For one term each academic year, the Department of English welcomes a writer in residence to engage in a range of literary events and to offer advice and mentorship to creative writing students. The program was initiated by Carolyn Smart in 2006 and featured, in that year, renowned dub poet Lillian Allen. Since that time, Queen’s has hosted a diverse array of literary artists working across genres and media.
The English Literatire and Creative Writing Department would like to welcome our 2026 Writer in Residence Ani Castillo
Ani is a Mexican-Canadian author, multi-disciplinary artist, and speaker.
With the visual ingenuity of Press Here and the emotional resonance of What Do You Do with a Problem?, this wise and timely book about the fragile art of personal connection will strike a chord with children and adults alike.
In the era of social media, communication feels both more anxiety-producing, and more inescapable, than ever before. This clever, comforting picture book debut explores the challenges and joys of self-expression and social connection.
Using an imaginative visual metaphor to bring to life how we send out (ping!) and receive (pong!) communications, Ani Castillo's words and pictures will empower and inspire anyone who has experienced the fear of sharing themselves with the world.
With an artful, accessible package, an eloquent message, and a lot of heart, here is a new classic to bring courage and comfort to humans of all ages.
With the whimsy of Oliver Jeffers, the accessibility of Todd Parr, and empowerment of Peter Reynolds, this crossover gift book invites readers to ponder and celebrate the magic of being alive.
Beginning with the birth of a baby, the story takes the reader on a journey through life, navigates the ups and downs, and culminates in a deeply satisfying sense of the wonder and awe in being human.
With a charming gift book trim size, a unique and inspiring message delivered in an artful, accessible package, Spark will strike a chord with both children and adults.
Omar El Akkad, former Creative Writing student with the Department of English at Queen’s University, is an author and a journalist. His work emerges at a crossroads of social engagement and investigative journalism. From Afghanistan, to Guantánamo Bay and many other locations in the world, Akkad’s writing and field journailism spans across many complex geographies. His writing has appeared in The Guardian, Le Monde, Guernica, GQ, and many other newspapers and magazines.
His books include What Strange Paradise (fiction, novel, 2021) and debut novel American War (2018) which is an international bestseller and has been translated into thirteen languages.
His debut novel won many prestigious awards including the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association Award, the Oregon Book Award for fiction, and the Kobo Emerging Writer Prize, and has been nominated for more than ten other awards.
It was also listed as one of the best books of the year by The New York Times, The Washington Post, GQ, NPR, and Esquire, and was selected by the BBC as one of 100 Novels That Shaped Our World.
Omar El Akkad In Conversation with Grace O'Connell and Moez Surani:
Watch Omar discuss memoir with Elamin Abdelmahmoud:
Watch the 2022 Giller Prize Event Featuring Omar:
Maroon Time: Time and Ancestry in the Poem
Kaie Kellough
Kaie Kellough and Armand Ruffo in conversation
Kaie Kellough in conversation with Souvankham Thammavongsa (March 5, 2021)
Learn more about our Scotiabank Giller Prize event…
Kevin Yuen Kit Lo and Dani Spinosa
Moderated by Kaie Kellough (March 16, 2021)
Watson Hall
49 Bader Lane
Kingston ON K7L 3N6
Canada
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