On March 11, the Student Experience Office (SEO) –  a unit within Student Affairs – will be hosting an evening with author and activist Tima Kurdi.

The event will cap off this year’s Queen’s Reads program, which saw over 4,400 free copies of Kurdi’s book, The Boy on the Beach, distributed among students and members of the Queen’s community.

The Boy on the Beach is a true story of the family of Alan Kurdi, the two-year-old boy who became a global emblem for the Syrian refugee crisis after his body washed up on a beach – the image making headlines around the world.

Author Tima Kurdi, Alan’s aunt, is now an internationally-recognized spokesperson on the global refugee crisis.

“The Boy on the Beach has served as the catalyst for so many meaningful conversations on campus,” says Kevin Collins, Student Development Coordinator and the organizer of the Queen’s Reads program. “We are very grateful that Tima Kurdi is coming to Queen’s so that we can continue these conversations and better understand a diverse range of lived experiences.”

The author talk will take place at 7 pm in Grant Hall and is open to all students, staff, faculty, and community members.

Attendees will have the opportunity to hear Kurdi discuss her poignant and intimate memoir, ask questions, and have their books signed.

Community members will be able to purchase books at the event from Novel Idea, and a limited number of free copies will be available for Queen’s students, faculty, and staff.

Students, faculty, and staff can register to the event for free through the Queen’s events website.

Community members can register through the Kingston Writer’s Fest website.