Speaker
Monia Mazigh is an academic, award-winning Canadian author, and human rights activist. Writing in both French and English, she has published a memoir, three novels, an essay, and a collection of short stories, all of which have received critical acclaim. Her memoir/essay, Gendered Islamophobia: My Journey with a Scar(f), was a finalist for the 2023 Governor General’s Literary Award in the Non-Fiction category.

Her most recent novel, Farida, won the Ottawa Book Award for French Fiction and was a finalist for the 2025 Governor General’s Literary Award in the Translation category.

Dr. Mazigh is an Adjunct Research Professor in the Department of English Language and Literature at Carleton University. She also served as Writer-in-Residence at Carleton University during the Winter 2026 term.

A respected public commentator, Monia Mazigh has been a columnist for ONFR+ and Radio-Canada. Her articles have appeared in the Ottawa Citizen, The Globe and Mail, and the Toronto Star, and she is a regular contributor to Islamic Horizons.

In recognition of her longstanding commitment to community engagement and human rights advocacy, Monia Mazigh was named a 2025 Distinguished Women of Ottawa honouree in the Lifetime Contribution category. She also received the King Charles III Coronation Medal for her contributions to human rights.