#muslim authors

[kwshahrazad]

Living in North America, even when you aren’t celebrating Christmas, it feels like you're celebrating Christmas.

Promptly on November 1st, the red, white and green festivities begin and their brilliant hues are inescapable. There are elves on shelves and an inflatable Frosty on roofs. And Santa! He really is always watching you as he’s plastered on every surface. He sees you when you’re sleeping because he’s on the half-eaten chocolate wrapper on your dresser. He knows when you’re awake because he’s also on your cereal box, milk carton, and morning coffee sleeve.

Around this time of year, there is a spike in cases of FOMO within first and second-generation immigrants whose holiday rosters do not include Christmas. For over fifty days, they are stuck between a rock and a jolly place because Christmas can be… tempting. The twinkling lights are alluring, the merry melodies are mesmerizing, the promise of gifts is promising, and so the fear of missing out can be all-consuming. It all starts on an ordinary November morning when suddenly, "the holiday spirit" infuses everything the light touches. Every mode and medium has a Yuletide tinge, and every sector of life has a little trimming. For two months, these FOMO-ridden individuals trapeze through jagged tinsel and paper-cut sharp wrapping paper, trying to maneuver in the aftermath of Big Hallmark’s joyous rampage.

In schools, children sing carols in winter pageants, some only mouthing the words to Silent Night or hesitantly rockin’ around a Christmas tree.

There's no argument that these activities can spark joy, and that's precisely the problem. Celebrating, the very act of it, is fun. Whether it’s Halloween, a wedding, an achievement, however minimal, or even a dog’s birthday, people find reasons to come together and celebrate. But in this case, Christmas is not theirs to celebrate. Some people have a little voice in their heads that nettles them each time they put on reindeer ears or take part in Secret Santa. Depending on the individual, it could be their conscience screaming, “What would my parents say?”

In the winter whirlwind of hope, excitement, and merriment, it’s almost impossible to not want to be a part of it all, even subconsciously. It’s difficult to deny that Christmas is fun.

Especially since celebrating non-Christian holidays in the West can be challenging.

There are no signature drinks or holiday hours. There are no lights and most definitely no statutory days off. Christmas is fun because of the sheer scale. The stakes are high with countdowns, giveaways, and so many parties.

Christmas isn’t just a day you celebrate, it’s a season. It’s a pallette and a theme. It’s a genre of music and film. It’s a category of dessert, dinner, and beverage.

That said, it’s difficult to compete with all the fanfare that happens each year in December. Parents are often compelled to go above and beyond to get their kids excited about their own celebrations. Usually with the help of old reliable Mr. Chuck E. Cheese and even older — and therefore more reliable — Mr. Wad of Cash. Worse yet, when one has to justify their need for a day off to a manager who is apparently fascinated by their religion, people can’t help but pray for patience, or better yet, a miracle.

A miracle in which there is no rock by the jolly place. What if a certain non-Christian American demographic could celebrate their holiday at the same time as everyone else? What if they could ride on the Christmas coattails of vacation days, holiday parties, and sales? What if a certain non-Christian religious holiday coincided with Christmas and millions more could wholeheartedly celebrate together with the masses? What if, for example, Eid al-Adha fell on December 24th?

Wouldn’t that be a miracle?

***

You've just read the introduction to my new book, Christmas Eid, available now on Kindle (E-Book) (Print coming soon).

It's Booksmart meets the holidays wrapped up in a warm, festive coming-of-age story.

Christmas Eid introduces a unique format. It's a novelplay. A book that reads like a movie!

Christmas Eid: A Novelplay (Available Now)

If you'd be interested in receiving a copy in return for a review, please message me! Also, please share this with anyone you think might be interested in reading!

K.W. Shahrazad

#my writing #books #ya books #ya fiction #young adult #coming of age #bipoc #bipoc author #christmas #xmas #christmas eid #christmas recs #reading #christmas season #muslim author #muslim authors #black author #black authors #author #authors of color #authors of tumblr #christmas books #booksmart #dash and lily #let it snow #christmas YA #holiday reads #holiday books #eid books #eid

[hyba]

A Late Announcement: Scrittorio Magazine Ramadan 1445 Issue

I've put it out there on IG and I'm sharing it here as well:

For the month of Ramadan, which is just days away, I'm preparing a special Scrittorio Magazine issue.

The Ramadan 1445 issue will discuss a range of topics related to writing fiction as a Muslim author, but my hope is that I can present the real experiences, insights, and advice of Muslim fiction writers in this issue.

If you are a Muslim writer of fiction, please check out the blog post linked above! If you have any Qs, please don't hesitate to reach out.

Deadline: Ideally, March 10th - 15th. Hoping to publish the issue sometime between the 15th-20th of March, inshaAllah.

#ramadan #muslim writers #writeblr #writing #muslim authors

[wrappedinamysteryy]

For us Muslim writers, our Sadaqah Al Jaariya is our words. They are the seeds we try to sow in the hearts of our readers, seeds that may sprout and bloom long after we are gone.

We try our best to make our words a source of knowledge and guidance, a beacon of hope in the darkness, a balm for the wounded soul.

May Allāh reward all the writers who are using their words as a source of spreading Islamic knowledge and comforting the lives of the readers. May their words be a source of blessing for them in this world and the hereafter.

امين

#muslim writers #muslim poets #muslim authors

[elizmanderson]

Henlo :3

I'm currently reading the Remarkable Retirement of Edna Fisher, and it was bugging me that I didn't know why Amir was flinching when Edna touched him, so (based on Akida's hijab and Amir's prayer rug) I looked into customs of Islam and learned some stuff and I just want to say thanks for having so many different kinds of lives in this book (: I always appreciate learning real world stuff in fun ways.

thank you so much for reading! I had a lot of help with Amir's character from Muslim friends who kindly answered my questions and/or read early drafts and gave me feedback. I'd like to take this opportunity to recommend a couple Muslim authors and their books*!

Adiba Jaigirdar is an auto-buy author for me! three of her books are queer YA romance - The Henna Wars, Hani & Ishu's Guide to Fake Dating, and The Dos and Donuts of Love (the last one is coming out in June) - but she also has A Million to One, which is a heist story set on the Titanic. that one just released in December, so I haven't read it yet, but I'm SO EXCITED for it. check out Adiba's books on her website.

Priyanka Taslim is a fellow 2023 debut whose book I looked forward to for ages, and it did not disappoint! The Love Match is pitched as a Bangladeshi-American YA romance that will appeal to fans of Jane Austen (and also it will appeal to tea-lovers everywhere). it has fake dating, complicated family dynamics, and a love triangle that really kept me guessing. Priyanka also has an adult novel, From Mumbai With Love, anticipated to release early in 2024, so add it on GoodReads now. check out Priyanka's website here.

Kataru Yahya is another fellow debut whose book is alas not out yet, but I can't wait to read it! Home Is a Silhouette is a loose, contemporary retelling of Beauty & the Beast that is set in Ghana. If you haven't seen the cover yet, be sure to take a look, because it's ridiculously gorgeous. add the book on GoodReads now, and check out Kataru's Linktree here. (she is also a poet, and some of her poetry is linked on Linktree if you're interested!)

Aamna Qureshi is the definition of "it's about the range": if you're looking for an author who can do contemporary, fantasy, long-form, short-form - look no further. The Lady or the Lion and The Man or the Monster (a YA fantasy duology retelling of the story "The Lady or the Tiger") are out now. keep an eye out for When a Brown Girl Flees (2023), If I Loved You Less (2024), and My Big, Fat, Desi Wedding (edited by Prerna Pickett, 2024) if you prefer contemporary! see more details on Aamna's website.

Khadijah VanBrakle is another fellow debut, and her book comes out next month! Fatima Tate Takes the Cake is recommended for fans of Elizabeth Acevedo and Ibi Zoboi (um, YES) and is yet another debut with an absolutely gorgeous cover that I'm obsessed with. if you like coming-of-age stories that are gritty yet hopeful, be sure to give this one a look. see more details on Khadijah's website!

*I write adult contemporary fantasy, and you'll notice this list is like. mostly YA contemporary/YA romance with a sprinkling of YA fantasy. that is because, as much as I love adult fantasy and writing in the adult fantasy space, most of what I read in general tends to be YA, and most of what I've read since the pandemic started leans romance (because low stakes and a guaranteed HEA are exactly what I have needed since the pandemic started).

#answered #book recs #queer book recs #muslim authors #books and reading #fantasy books #ya books #contemporary books

[a-brown-girl-recs-books]

[ID: a screenshot of Hafsa Faisal’s Instagram story which has a latte and four pieces of text. The first one says “three days post-deadline on the Secret Project and I’ve finally figured out the book”. The second one says “ there’s nothing quite a satisfying as when all the disparate pieces finally click together, and unveil the twist, but I really wish it hadn’t taken me this long to figure out”. The other two pieces of text refer to the latte, saying “also yes this latte is utter perfection thanks to cayskii” with cayskii referring to her husband, and “a second thank you to him for listening to my nonsensical rambling and helping me figure out the plot”. End ID]

OMG WHAT SECRET PROJECT GUYSSSSSSS

#booklr #books #ya books #book recommendations #we need diverse books #book quotes #fantasy books #hafsah faizal #we hunt the flame #we free the stars #whtf #wfts #ATOT #a tempest of tea #sands of arawiya #muslim authors

[oryxified]

I wanna follow more modern Arab and Muslim authors but I don't know how to find them or where to start.

#Arab authors #Arab writers #Muslim authors #Muslim writers #Writing

[mysweetsinfulobsessions]

HIJAB BUTCH BLUES by LAMYA H.

Alright, changing it up a bit with my book stuff but this one hit home with me. The author draws very interesting parallels between stories in the Quran and her experiences as a gay muslim woman that are very interesting. And if you think you can’t be muslim and gay, or wear a hijab and be gay, or even tackle muslim culture and queerness in one, then you’re bound to be pleasantly proved wrong with this one.

#and you know what? the way the author handles the concept of coming out and anonymity is so fucking relatable #the author remains anonymous per her own choice and thats fucking something #lgbtq books #lgbt books #book recommendations #lgbt book recs #queer book recommendations #queer books #gay muslim #lesbian muslim #queer muslim #muslim representation #muslim books #lgbt muslim #lgbtq muslim #lgbt+ books #hijab butch blues #lamya h #hijab butch blues lamya

[kwshahrazad]

It's Booksmart meets the holidays wrapped up in a warm, festive coming-of-age story.

This year, Eid al-Adha and Christmas miraculously coincide. The holidays have never been more festive and for seventeen-year-old best friends Ramla and Anna-Maria, the season brings upon a unique type of miracle. The girls are one step closer to meeting Lady Wilde, a revered social media lifestyle guru. Lady Wilde’s followers are inspired by her grace and lyrical wisdom, but her recent advice planted doubt in Anna-Maria’s dreams of becoming a fashion designer. Anna-Maria can’t let it go. She’s been following Lady Wilde since she was twelve, clinging to every word, screenshotting every post, and listening to every piece of advice. Loving this person who shares their wisdom but hides their true identity. But Lady Wilde has slipped up! She’s posted a scenic photo, a clue to her location. Determined to confront her, the girls seize this chance. Anna-Maria and Ramla set off on a Wilde Christmas Eid adventure. In a whirlwind of holiday festivities, they follow a string of clues. But each step closer to Lady Wilde chips away at the girls’ friendship. As Ramla struggles to keep up with Anna-Maria’s relentless pursuit, she wonders if it’s her best-friend she’s actually chasing. Will Anna-Maria find what she’s looking for? And if so, at what cost?

Christmas Eid introduces a unique format. It's a novelplay. A book that reads like a movie!

Christmas Eid: A Novelplay (Available Now)

If you'd be interested in receiving a copy in return for a review, please message me! Also, please share this with anyone you think might be interested in reading!

K.W. Shahrazad

#holiday reads #ya books #ya fiction #coming of age #bipoc author #bipoc #young adult #christmas eid #christmas recs #reading #muslim author #christmas #black author #muslim authors #author #black authors #authors of tumblr #authors of color #christmas books #dash and lily #booksmart #christmas YA #let it snow #xmas #books #holiday books #writeblr #writers on tumblr

[hussyknee]

Seeing characters in romance stories just jetting between countries at a moment's notice with no thought for visa; seeing airports as sites of triumphant climaxes and romantic denouements instead of places of fear and danger where a sword hangs above your head— it all breaks off little pieces of my heart. They're constant reminders that my people will never be human enough in the colonial world order to be allowed to move freely around it. No matter what your race, those non-refugees living in the Global North will never understand what it's like to be part of a global ghetto where your passport is nothing but a trembling supplication and humiliation.

#race #racism #westerners will never know the dehumanization of the visa office #the ability to afford a plane ticket and the ability to get your visa stamped goes hand in hand #bc you're not allowed to leave the country unless you can show that you can afford to stay there and come back #you have to swear in blood that you won't overstay a minute longer than you're permitted to and sign your firstborn as collateral #a western airport is the closest i can come to the muslim experience bc the authorities will only care about my skin tone #that season 2 finale of Sense8 where the Mexican‚ and Kenyan and Indian characters of the cluster were able to flee to the US within hours #at the same time as the south korean and westerners #had Lankan fans falling down laughing #we're willing to suspend our disbelief of the science fiction telepathy shenanigans but THAT is a bridge too far #sadly not even the worst of the Wakowskis racefails #I love that show but its Caucasity was aggressive #global south #global north #immigration #refugees #islamophobia #no fly list #white supremacy #coloniality #western imperialism #colonial capitalism #knee of huss

[imaginedrago-ss]

mayber im just projecting da norms of my own culture w this 1 but ngl a leftist showing 2 much love for their country is always gonna b a sign they live abroad 2 me, look at tgis bro in this paragraph it rlly showed taht the author has lived in los angeles his whole life & is writing for an american audience,

replace islam w orthodox christianity & tgis is all technically true abt me but i wld still never say some shit like tgis, esp not when im describing my personal poltical views lmao. then again i am transgender, right, but yk when a cishet (i assume) author writes abt a rlly conservative country/in tgis case region, & starts stating their own political views, idont think jts 2 unreasonable 2 expect tgem 2 clarify taht they support increased personal freedom/lgbt/etc b4 they can start raving abt how much they love da majority religion in taht place,

#idt da author even disagrees w me politically lol imo he just wrote this part w an islamophobic reader in mind #<which is pretty dumb ngl bro ur book has tje word 'arabs' in da title ppl who think muslims r terrorists r not gonna read this #when we were arabs #bookclub

[a-brown-girl-recs-books]

Y’all don’t appreciate Hanna Alkhaf enough

If you don’t know, Hanna Alkhaf is the author of The Weight of Our Sky, Queen of the Tiles, and more.

She is Muslim, Malaysian, and an outstanding author. I’ve only read The Weight of Our Sky and it was sensational.

The Weight of our Sky is historical fiction and takes place in 1969, during Malaysia’s race riots. The main character has OCD and her intrusive thoughts are all about her mother, who goes missing during the riots. While I cannot comment on the OCD or Malay rep, let me just say the Muslim rep was amazing. I don’t know how to hide spoilers on tumblr so I won’t write about it here, but I personally view Hanna Alkhafs work as revolutionary.

After all, she was the first author I’ve ever seen make the triggers very clear. The trigger warnings she included were not some tiny little fine print that would be very easy to accidentally skip. No, it was clear right from the get-go that The Weight of Our Sky is a triggering novel that not everyone can/should read.

Not only that, there were some minor controversies with her middle grade novel, The Girl and The Ghost. In the arcs she accidentally used wording similar to that abusers usually use. Author Aisha Saeed pointed it out and instead of defending herself or getting upset, Hanna Alkhaf fixed the issue and apologized. WHEN SHE DID SOMETHING WRONG SHE FIXED THE ISSUE AND APOLOGIZED!

She deserves all of the love. Obsessed with her.

#booklr #books #ya books #book recommendations #we need diverse books #book quotes #the weight of our sky #hanna alkaf #the girl and the ghost #queen of the tiles #muslim authors #Malaysian authors #Muslim rep

[hedgehog-troops]

said this before, will say it again.

making a character christian/muslim/jewish/of any other religion is NOT an excuse to shit on or disrespect the religion. Noe is it an excise to play into stereotypes or to make a mockery out of that religion.

thank you.

#fanfic #fanfiction #ao3 #rant #aidenyaps #religion #muslim #christianity #jewish #islam #fanfiction etiquette #ao3 fanfic #wattpad #writing #author #reading #reader #books #books etiquette #writing etiquette

[secular-jew]

Muhammadsobir Fayzov, one of 4 Islamic Jihadis who murdered 137 at a concert in Moscow, wheeled into court (unconscious) after spending 2 days being interrogated by Russian authorities.

Meanwhile in the US, Dzhokhar A. Tsarnaev (Boston marathon bomber) enjoys the comforts of air conditioning, cable TV, a recreational yard and fan mail...

Maybe Russia's on to something.

#israel #secular-jew #jewish #judaism #israeli #jerusalem #diaspora #secular jew #secularjew #islam #Russia #Moscow #terrorists #islamic terrorism #islamic jihad #Muslims #never again #oct 7 2023 #9-11 #7-7 #Hamas #Hezbollah #al shabab #Fatah #palestinian authority #Iran #qatar

[lux--nova]

I encountered the funniest phrase I've ever read in a scholarly article yesterday and I had to share it with yall. I will now quote scholarly sources when assessing whether something is tiny, teeny, or teeny-weeny, thank you.

#the article was about micro signatures by artists in safavid islamic manuscript illumination btw #which is a really fascinating subject #and i can tell the author had a lot of fun with it too #bc they threw this in there lmao #the article is called 'who's hiding here? artists and their signatures in timurid and safavid manuscripts' #by marianna shreve simpson #art history #islamic studies #history #dark academia #silly academia #wait correction its a chapter from the book affect emotion and subjectivity in early modern muslim empires: #new studies in ottoman safavid and mughal art and culture #the title of their book is too long for just one tag #not teeny-weeny status

[this-world-of-beautiful-monsters]

#just read this guy's book today and #fuck #palestinian writers #palestine #free palestine #palestinian poetry #palestinian people #palestinian history #I feel like stuff like this a good reminder #of how Long this has been going on for #nakba #palestinian authors #arab #arab writers #muslim #muslim writers #arab history #poetry #poetry magazine #anti colonialism #decolonization

[vvh0adie]

can i tell yall something i hate when reading?

explaining real world culture too much

if i’m reading a book set in the south and the main character is african american and the author starts explaining bottle trees, miming in the church, or why you don’t put yo purse on the floor for a whole page, i close it

what is already understood doesn’t need to be explained…

unless you wrote this book tryna capture a whole nother demographic

that’s why i hate blackish cuz almost every episode we explaining shit

don’t market to black people then give us a book with a bunch of filler info😭 i know all this shit now just tell me how you finna use it to progress the story

if you must, put a glossary in the back for the non-AAs

like not once have i opened a piece of classic black literature and been preached to about my own culture

but honestly i think this is a symptom of trad publishing cuz we’re starting to get contemporary and modern black literature but a lot of it feels like they’re tryna get nonblack people into the book by explaining every little detail

and i can’t place all the blame cuz a lot of people won’t even pick up our writing if it doesn’t somehow cater to them a tiny bit

#preacha plym #reminds me of when a muslim author was getting heat for not translating certain phrases in her native language #she later added a glossary but like why even harass her in the first place? #but even some people found issue with that cuz they wanted it translated beside the word #that would make the reading experience so clunky and unenjoyable #but even fantasy authors suggest not to infodump your world on readers #so why would it not apply to real life #at least with real life you can just google #1 more thing i think media literacy is dropping too #people want things spelled out for them these days🤦🏽‍♀️