The Dreamwork Collective – förlag

This introspective tale charts the bumpy journey of a young Muslim woman navigating faith and feminism.

Aspiring documentary-maker Dunya Dawood had exciting plans for her career, until she fell in love. Pregnant and on a flight to New York a decade later, she is upgraded to business class and separated from her husband and son. Away, for once, from her life of domesticity in the Middle East, she reflects on the choices and relationships that led her down a trajectory she never meant to take. When a shocking discovery sends her into labour mid-air, Dunya is forced to make the most difficult decision of all.

How do you manage the precarious balance between culture, faith, ambition, family obligations and feminism? And what happens when you hit a little turbulence?

Summer, 2007 - Northern Pakistan. A low booming echoes outside the barred window. The streets empty by evening, cloaked in silence.  Soon enough, the days become alive with screams, gunshots, and blasts from outside, as militancy sweeps through the region.

Twelve-year-old Marleen and her headstrong cousin, Naima, are forbidden from leaving the estate. But as the summer advances, Naima, desperate to escape an unhappy childhood, becomes increasingly reckless and secretive. Marleen, eager to belong, follows her lead.

When a boy with a troubled past enters their world, everything shifts.

In the absence of Babajan, who is away contesting the National Elections, The Chess Society is formed. What starts as juvenile amusement, the result of mischievous children's minds, becomes a social structure of strategy and power, away from the world of adults. The games gradually take a darker, more macabre turn, mirroring the escalating violence outside.

Week by week, Marleen fights for her place within the hierarchy, until one final act, meant to prove herself, pulls them from the sidelines to the centre of what they had been witnessing as protected bystanders.

Lagos is on fire. Once known as the powerhouse of Africa, the sprawling city is melting under a deadly heatwave.

Martin, however, is mostly oblivious. He moved to Lagos with a top job with one of the world's most profitable oil companies. Trained to think of nothing but profit margins and his own career, his eyes are firmly set on the bottom line.

Ansara, on the other hand, is finding life impossible since her father died working in unsafe conditions at the oil company. As a single mother to a young son who doesn't speak, she faces disastrous consequences when she suddenly loses her own job for no good reason.

When Ansara finds herself working for Martin as his cook, she thinks her prayers have been answered. As tensions rise and protests at the oil company get out of control, Ansara and Martin are suddenly thrown together in the unlikeliest of ways. But Martin stands for everything that has rendered Ansara's life in her country unbearable - can they ever overcome their differences?

As Mother Nature unleashes her fury, and the world around them burns, can they find their common thread of humanity?

Dream Du'a Do is the ultimate survival guide for the Millennial Muslimah. Packed with humour, honesty and heartfelt advice, this sunny book offers strategies for Muslim women to not just survive in today's world, but to thrive. As a young British Bengali woman, Ruzina shares the ups and downs of her own journey and explains how she gained the confidence and clarity to achieve her dreams. Using the latest research in neuroscience, positive psychology, and inspiring examples of Muslim women, this refreshingly engaging how-to guide will encourage you to:

By the end of Dream Du'a Do, you will know exactly what you want out of this life, why you want it, how to achieve it!

Twenty-two-year-old Summer is a force to be reckoned with. She's funny, she's stubborn, she's clever, and she's very opinionated on life as a Millennial Muslim woman. The only problem is that she is dead.

When her younger sister, Sara, finds Summer's lifeless body on their bathroom floor, Summer can only watch as a devastated Sara calls the rest of her family to announce her death. With no way back to her body and no idea how she died, Summer remains a helpless observer as members of her devoted, dysfunctional family come back home to bury her - and her secrets.

As Summer pieces together the events of the night before, she starts unravelling her whole life: the fabric of her British-Omani-Zanzibari family, the culture clashes, the depression that dogged her for years, and the childhood trauma that changed her forever...

Riveting and heart-breaking, Summer's haunting story is one you will never forget.

Freckles... Curly hair... Glasses... Wouldn't things be boring if we were all the same?

It's the first day of school and Jessica is very excited. She can't wait to meet her new teacher and make friends but the day moves in an unexpected direction when a boy points out that Jessica only has one arm.

Jessica Goes to School is a heart-warming story about being proud of who you are and embracing what makes us different.

Author and Paralympian Jessica Smith draws on her own experiences in the Just Jessica series. This beautifully-illustrated book is a perfect bedtime read with discussion points to encourage chats around important topics about our world.

Daddy has got a new job, how exciting!

But with the new job comes big changes: a move to a new country, a new school, a new house.

Alfie is a little nervous at first. Will he like it? Will he fit in? Can mummy and daddy's reassuring words, and a little help with packing from his puppy Oak, help Alfie get excited for the new adventure?

A pleasure to read out loud, this fun and reassuring rhyming story belongs in the travelling library of every expat child.

It's the first day back at school after the summer holidays. Alfie can't wait to see all his friends.

Hang on, wait! Where's Sophie? Where did she go?

Alfie learns that Sophie and her family have moved overseas and she won't be coming back to school. He really misses his friend but there are many ways to still keep in touch. It's exciting to have a family of friends living around the world!

A pleasure to read out loud, this charming rhyming story will help every expat parent for that complicated conversation on the car ride home.