1. What has drawn you to write for youth?
Growing up in Bangladesh I could only ever read stories that centered white characters. They would have the most fantastical adventures or fall in love and I longed to see myself in those stories. It wasn’t until I was much older that I began to really question the absence of characters and storylines that reflected my lived experience. Then I had children of my own, and years later, even they rarely found books where they saw themselves in the stories they consumed. That was what really compelled me to write stories about young characters who looked and lived like my daughters and the family I grew up around.
2. What do you hope your books say to young people and to the world?
My most ardent hope is that my books make young people feel seen and that my stories convey to them how precious and important they are to this world. My novels usually have recurring themes of acceptance, identity, family and the fight to find a safe space for yourself. I hope my stories encourage young readers to feel comfortable in their own skin, to shut out the voices telling them that they’re not enough and to feel strong enough to follow their path.
3. Please tell us about your next project.
After MEET ME IN MUMBAI which comes out on September 6, 2022, my next YA contemporary (Summer 2023) is a bit on the lighter side. It’s about an Indian-American teen trying to reconnect with her roots and her estranged father who is a Nawab. And of course in that process she falls for a girl who is not a royal, almost breaks up her father’s upcoming nuptials and generally brings chaos wherever she goes.
4. What is your message for teachers who use your books in teaching literacy?
I would first like to thank the teachers who’ve included my books in their curriculum and provided a safe space for open and honest conversation about the themes in them. As a private educator myself for many years, I have seen first-hand how beneficial and encouraging it can be to students when they can engage with their readings on a deeper and more personal level. I believe including diverse material that reflects the lived experiences of all students is so necessary and I really commend educators who push back against bans and fight to make books by and about marginalized people accessible to all students.
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