". Toronto Star.
  11. ↑ "Tuesday, February 2 – Wednesday, February 3: Pleasures of the Flesh Part 1". CBC Ideas. 2010-02-02.
  12. ↑ "Review: So This Is Love". Books in Canada.
  13. ↑ "So This Is Love Review". January Magazine.
  14. ↑ "Contributor: Gilbert Reid". Literary Review of Canada.
  15. ↑ "Remembrance Day 2021". Empire Club of Canada.
  16. ↑ "She Answered the Call". Empire Club of Canada.
  17. ↑ "Glenn Gould at 90". Glenn Gould Foundation.
  18. ↑ "Gilbert Reid's France – CBC Audio". CBC. Retrieved 2025-07-22.
  19. ↑ "About KAE – King & Empire Foundation". KingAndEmpire.ca. King & Empire Foundation. Retrieved 2026-03-07.
  20. ↑ "Gemini Awards 2002 Nominees". Playback. Brunico Communications. Retrieved 2025-07-22.
  21. ↑ "The Mating Game – CBC Ideas". CBC. Retrieved 2025-07-22.
  22. ↑ Oughton, John (2005-04-01). "A Review of: *So This Is Love: Lollipop and Other Stories*". Books in Canada. Books in Canada. Retrieved 2026-01-09.
  23. ↑ "Lava and Other Stories". Goodreads. Retrieved 2025-07-22.
  24. ↑ Park, Jacqueline; Reid, Gilbert (2019). Son of Two Fathers. House of Anansi Press. Retrieved 2025-06-26.
  25. ↑ "Twin Rivers Productions". Bookshop.org. Retrieved 2025-07-22.
  26. ↑ "Festival International du Film sur l'Art". FIFA. Retrieved 2025-07-22.

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