Ryan North

Author, humourist, tall Canadian, dog petter... and MORE.

Talks

I've been a speaker at events as diverse as Yale University, TEDx, governmental summits, and countless libraries and schools around the world. I always work to inspire audiences about the fun and excitement of science, technology, education, and comics. (Photo by Joana D.)

I'd love to come entertain and educate at your business, event, school, or library. Please contact Kate Berner at the Penguin Random House Speakers Bureau if you're interested in having me visit!

Selected talks from the past little while include:

2025: The Government Tomorrow Forum - Are the governments of the future superheroes or supervillains? As a comic writer, I had some ideas!
2023, 2024: The World Government Summit - I spoke about the dangers of supervillainy and geoengineering (in 2023) and of AI (in 2024)
2023: The Long Now - on rebuilding civilization (watch here!)
2016-2019, 2023-2024: Juneau, Alaska Comics Camp - yearly school visits for disadvantaged youth, including incarcerated youth
2021: Intel - technical seminar on invention and time travel
2021: LitUp Festival - on writing, creativity, and finding your spark for teens.
2019: New Prarie High School, IL - schoolwide talk about writing, becoming a writer, and knowing that who you are in high school doesn't have to be who you are later on.
2019: Trinity College, Dublin - keynote address to the Trinity Literary Society and Gamers Society about interactive storytelling
2018: Great Summer Books Program - guest lecturer on creativity and writing for the summer students at at Amherst College.
2018: BAHFest - Keynote address (watch here!)
2018: XOXO - On Creativity, and Doing Things Nobody Has Given You Permission To Do
2016: Toronto Comics Arts Festival - Keynote address
2016: The Walrus Talks - seven minutes on choosing your own destiny (watch here!)
2013: TEDx - Time travel talk (watch here!)
2009: Yale University - comics talk, followed by a humor and writing workshop with students

Videos and Feedback

"Your visit was wonderful. Your presentation in the school auditorium was packed with great messages about writing, reading, and - more generally - being creative and approaching life as an ongoing project of learning and growing. When you were talking with students one-on-one, you were so approachable, so honest, and so insightful. As far as school visits go, you nailed it!" - Blake Holman, Librarian, New Prarie High School

"Your presentation was surely my favourite. You are an amazing speaker." - Asma, attendee, World Government Summit

"Liked Ryan North the best, made me see how literature was fun and didn't have to follow specific rules! Showed me that literature that was fun could still mean something." - Student, Amherst College

"Really liked the guest speaker! Make sure future guest speakers are as good as him!" - Student, Amherst College

Current Projects

Squirrel Girl art by Erica Henderson, © Marvel Comics, Ophelia art by Kate Beaton, How To Invent Everything art by Derek Charm, Kid Constantine art by Derek Charm, © DC Comics, Slaughterhouse-Five art by Albert Monteys, How To Be A T.rex art by Mike Lowery.