The Writer-in-residence program is an introduction to the University and Faculty of Arts to someone with a wealth of talent in the arts. The focus of creative writing develops our students for their future — it gives them direct access to accomplished writers who share their methods and challenges with writing and publishing. They have a first-hand opportunity to learn writing practices from professionals. Learn more about the Writer-in-residence program.

Event details

My Favourite Panels: A Fireside Comics Chat with Alex Assan

Feb. 3  |  12 - 2:30 p.m.
Ideas Lounge | EL1270

At this event, the 2026 Writer-In-Residence, award-winning comic artist Alex Assan, will discuss a selection of comic pages from his career as a window into how text and art work together to create meaning on the comics page. For the second half of the event, Alex will discuss working professionally in comics at both the indie and traditional publisher levels, how to situate comics as literature, and the possibilities of artist-writer collaboration in a relaxed, conversational fireside chat with Dr. Lin Young. A Q&A will follow.

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Shelving Comics': Categorizing the Graphic Novel, with Alex Assan 

Feb. 4  |  6 - 8 p.m.
Patricia A. Whelan Performance Hall - Central Library | 800 3rd Street Southeast

How do comics fit on library bookshelves? What’s the difference between graphic novels and ‘comics’? This talk with award-winning graphic novelist Alex will cover these questions and more, discussing the adaptable and often contradictory comics medium from newspaper strips to ‘respectable’ graphic novels. Discussing comics as both high art and low art, education and entertainment, Alex will explore who reads comics and who makes them, asking questions about how we categorize comics in comparison to ‘regular’ books.

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