Heather Cyr

Dr. Heather Cyr is a Professor and Chair of the English Department at Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU), where she has taught composition and literature courses since 2011. Her academic leadership includes co-creating the First-Year English Writing Labs in 2015–2022, which provide supplemental instruction to hundreds of students annually. Cyr holds a PhD from Queen’s University and focuses her research on spatial and nostalgic dimensions in Children’s and Young Adult Literature.

Her scholarly contributions include co-editing the 2024 Broadview edition of The Secret Garden and publishing critical analyses on fantasy series like Charlie Fletcher’s Stoneheart Trilogy and Rick Riordan’s mythological narratives. Cyr’s work intersects with themes such as postcolonial landscapes, gender ideologies, and the transformative role of nature in literature. She recently presented on anger in girls' migrant novels at IRSCL 2025 and is developing a handbook for English majors.

Key courses taught by Cyr include:

• ENGL 1100 Introduction to University Writing
• ENGL 2430 Children's Literature
• ENGL 3330 Studies in Children's Literature (Fantasy theme)
• ENGL 3380 Popular Writing

Her research spans imaginative geography, literary tourism, and the pedagogical integration of fantasy in youth literature.