Iman

 

Iman

Iman was a freshman in high school when she wrote her first book I am the Night Sky. She was 18 when she wrote What It Cost Us. She’s currently a student at the University of Pennsylvania, studying International Relations and exploring the great Philly food scene. After she graduates, she would love to be a diplomat living in DC and working at the State Department.

 “I hope that readers are able to see that the events of 2020 impacted people in all different ways, and that their experiences are shared by others. Even though the pandemic felt isolating for so many, we hope this book makes readers realize that we all went through this tumultuous period together, and that they have people who understand what they went through. “ - Iman about What It Cost Us

“What I hope people get out of my piece is that it’s okay to be more than one thing. It’s perfectly fine, and enriching, in fact, to have a hyphenated identity. Being Muslim and a normal American teenager aren’t mutually exclusive, but then again, neither are any other two identifications. This is for anyone who’s ever felt different, and who needs to be reminded that that’s a beautiful thing.” -Iman about I Am The Night Sky

BOOKS BY IMAN

I Am the Night Sky

by the teen artists and writers of Next Wave Muslim Initiative

With a foreword by award-winning author Hena Khan

During an era characterized by both hijabi fashion models and enduring post-9/11 stereotypes, ten Muslim American teenagers came together to explore what it means to be young and Muslim in America today. These teens represent the tremendous diversity within the American Muslim community, and their book, like them, contains multitudes. Bilal writes about being a Muslim rocker. Noor reflects about speaking in multiple tongues. Samaa creates her own cartoon Kabob Squad. Ayah responds to online hate. Through poems, essays, artwork, and stories, these young people aim to show their true selves, to build connection, and to create more inclusive and welcoming communities for all.

  • ISBN: 978-1945434938

  • Age: 12+

  • Lexile: 830L

  • Page Count: 192

  • Published: 2019

What It Cost Us: Stories of Pandemic & Protest in DC
  • “Poignant and powerful . . . the students write with fresh power about loss, about the failures of the system around them, and how to decide when, how and where they should speak out.” —Publishers Weekly

  • “Our young people are asking that we sit with them, that we listen to them, and that we see their lives in all of their complexity. The stories in What It Cost Us must be read. They must be remembered." —Clint Smith, author of How the Word is Passed: Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America

  • “Authentic and sincere.” —Kirkus Reviews

  • “A momentous account of a time we must remember.” —Wendy Wan-Long Shang, author of The Secret Battle of Evan Pao

Foreword by Candice Iloh

In this collaborative novel, ten diverse young writers from Washington, DC recreate the historic year 2020 from their perspectives, through fictional stories inspired by their own lived experiences. Told chronologically from the onset of the pandemic to the insurrection of January 6th, their stories of change and resilience are accompanied by maps, social media, original artwork, and real-life headlines to create an immersive experience of an unprecedented coming of age. 

You’ll meet Faiza, a Muslim high school student, who struggles to celebrate Ramadan during the worst of the COVID-19 shutdowns. You’ll protest with Roman, the only Black student in his class, whose relationships are challenged in the wake of the murder of George Floyd. You’ll face the fraught 2020 election with Dennis, a young Nigerian immigrant, as he questions a democracy that seems to count him out. 

By examining the shards of this shattered year, these authors explore “what it cost us” through stories that both acknowledge loss and celebrate what got us through.

  • ISBN: 978-1-950807-55-0

  • Age: 12+

  • Lexile: 780L

  • Page Count: 329

  • Published: Spring 2023

RECOGNITION