Glorious & Free is a dazzling 396-page coffee table book that profiles some of Canada’s most audacious, accomplished, and original individuals. Published in celebration of the country’s 150th anniversary, it’s a portrait of contemporary Canada that sidesteps the clichés and looks beyond the obvious icons. Sorry, no polar bears, hot prime ministers, or Mounted police on these pages.
Instead, Glorious & Free tells the stories of 37 Canadians whose hard work, wild talent, and unrelenting commitment to freedom of expression embody what it truly means to be Canadian. Through candid interviews and evocative photography, we learn what it takes to overcome hardship, loneliness, and incredible adversity. We come to understand how the Canadian identity continues to be inspired and forged by a mindset and people who are brave and creative enough to be themselves—100%.
From unsung heroes like the veteran soldier who overcame PTSD and is one of only three people in the world to successfully disarm a suicide bomber to a prodigal musician who plays a 300-year-old cello to a decorated paralympic swimmer who earned three gold medals and set two world records at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Glorious & Free is full of remarkable people. Poets, architects, dancers, fashion designers, photographers, ice climbers, activists, entrepreneurs, and rodeo champs. Glorious & Free celebrates an extraordinary collection of incredible Canadians and our distinct quiver of national values.
Glorious & Free is a timely snapshot, a sort of voyeuristic look into the lives and spaces of some forward-thinkers working in Canada today.
”Co-authored by Rita Field-Marsham and Kim Bozak, Glorious & Free was born of a desire to expand the commonly held notions of Canadian identity and highlight the power of making bold choices.
Seven years in the making, the project is an expression of gratitude for the uniqueness of Canada’s social, political, and cultural environment. Rita and Kim worked closely with award-winning illustrator Frank Viva, and an array of talented photographers and journalists, to create a book that’s as colourful and punchy as the people it profiles.
Glorious & Free serves as a potent reminder that amazing things can happen when we live freely and embrace our dreams. We celebrate who we are and what makes us different, and boldly offer that to the world. We know that as we put our stamp on the world we are freeing others to do the same, and are contributing to something greater than ourselves. We emit positive energy, building fuller lives for ourselves and in so doing make the world a more beautiful place.
