Celebration of John Buchan: His Life and Literary Works

The Celebration of John Buchan, His Life and Literary Works will be held at Hyland Cinema in London, Ontario, on Wednesday, August 27, 2025, in honour of the 150th anniversary of Buchan’s birth. John Buchan was Canada’s 15th Governor General, serving from 1935 until his death in 1940 during the Second World War. During his tenure, he was widely regarded as one of Canada’s most popular and esteemed Governors General, spending significant time visiting First Nations communities across the country and earning their respect and recognition.

Buchan was born on August 26, 1875, in Scotland and graduated from Oxford University before working as a civil servant. He went on to write more than 100 books, including biographies, fiction and non-fiction works, essays, and short stories. His most famous novel, The Thirty-Nine Steps, was adapted into a box-office hit by Alfred Hitchcock. His final novel written in Canada, Sick Heart River, was inspired by his travels and experiences with Indigenous peoples in the southern Northwest Territories.

The event begins at 12:30 PM with a presentation on Buchan’s life and works by London journalist Herman Gooden, followed at 1:30 PM by a screening of Hitchcock’s original film adaptation of The Thirty-Nine Steps. This celebration follows a three-day conference on Buchan’s life and achievements hosted by the John Buchan Society Canada at Queen’s University in June 2025.