About me

Katherine Barber

“Canada's Word Lady”

201 Hanson Street

Toronto, ON M4C 1A7

416.693.4496

wordlady.barber@gmail.com

www.katherinebarber.blogspot.com

“I recommend Ms. Barber highly.
She is articulate, intuitive, has the timing of the finest stand-up comedian and 

the acuity of the sharpest academic. 

She has the power to engage her audience and 

make them wiser than they were 

before her thoughtful monologue.”

Geoff Roberts, Headmaster, The Crescent School, Toronto

“For the past three days I have been receiving phone calls and emails 

from CFUW members expressing their delight with your presentation.

One member pointed out how rare it is to find a speaker 

who can deliver learned and fascinating content with wonderful wit.

Another simply said that you were the best speaker we have had in the past 3 years.”
Anna Guthrie, Program convenor, University Women's Club of North Toronto

"You were key in making our event a success."
Marg Bowman, Grimsby Museum

Best-selling author

Canadian Oxford Dictionary

(over a year on the Globe and Mail bestseller list)

Six Words You Never Knew Had Something to do With Pigs

(14 weeks on the Maclean's bestseller list)

Only in Canada, You Say: A Treasury of Canadian English

Media Personality

“The Word Lady”. Regular word history segment on CBC Radio,1996 to 2001

Regular TV and radio appearances as an expert on 

language in general and Canadian English in particular

“Say It” weekly word history in the Toronto Star,

January 2009 to March 2011

Speaker

No matter what I'm talking about, I make people laugh. A lot.

Over 200 speaking engagements across Canada and in the US in the last 10 years

Clients: Government of Ontario, Government of Canada, crown corporations, 
Probus Clubs, Canadian Clubs, Rotary Clubs, University Women's Clubs,

University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies, Ryerson LIFE Institute, lifelong learning and retired teachers associations, public libraries, professional associations, schools, universities, church groups, The National Ballet of Canada

Expert Witness (trademark litigation)

Heenan Blaikie LLP
Peacock Linder LLP
Gowling Lafleur Henderson LLP

Topics

Why is English so wacky?
A fun-filled and light-hearted but informative look at the weirdness of the English language and how it got to be the way it is. Includes things you never suspected about husbands, ptarmigan, porcelain, and much more. Laughs guaranteed...even when you find out why "guarantee" has such an odd spelling.

“Bachelor for Rent:

Things You Never Suspected About 
Canadian English”

A hilarious look at what is distinctive about

Canadians and their language

“Plain English: How to Improve your Communications”

“English Schminglish: How Jews have Enriched our Language”
An entertaining look at how Hebrew and Yiddish words have enriched the English language for thousands of years

Would you like to improve your professional or industry association meetings with a little light relief from the information-heavy and serious (and, let's say it, often boring) presentations? I can tailor a fun talk to just about any topic. I recently  entertained the general meeting of the Adhesives and Sealants Manufacturers Association of Canada with a talk about words related to sticky stuff. If I can do it for glue, I can do it for you!

Please contact me to see what I can do for you.

 

Awards and Honours

Editor of the Year Libris Award,

Canadian Booksellers Association, 1999

Book of the Year Libris Award,

Canadian Booksellers Association, 1999

Specialty Book of the Year Libris Award,

Canadian Booksellers Association, 1999

Distinguished Alumni Award,

University of Winnipeg, 2000

Kenneth R. Wilson Silver Award

(Canadian Business Press and Magazines Canada), 2010