Sajidah "S.K." Ali
is an Indian-Canadian author of
children's books, best known for her
Asian/Pacific American Award-winning debut young adult novel ''Saints & Misfits'', about Janna Yousuf, an Indian-American hijabi who grapples with getting sexually assaulted by a friend's cousin from her local mosque.
Personal life
Ali was born in South
India and immigrated to
Canada when she was three.
The first language she learned in school was French.
She wrote her first story in seventh grade.
She has a degree in Creative Writing from
York University.
Aside from writing, Ali also works as a teacher and has written articles for the
Toronto Star
The ''Toronto Star'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet daily newspaper. The newspaper is the country's largest daily newspaper by circulation. It is owned by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary of Torstar Corporation and part ...
.
She mentions
Judy Blume as one of her biggest inspirations for her writing career.
Ali is a practicing Muslim. In January 2017, she created the hashtag #MuslimShelfSpace as a way to shine light on books by other Muslim authors.
She lives with her family in
Toronto.
Ali is friends with fellow writers
Ausma Zehanat Khan
Ausma Zehanat Khan is an American-Canadian novelist and author of crime and fantasy novels.
Biography
Khan holds a Ph.D. in International Human Rights Law with a research specialization in military intervention and war crimes in the Balkans. Sh ...
and
Uzma Jalaluddin
Uzma Jalaluddin is a Canadian writer and teacher, known for her 2018 debut novel ''Ayesha At Last''.
Career
Jalaluddin writes a column for the ''Toronto Star''. She is also a high school teacher, an occupation she shares with the protagonis ...
.
[ Khan told an interviewer that they considered themselves ''the Sisterhood of the Pen'', and appreciated comments as they shared early drafts of their work.
]
Works
Novels
* '' Saints and Misfits '' ( Salaam Reads, 2017)
* '' Love from A to Z '' (Salaam Reads, 2019)
* '' Misfit in Love '' (Salaam Reads, 2021)
Picture books
* '' The Proudest Blue'', co-authored with Ibtihaj Muhammad , illustrated by Hatem Aly ( Brown, 2019)
Short stories
* in '' Hungry Hearts: 13 Tales of Food & Love'' ( Simon Pulse, 2019)
* '' Once Upon An Eid: Stories of Hope of Joy by 15 Muslim Voices'', edited with Aisha Saeed, co-authored with various including, G. Willow Thompson, Hena Khan
Hena Khan (born 1973 or 1974) is an American author of children's books. Khan is best known for her middle-grade novel ''Amina's Voice'' and its follow-up novel, ''Amina's Song'', which won the Asian/Pacific American Award for Children's Litera ...
, Rukhsana Khan (Amulet Books
Abrams, formerly Harry N. Abrams, Inc. (HNA), is an American publisher of art and illustrated books, children's books, and stationery.
The enterprise is a subsidiary of the French publisher La Martinière Groupe. Run by President and CEO Michael ...
, 2020)
Awards
Won
* 2017 Asian/Pacific American Award for Young Adult Literature for ''Saints and Misfits''
Nominated
* 2018 William C. Morris YA Debut Award for ''Saints and Misfits''
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ali, S.K.
Living people
Women writers of young adult literature
Year of birth missing (living people)
21st-century Indian women writers
21st-century Indian writers
21st-century Canadian women writers
21st-century Indian Muslims
York University alumni
Indian schoolteachers
Canadian schoolteachers