Aisha Saeed – författare

Sixteen extraordinary authors—including New York Times bestsellers Melissa de la Cruz, Renée Ahdieh, and Julie Kagawa—reimagine the folklore and mythology of East and South Asia in short stories that are by turns enchanting, heartbreaking, romantic, and passionate. This exquisite paperback anthology includes an original bonus story from Ellen Oh. In a starred review, Publishers Weekly called A Thousand Beginnings and Endings a “must-read.” A mountain loses her heart. Two sisters transform into birds to escape captivity. A young man learns the true meaning of sacrifice. A young woman takes up her mother’s mantle and leads the dead to their final resting place.Bestselling and award-winning authors explore the timeless themes of East and South Asian lore in sixteen original stories that will appeal to every reader. From fantasy to science fiction to contemporary, from romance to tales of revenge, these stories will beguile readers from start to finish. Edited by We Need Diverse Books co-founder Ellen Oh and Elsie Chapman, this anthology contains stories from sixteen Asian and South Asian authors, including New York Times bestsellers and award-winners. In a starred review, Kirkus called it an “incredible anthology that will keep readers on the edges of their seats, wanting more.”Featuring:Renée Ahdieh, Elsie Chapman, Sona Charaipotra, Preeti Chhibber, Roshani Chokshi, Aliette de Bodard, Melissa de la Cruz, Julie Kagawa, Rahul Kanakia, Lori M. Lee, E. C. Myers, Cindy Pon, Aisha Saeed, Shveta Thakrar, Alyssa Wong, and a new original story by Ellen Oh.This essential own voices collection reimagines timeless legends and features:Asian Mythology and Folklore: Discover reimagined tales from the Philippines, Korea, China, Vietnam, and more, written by celebrated authors from the diaspora.Gods, Spirits, and Demons: Meet nine-tailed fox spirits, vengeful ghosts, two sisters who transform into birds, and a mountain who loses her heart in these captivating fantasy and science fiction reimaginings.Epic Romantic Retellings: From the tragic star-crossed love of Mirza and Sahiba to the poignant tale of the Butterfly Lovers, explore epic romances that defy fate and family.An Exclusive Bonus Story: This paperback edition features a brand-new, original tale by We Need Diverse Books co-founder Ellen Oh, available nowhere else.

Naila's conservative immigrant parents have always said the same thing: You may choose what you want to be when you grow up, but we will choose your husband. Dating, even a friendship with a boy, is forbidden. So when Naila falls in love with Saif, a Pakistani-American classmate, and tries to date him on the sly, her parents are livid. They insist on a trip to Pakistan to visit their relatives and explore their roots. But several weeks into what she's been led to believe is a family vacation, Naila suddenly learns the real reason for the trip - her parents have found a 2 suitor and they are determined Naila will marry him. Naila is aghast. Her only hope of escape is Saif, who swore he would do anything for her. But will it be too late by the time he gets to her? And was this destiny written in the stars? Or can she make her own destiny.

Life is quiet and ordinary in Amal’s Pakistani village, but she had no complaints, and besides, she’s busy pursuing her dream of becoming a teacher one day. Her dreams are temporarily dashed when - as the eldest daughter - she must stay home from school to take care of her siblings. Amal is upset, but she doesn’t lose hope and finds ways to continue learning. Then the unimaginable happens - after an accidental run-in with the son of her village’s corrupt landlord, Amal must work as his family’s servant to pay off her own family’s debt.Life at the opulent Khan estate is full of heartbreak and struggle for Amal - especially when she inadvertently makes an enemy of a girl named Nabila. Most troubling, though, is Amal’s growing awareness of the Khans' nefarious dealings. When it becomes clear just how far they will go to protect their interests, Amal realises she will have to find a way to work with others if they are ever to exact change in a cruel status quo, and if Amal is ever to achieve her dreams.

The arrival of a new baby changes everything. These marvelous little beings bring with them a whole lot of sweetness - and a whole set of new experiences to navigate. But the wonderful thing is that we learn and grow together, just like the mamas and babies in this book, and with time we all get the hang of this brand-new relationship. You and me, baby!

Hafsa intends to be a doctor one day, so she’s thrilled to be accepted into Bukhari Summer Science Camp for kids who share her dream. Her parents, however, do not share her enthusiasm. They don’t support the idea of girls being doctors, the camp is expensive, and they don’t want to send her off to the big city of Lahore unsupervised. But when her brother-in-law offers to pay, and he and her sister invite her to stay at their house instead of in the dorms, her parents grudgingly give in. Hafsa couldn’t be more excited, but things get off to a shaky start when it immediately becomes apparent that she accidently signed up for the wrong program. And since she’s the only one not staying in the dorms, her fellow students treat her like an outsider—and a country bumpkin. On top of all that, she’s worried about her sister, who seems to have set aside her own career goals to please her in-laws.But Hafsa’s way is to forge ahead, whether that means finding ways to pursue her medical studies, immersing herself in the climate studies program, or taking a pivotal field trip to the zoo—where an encounter with an elephant leads to several unexpected outcomes. It’s not easy to negotiate being part of a community—and a family—that doesn’t support her dreams, but Hafsa’s never been the type to take no for an answer. She’s determined to grab any chance she can for a better future, no matter what the odds are stacked against her.

Meet Zuni. She's sweet, silly, ever-so-charming, and full of bright ideas. Her family has a memory jar. Anytime someone in the family does something important, they mark those moments through notes and photos stored in the jar and share those memories together at the end of the year.Her parents tell Zuni that when she grows up, she’ll have important memories to share, too, like graduations, and milestones, and trophies. But Zuni is already making memories! And at the end of the year, her family gets to see the moments that made an impact on little Zuni.A deceptively simple story for young and old alike, Zuni and the Memory Jar is a reminder to celebrate everyday joys in life along with the grand achievements.

A joyous short story collection by and about Muslims, edited by New York Times bestselling author Aisha Saeed and Morris finalist S. K. Ali Once Upon an Eid is a collection of short stories that showcases the most brilliant Muslim voices writing today, all about the most joyful holiday of the year: Eid! Eid: The short, single-syllable word conjures up a variety of feelings and memories for Muslims. Maybe it’s waking up to the sound of frying samosas or the comfort of bean pie, maybe it’s the pleasure of putting on a new outfit for Eid prayers, or maybe it’s the gift giving and holiday parties to come that day. Whatever it may be, for those who cherish this day of celebration, the emotional responses may be summed up in another short and sweet word: joy. The anthology will also include a poem, graphic-novel chapter, and spot illustrations.The full list of Once Upon an Eid contributors include: G. Willow Wilson (Alif the Unseen, Ms. Marvel), Hena Khan (Amina's Voice, Under My Hijab), N. H. Senzai (Shooting Kabul, Escape from Aleppo), Hanna Alkaf (The Weight of Our Sky), Rukhsana Khan (Big Red Lollipop), Randa Abdel-Fattah (Does My Head Look Big in This?), Ashley Franklin (Not Quite Snow White), Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow (Mommy's Khimar), Candice Montgomery (Home and Away, By Any Means Necessary), Huda Al-Marashi (First Comes Marriage), Ayesha Mattu, Asmaa Hussein, and Sara Alfageeh.

Now in paperback, a joyous short story collection by and about Muslims, edited by New York Times bestselling authors Aisha Saeed and S. K. Ali  Eid! The short, single syllable word conjures up a variety of feelings and memories for Muslims. Maybe it’s waking up to the sound of frying samosas or the comfort of bean pie, maybe it’s the pleasure of putting on a new outfit for Eid prayers, or maybe it’s the gift giving and the holiday parties, or carnival rides to come that day. Whatever it may be,for those who cherish this day of celebration, the emotional responses may be summed up in another short and sweet word: joy. Contributors include G. Willow Wilson, Hena Khan, N. H. Senzai, Hanna Alkaf, Rukhsana Khan, Randa Abdel-Fattah, Ashley Franklin, Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow, Candice Montgomery, Huda Al-Marashi, Ayesha Mattu, Asmaa Hussein, and Sara Alfageeh.

Four kids meet at an airport for one unforgettable night in this middle-grade novel by four bestselling and award-winning authors—Aisha Saeed, Huda Al-Marashi, Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow, and S. K. Ali.When a thunderstorm grounds all flights following a huge Muslim convention, four unlikely kids are thrown together. Told in alternating points of view, Grounded tells the story of a night that will change these kids forever.* Feek is stuck babysitting his younger sister, but he’d rather be writing a poem that’s good enough for his dad, a famous poet and rapper.* Hanna is intent on finding a lost cat in the airport—and also on avoiding a conversation with her dad about him possibly remarrying.* Sami is struggling with his anxiety and worried that he’ll miss the karate tournament that he’s trained so hard for.* And Nora has to deal with the pressure of being the daughter of a prominent congresswoman, when all she really wants to do is make fun NokNok videos.These kids don’t seem to have much in common—yet.A Walter Award Honor Book

From New York Times bestselling authors Becky Albertalli and Aisha Saeed comes a heart-warming, hilarious story about the power of love and resistance.Jamie Goldberg is cool with volunteering for his local state candidate - as long as he’s behind the scenes. There’s no way he’d ever knock on doors to ask people for their votes…until he meets Maya.Maya Rehman’s having the worst Ramadan ever. Her best friend is too busy to hang out, her summer trip is cancelled, her parents are separating and now her mother thinks the solution to her problems is political canvassing - with some awkward guy she hardly knows ... Going door to door isn’t exactly glamorous, but maybe it’s not the worst thing in the world. After all, the polls are getting closer - and so are Maya and Jamie. Mastering local activism is one thing. Navigating the cross-cultural crush of the century is another thing entirely.Praise for Yes No Maybe So:'Heartwarming, poignant and very, very funny' Waterstones‘[An] entertaining story of love, politics and idealism’ The I'A novel bursting with hope, truth and action . . . Yes No Maybe So is about speaking up, showing up and being an effective ally. But at its core it’s a reminder that the Greta Thunbergs, Malala Yousafzais and Autumn Peltiers of today were once Jamies and Mayas: everyday teenagers who saw their house was on fire and worked tirelessly to extinguish the blaze' The New York Times Book Review

A Kirkus Reviews Best Picture Book of 2019An Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature Honor Book 2019 Six-year-old Bilal introduces his friends to his favorite dish—daal!—in this charming picture book that showcases the value of patience, teamwork, community, and sharing.Six-year-old Bilal is excited to help his dad make his favorite food of all-time: daal! The slow-cooked lentil dish from South Asia requires lots of ingredients and a whole lot of waiting. Bilal wants to introduce his friends to daal. They’ve never tried it! As the day goes on, the daal continues to simmer, and more kids join Bilal and his family, waiting to try the tasty dish. And as time passes, Bilal begins to wonder: Will his friends like it as much as he does? This debut picture book by Aisha Saeed, with charming illustrations by Anoosha Syed, uses food as a means of bringing a community together to share in each other’s family traditions.

All Are Welcome meets Be Kind in this poignant and accessible picture book about the power every bystander—no matter how small—has to extend kindness and stand up in the face of intolerance.At his new school, quiet Rumi feels small and unwelcome, and a few kids bully him for his brown skin and bright shoes. He finds refuge beneath the old willow tree by the playground and builds his own world of hope and dreams of belonging.One day, when Rumi is made a target again, one of his classmates bravely steps in to defend him. It’s in that moment of solidarity Rumi’s class finally realizes that under the shade of the willow tree, all are welcome, and they create a space they can all play in—together.