Alumni

Alumni of the Department of English can be found across Canada and around the globe in fields such as politics, teaching, the creative arts, law, academia, the non-profit sector, and myriad other professions. Our diverse network of Alumni retains their connection to the department in a variety of ways—from attending the Departmental Speakers’ Series to participating in annual Homecoming events to supporting the Department’s various funding initiatives.

Among the annual events of special interest to Alumni are:

"Re/Connect," our Homecoming reception where students past and present have an opportunity to reminisce with professors and forge new bonds; and
“Ask the Alumni,” a panel discussion featuring graduates of the program from a variety of sectors, who share stories about how their degree in English has enhanced their career path.

Another great way to connect and keep up with Department of English news and events is through our Facebook page, Twitter and Instagram.

Featured Alumni

Photograph: Teri Pengilley/The Guardian

Michael Ondaatje

Class of

1967

World Renowned Author of the Booker Prize-winning novel The English Patient and graduate of the Department of English.

Michael Ondaatje is a poet, novelist, filmmaker and editor and has received numerous notable literary awards including the Governor General's Award, the Giller Prize, the Booker Prize, and the Prix.

Ondaatje has an expansive literary career and is recognized world-wide as a creative writing legend.

Elisa Hall

Class of

2018

BAH

English and Business

Content Writer

"When I left Queen’s and moved to Vancouver, I thought I’d be lucky to get a job period. Instead, I found a job as a content writer at what I thought was a small furniture company. I got the job because of my writing. Not because I had the most experience out of all the other candidates, but because the owner liked my writing."

Not because I had the most experience out of all the other candidates, but because the owner liked my writing. Two and a half weeks in, my boss quit and suddenly, there was no marketing manager. My small writing product descriptions and the occasional blog post turned into something much greater. Two months and a half month into working at Moe’s Home, I was Marketing Coordinator and a month after that I got permission to rehire for my old position as content writer. I began to project manage, organize photoshoots, take creative direction, and go on work trips. I had the career acceleration of someone five years my senior.”

Visit Elisa Hall’s Linkedin page.

Mitangi Parekh

Class of

2014

BAH

Communications Coordinator, Herjavec Group (2016-2020)

“At Queen’s, I studied Biology and English and, upon graduating, I realized I wasn’t very interested in science as a career. I want to be a storyteller and as a Communications Coordinator I get to do just that. Whether I use social media or blogging, I’m using storytelling to create quality content.

“Although my time with Queen’s English was ephemeral, I loved the close-knit community and the ability to take classes within other departments to use towards my English degree. The staff and faculty were absolutely lovely and did their very best to help you with anything you needed. Loved it!”

Mitangi Parekh’s Linkedin

Andrew Moffitt

Class of

2021

PhD

“My experience with the Department of English at Queen’s has been enriching in both an academic and professional capacity. The opportunities for pedagogical, intellectual, and even personal growth at Queen’s are abundant, and I leave the PhD program a far better scholar and teacher than I was five years ago.”

Omar El Akkad

Class of

2004

BCS

Author of Scotiabank Giller Prize Winning Novel Such Strange Paradise (2021)

Omar El Akkad, former Creative Writing student with the Department of English at Queen’s University, is an acclaimed author and a journalist. We were proud to host Omar as our 2022 Writer in Residence.

“On a whim, Akkad applied to the Advanced Creative Writing course, ran by Professor Carolyn Smart. When Akkad logged into his student portal and discovered he had been admitted it was ‘the happiest day of my life.’”

Read the entire story on the Queen’s Alumni Review.

Did you know…

For me personally, and a lot of others in the class, it was the first time we had ever been published in a book.

Omar El Akkad’s first novel, American War, was:

An International Bestseller
Winner of the Kobo Emerging Writer Prize, the Pacific Northwest Booksellers’ Award, and the Oregon Book Award
Selected as one of the best books of the year by the New York Times, The Washington Post, and many other publications
Chosen by the BBC as one of 100 novels that changed our world

Omar El Akkad's second novel, What Strange Paradise, won the 2021 Scotiabank Giller Prize.

Omar El Akkad published in the first ever Lake Effect anthology.

Read more about Akkad’s journey through Queen’s Creative Writing.

Andrew McKendry

Class of

2013

PhD

Class of

2008

Associate Professor, Nord University

“I completed both my M.A. & Ph.D. degrees with the English Department at Queen’s University, and I can say—having now worked at institutions around the world throughout the past decade—that it’s an outstanding program. There is a great sense of community among the graduate students, and the size of the program is ideal; it’s large enough to allow for courses on a wide range of subjects, but small enough to maintain an intimate seminar atmosphere. And, probably most importantly, the faculty are accomplished and approachable at the same time.”

Recent Publication: Disavowing Disability: Richard Baxter and the Conditions of Salvation (Cambridge University Press, 2021).

Featured Alumni

Michael Ondaatje

Elisa Hall

Mitangi Parekh

Andrew Moffitt

Omar El Akkad

Did you know…

Andrew McKendry

Department of English, Queen's University

Undergraduate

Graduate