Uzma Jalaluddin Receives An Honorary Doctor of Laws Degree from Queen's University
Uzma is a high school teacher, former Toronto Star columnist, and an internationally acclaimed author.
Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario has conferred on Uzma Jalaluddin an honorary degree of Doctor of Laws. The honorary degree was given at the convocation ceremony on Nov. 3, 2025.
The university also handed out an honorary degree to the Honourable Senator Rosemary Moodie.
“We are thrilled to celebrate this important milestone in the lives of graduates, who have shown remarkable dedication in earning their degrees,” says Principal and Vice-Chancellor Patrick Deane at the convocation for recent graduates. “I am also looking forward to congratulating this fall’s honorary degree recipients and hope that graduates will be inspired by the wisdom they will share during the ceremonies.”
Uzma is a high school teacher, former Toronto Star columnist, and an internationally acclaimed author of four novels, a co-authored novel, and a play.
Known for giving classic romantic comedies a contemporary Muslim twist, she has also recently forayed into the mystery genre with Detective Aunty (2025).
Ayesha at Last (2019) is a rewriting of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice set in a close-knit Muslim community in Toronto, and Much Ado about Nada (2022) is an adaptation of Austen’s Persuasion.
Inspired by the 1998 Hollywood romantic comedy You’ve Got Mail, Hana Khan Carries On portrays rival halal restaurants, family responsibilities, and community dynamics.
According to The Kirkus Review, “novelist Jalaluddin’s first mystery is beyond satisfying, from Sherlock-style deductive reasoning to Christie-esque dinner parties, but infused with the flavors of samosa, biryani, and raita.”
With her trademark humour, Jalaluddin thus tackles issues like identity and cultural expectations, gender roles, and anti-Muslim racism.
