Hmm, here is a new one. In the UK, there are some writing awards called the Muslim Writers Awards. The downlow: Muslim Writers Awards was founded in 2006 to harness creative talent and nurture aspiring writers within the Muslim community. Since its inception it has grown to become a landmark calendar event in the Muslim writers’ calendar, and attracts support from a broad range of organisations in the UK.
Interesting. Care to hear to who was nominated last year? These guys and gals:
- Published Novel
Roopa Farooki – Half Life (Macmillan, PanMacmillan)
Aamer Hussein – The Cloud Messenger (Telegram)
Shahriar Mandanipour – Censoring an Iranian Love Story (Abacus, Little, Brown Book Group)
Bahaa Taher – Sunset Oasis (Sceptre, Hodder and Stoughton)
Farahad Zama – The Wedding Wallah (Abacus, Little, Brown Book Group) - Published Children’s Book
Randa Abdel- Fattah – The Friendship Matchmaker (Omnibus Books, Scholastic)
Na’ima B Robert – Far From Home (Frances Lincoln Children’s Books, Janetta Otter-Barry Books)
Rukhsana Khan – Wanting Mor (Groundwood)
Irfan Master – A Beautiful Lie (Bloomsbury)
Anna Perera – Guantanamo Boy (Puffin) - Unpublished Novel
Salma Bratt – Moroccan Tales of Love and Disaster
Jessica Freeland – The Other Garden
Ayshah Johnston – Scattered Pearls
Ahmed Masoud – Gaza Days
Yusuf Misdaq – Narayan - Unpublished Children’s Story
Loay El Hady – Flutterby
Muhammad Islam – Zayd and the Papyrus of Damascus
Reba Khatun – The Case of the Disappearing Pets
Wendy Meddour – A Hen in the Wardrobe
Mehded Sinclair – When Wings Expand - Unpublished Short Story
Shahnaz Ahsan – Mother
Tam Hussain – Little Flecks of Silver
Sahin Kathawala – Malison Orison
Lori Zakariyya King – Series Two, Episode Fourteen
Hanzla Arif MacDonald – Sketches of Early Adult Life
Daniel Oliver – Strange Marriage - Unpublished Poetry
Safina Akram – Alas How I Miss My Sleep, and others
Saleha Begum – Shadows in Harlequin Masks
Thomas Evans – Beard is Beautiful, and others
Lori Zakariyya King – Kitchen Set Libel, and others
Shamim Razaq – To Keats, and others - Stage and Screen Play
Malik Basso – Somewhere Near You
Conor Ibrahiem – Yours Faithfully
Qaisra Shahraz – The Holy Woman
Faisal Qureshi – The Footsoldier
- Young Journalist (16-25)
Saman Anwar – Meddling in Marrakech, and others
Siraj Datoo – Ethnic Profiling, and others
Nabila Idris – A Story from Bangladesh: Licensed to Steal!
Tasnim Nazeer – Amnesty International Report 2010, and others
Iman Qureshi – Why Are All Pakistani Men being Smeared in the Sex-Grooming Cases?, and others
Never heard of any of them.
Having perused the authors as well as their contribution’s to the Islamic world; I can honestly say that I have no idea who they are, nor had I heard of the Muslim Writers Awards. I have no doubt that a search of my humble book collection would reveal ‘not-one-return.
Though I am tempted to look up the attempt by ‘Iman Qureshi’ – Why Are All Pakistani Men being Smeared in the Sex-Grooming?
This is a question that requires an answer from the most senior Government Minister; I have my thoughts on the issue, clues can be found in the Nobal Quran under the heading “treat women like dogs & treat non muslim women like pigs”
Yours Aye.
This has been in the public arena in the UK for six years? Considering all the events swirling in and around the UK with Islam and Muslims, I’m surprised more people aren’t aware of it….it’s been a long time since I’ve been there, but this seems to have surfaced after the 9-11 World Trade Center attack and probably because of it…it’s time to re-educate the world as to what Islam and Muslims are…and it isn’t pretty and it isn’t a ‘religion of peace’….it’s well past time let everyone know where those who are brave enough to combat it, stand…I’m just not into submission….k
EB: That Why Are All Pakistani Men being Smeared in the Sex-Grooming? caught my eye too. Although if I were writing it, I would take out the smearing part. . .
Kris: I am surprised it is not well known. It is a first heard for me too.
Catch the categories? “Unpublished Novel. Unpublished Children’s Story. Unpublished Short Story. Unpublished Poetry.”
Big market for Islamic Fiction & Poetry huh?
“Publish or perish.” (Inshallah).
Inshallah, ya achee! (Allah willing, my brother. . .)