Books and Beyond

The can't-miss books, podcasts, films, and multimedia with a Queen's connection.

Spring 2026

  • Canada’s Economy, Explained by Marwa Abdou

    Canada’s Economy, Explained

    Marwa Abdou, Com’08, Artsci’09

    Feeling a little shell-shocked by Canada’s current economic turmoil? Canada’s Economy, Explained is a podcast to help make sense of the state of the economy. From trade to inflation, each episode features insights and analysis by experts from the Business Data Lab (BDL). The podcast is hosted by Marwa Abdou, Com’08, Artsci’09, a senior research director at BDL, an organization founded by the Canadian Chamber of Commerce. A BDL production, the podcast is available on 14 streaming platforms and covers topics such as Trump tariffs, women entrepreneurs, Canada’s recession risk, and more. Listen to .

  • Strangely, Friends by Karen Dubinsky

    Strangely, Friends: A History of Cuban-Canadian Encounters

    Karen Dubinsky, PhD’91

    In contrast to the stance taken by the United States toward Cuba, Canada has continued to foster a relationship with the island, thanks in part to connections forged between individuals. In Strangely, Friends: A History of Cuban-Canadian Encounters, author Karen Dubinsky, PhD’91 – Queen’s professor emeritus, Global Development Studies/History – reveals the often-overlooked history of human relationships that defy borders. The book is inspired in part by the Queen’s–University of Havana educational/cultural exchange program, which she helped co-ordinate from 2008 to 2023. is available at Between the Lines.

  • The Weary Carry On by Bowman Wilker

    The Weary Carry On

    Bowman Wilker, Artsci’93

    A mysterious woman keeps reappearing at the edge of a dying mining town, only to disappear back into the wilds of British Columbia. A constable is assigned the unenviable task of investigating these sightings, but his search threatens to destroy him – and possibly the entire town. The Weary Carry On, the debut novel by Bowman Wilker, Artsci’93, is set in 1923, a pivotal moment in Canadian history marked by the downfall of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railroad and the formation of the RCMP. The author’s prior work includes the children’s picture book Crackerjack Jack (2018), and contributions to various children’s magazines. is available at The Wild Rose Press.

  • Count On Me by Ann Cavlovic

    Count On Me

    Ann Cavlovic, MA’00

    What happens when familial relationships become tangled up with money? Count On Me, by Ann Cavlovic, MA’00, explores the unravelling of an already dysfunctional family grappling with aging, debt, and generational harm. Heartfelt, humorous and poignant, the novel, which is set in Kingston, looks at our sense of entitlement to other people’s money, generational cycles, and how relationships can transcend transactions. This is her first novel; her short fiction and creative non-fiction have been published in Canadian literary journals and magazines. is available from Guernica Editions.

  • Count On Me by Ann Cavlovic

    Count On Me

    Ann Cavlovic, MA’00

    What happens when familial relationships become tangled up with money? Count On Me, by Ann Cavlovic, MA’00, explores the unravelling of an already dysfunctional family grappling with aging, debt, and generational harm. Heartfelt, humorous and poignant, the novel, which is set in Kingston, looks at our sense of entitlement to other people’s money, generational cycles, and how relationships can transcend transactions. This is her first novel; her short fiction and creative non-fiction have been published in Canadian literary journals and magazines. Available from Guernica Editions.

Fall 2025

  • Book cover titled “Military Operations in Response to Domestic Emergencies and Global Pandemics: Implications for Civil-Military Relations,” edited by Lindy Heinecken and Christian Leuprecht, with an orange-to-red gradient background and the Springer logo.

    Military Operations in Response to Domestic Emergencies and Global Pandemics

    Dr. Christian Leuprecht, PhD’03

    During the COVID-19 pandemic, militaries were routinely deployed domestically, including in Canada. Was the military’s role scrutinized? What was the extent of civilian oversight and control? Were there accountability measures in place? And when it was all over, had the military’s public image changed? Editors Dr. Christian Leuprecht, PhD’03, and Lindy Heinecken seek to address these questions in Military Operations in Response to Domestic Emergencies and Global Pandemics. Published in July 2025, is now open access and available for free from Springer Nature.

  • Book cover for “Beyond the Pipeline: Redefining Value, Success, and the Future of Women in STEMM—Together,” edited by Cassie Leonard, with black text on a light blue background and illustrations of women navigating a pipeline.

    Beyond the Pipeline

    Emily Bishop, Sc’09

    When there’s a leak, we typically blame the pipe without considering the forces at work that might be creating the leak. This “leaky pipe metaphor” has been used to blame women who enter STEMM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine) but then “leak” from careers – that is, leave their fields. Busting this myth, Beyond the Pipeline examines the systemic pressures forcing women out of their disciplines. Contributing author Emily Bishop, Sc’09, and others share stories of burnout, bias, career pivots, and resilience, arguing for strategies to create more inclusive and sustainable STEMM workplaces. is available from ELMM Press.

  • Book cover titled “Future-Generation Government: How to Legislate for the Long Term” by Nicholas Chesterley, featuring bold orange text and illustrations of telescopes arranged vertically on a white background.

    Future-Generation Government

    Nick Chesterley, Artsci’10

    Remember SARS – the acute respiratory illness that struck Toronto in 2003 and made thousands sick, killed more than 40 people, and shut the city down economically? That was just one of several “near-­pandemics” that preceded the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. From SARS to other outbreaks, these crises exposed how unprepared governments were, in particular highlighting the short-sightedness of leaders. In Future-Generation Government, Nick Chesterley, Artsci’10, looks at practical reforms that can help leaders respond to tomorrow’s challenges without compromising today’s democratic rights and freedoms. is available from McGill–Queen’s University Press.

  • Book cover for “Forgotten Exiles: Short Stories” by Cyril Dabydeen, featuring expressive painted artwork of a person and large yellow text over a muted background.

    Forgotten Exiles

    Cyril Dabydeen, MA’74, MPA’75

    Imagine being caught between two worlds: a stranger in your country of origin but uncomfortable in your new home. Cyril Dabydeen, MA’74, MPA’75, left Guyana during the 1970s, when the intelligentsia was being pushed out, for Lake Superior, Canada. Never quite at home here but unable to set down roots himself in his home country, the now well-established Canadian poet reflects on this state of intermundane in Forgotten Exiles. Themes of race, class, and self-discovery are at the heart of the collection’s enthralling narratives. is available at Mosaic Press.

Summer 2025

  • Ami Trivedi smiles confidently in a light blazer against a bold orange background. Large navy and white text beside her reads “ASK FOR IT” in all caps.

    Ask For It

    Ami Trivedi, Artsci’19, MIB’21

    Learning to understand “who you are talking to, what the situation is, and how to filter yourself accordingly” are fundamental to building stronger relationships, according to Ami Trivedi, Artsci’19, MIB’21. This aptitude helped inform the entrepreneur’s philosophy behind her podcast, Ask For It, in which she shares sales strategies, mindset shifts, and real-world lessons to help people elevate their performance. Her episodes address how to nail an interview, ask for a raise, and take control of one’s career. Ask For It is found on most platforms offering podcasts.

  • Cover of the book The Music Lover’s Guide to North America by Josephine Matyas and Craig Jones, featuring bold text and colorful illustrations of musical and travel icons.

    The Music Lover’s Guide to North America

    Craig Jones, MA’87, PhD’97

    Take two music lovers and add a desire for North American travel and you get a guidebook for the musically obsessed. Co-authored by Craig Jones, MA’87, PhD’97, and his wife, Josephine Matyas, The Music Lover’s Guide to North America explores the familiar (think Nashville) to the less well known: including the Celtic Interpretive Centre in Cape Breton, N.S., featuring Ashley MacIsaac’s and Natalie MacMaster’s fiddles, to the Hank Snow Home Town Museum in Liverpool, N.S. is available from Bloomsbury Publishing October 2025.

  • Book cover for The Silent Film Star Murders by Melodie Campbell. A woman in a blue swimsuit looks out a ship's porthole, framed by bold art deco borders.

    The Silent Film Star Murders

    Melodie Campbell, Com’78

    Ever since she was young, Melodie Campbell, Com’78, wanted to be either Carolyn Keene (the pen name used by authors of the Nancy Drew series) or Agatha Christie, and she’s well on her way to achieving that, having authored 19 novels, many of them mysteries. Her latest whodunnit, The Silent Film Star Murders, involves former mob goddaughter Lucy Revelstoke (from her Merry Widow series) confronting another murder. This one is set on an ocean liner during the roaring ’20s.  is available from Cormorant Books.

  • Book cover for Trading on Art by Sarah E.K. Smith. It features twelve plates, each with a painted shape of a North American region, symbolizing cultural trade.

    Trading on Art

    Sarah E.K. Smith, BFA’06, MA’08, PhD’13,

    Given the climate between Canada and the United States, insight into navigating that relationship is vital. Trading on Art examines how visual art and exhibitions have played a key role in North American free trade relationships in the past, and how artists and cultural institutions have been central to constructing this understanding. Authored by Sarah E.K. Smith, BFA’06, MA’08, PhD’13, it explores how Canadian artists engaged with, contested, and reflected on free trade to create a continental unity, and yet were paradoxically left out of this vision. is available from UBC Press.

Spring 2025

  • Devouring Tomorrow – fiction from the future of food

    Devouring Tomorrow

    Adam Pasquella, Artsci’96

    Imagine a world where meat grown in a lab becomes sentient, where there are no longer any bees left to pollinate, where disease wipes out fruit crops – are these the plots of a dystopian fantasy or the terrifying possibilities of tomorrow? Adam Pasquella, Artsci’96, has created an anthology of speculative short fiction, Devouring Tomorrow, that imagines a not-too-distant future where society grapples with climate, technological, political, and social changes that may affect how and what we eat. It includes work by collaborator Elan Mastai, Artsci’97.   is available from Dundurn Press.

  • Cows Come Home

    Cows Come Home

    Katie Uhlmann, Artsci’09

    “Smoother blending of parts,” “More powerful from end to end,” “Most complete individual” – just some of the comments you might hear at a cow-showing competition or on the new comedy series Cows Come Home. Co-written, co-produced, and directed by Katie Uhlmann, Artsci’09, it is a “heartfelt comedy about a woman who hits rock bottom and moves back to her small town, putting her life back together with the help of her best friend, through the world of competitive cow showing.” The six-part series is set to air June 11 on Bell Fibe TV1 and also features actor Allie Dunbar, Artsci’07.

  • Beautiful Junk

    Beautiful Junk

    Melissa Assaly, Artsci’00

    What may seem like junk to us may in fact be treasure to someone else, as a young boy discovers in the children’s picture book Beautiful Junk by alumna and elementary school teacher Melissa Assaly, Artsci’00. Before moving day, a family leaves unwanted items on the curb. The boy observes people rummaging through the pile in search of treasure and discovers the joy in saving items destined for the landfill. is available from Fitzhenry & Whiteside.