ODD GIRL OUT REVIEW BY NICOLA GARRARD

ODD GIRL OUT REVIEW BY NICOLA GARRARD

by | Apr 9, 2025 | Blog

Nicola Garrard has taught English in secondary schools for over twenty years, including fifteen at an inner-city London comprehensive. She now works at a referral school in Islington with excluded students. Here she reviews Tasneem Abdur-Rashid’s debut novel, Odd Girl Out for Just Imagine – a platform for training and resources for schools that promote excellent practice in English and literacy teaching.
 
Article below, and link to article here: https://justimagine.co.uk/childrens-books-review/odd-girl-out/
On Being a Writer Unable to Write

On Being a Writer Unable to Write

by | Oct 12, 2024 | Blog

I’m supposedly a writer but right now, I can’t write. 

I’m sitting here with my laptop literally on my lap but I can’t bring myself to open it and type out words that may or may not end up in a book somewhere, some day, one day.

Instead, I doom scroll. I weep. I wonder why and how this past year happened, if things will ever change, if Palestine really will be free. Some day. One day? 

I wonder if there is such a thing as justice. I wonder how humans can be so abhorrent. 

I wonder if happiness really does exist, or is it just a fleeting moment of increased endorphins..a chemical reaction that dies as quickly as it comes.

I wonder if I will ever smile from the heart again.. if it will ever be more than lips contorted upwards in an attempt to project normality? 

Then I feel guilty about wondering, instead of actually doing something.

366 days of genocide that much of the world has ignored. 76 years of misery.

Free Palestine.. inshallah. 🇵🇸🍉

Leeds Lit Club – August 2024

Leeds Lit Club – August 2024

by | Aug 31, 2024 | Blog

It was an absolute honour and privilege to attend Leeds Lit Club in person for the very first time to talk about The Thirty Before Thirty List! I first met Dr Sofia Rehman when the club read my debut, Finding Mr Perfectly Fine, two years ago. Since then I’ve run into Sofia at various events and she has been an absolute rock of guidance and support. Many readers in the Muslim Bookstagram community haven’t felt like reading fiction since October 7. It all feels so frivolous doesn’t it? In fact, I felt frivolous writing about romance when my brothers and sisters in Palestine are fighting for their lives. But Sofia reminded me that what I’m doing is important; I’m creating stories and worlds where Muslims can feel safe and seen, when there’s so much of the world where we feel discomfort.


The Book Club was full of love and laughter and despite meeting many of the lovely ladies for the first time, by the end I felt as though I had known them forever. We spoke about how my book helped them overcome reading slumps; we chatted through the various themes and characters in my book, how we met our spouses, my writing journey and process, where I find inspiration and what’s coming up next. We laughed loads, I signed books and had a gorgeous meal … if all book clubs are like this, then sign me up right now!
***BOOK REVIEW*** Brotherless Night by V.V. Ganeshananthan

***BOOK REVIEW*** Brotherless Night by V.V. Ganeshananthan

by | Aug 26, 2024 | Blog

What’s everyone reading this bank holiday weekend? I usually read lighter books during the holidays, but I received Brotherless Night in my goodie bag at The Diverse Bookshelf Pod event and I’d been desperate to get stuck in. So while it’s not my typical August bank holiday read, I’ve not been able to put it down after the most epic opening line: I recently sent a letter to a terrorist I know.

Brotherless Night is a haunting exploration of the Sri Lankan Civil War through the eyes of Sashi, a young Tamil woman who dreams of becoming a doctor in 1980s Jaffna. It brilliantly weaves personal and political turmoil, shedding light on the devastating impacts of a conflict that lasted nearly 26 years. Which, I’m ashamed to admit that I knew very little about before. 

It’s not just a story of war though, but a powerful testament to the endurance of hope amidst unimaginable darkness. Sashi’s journey, marked by loss and resilience, embodies the struggle of a generation caught in the crossfire of history as they are forced to make choices that will change them forever. 

Play: Peanut Butter and Blueberries

Play: Peanut Butter and Blueberries

by | Aug 24, 2024 | Blog

When I heard that the legendary Suhaiymah Manzoor-Khan had written a play, I knew I had to go and see it. I love Suhaiymah’s poetry and have been an avid fan and reader for a while. 
Peanut Butter and Blueberries didn’t disappoint – it was brilliant in every way and it was the first time I had felt utterly at home at the theatre. The bar was dry (YAY!), there was a prayer space to pray Maghrib in after, and as we took our seats, we were greeted by nasheeds from Pearls of Islam and Lowkey’s Palestine playing in the background.
 
The play itself opened with Suhaiymah reciting a dua and then we met Hasfa and Bilal – two Pakistani students at SOAS who initially clash but as time goes on, they begin to win over each other’s hearts and minds.
 
Peanut Butter and Blueberries isn’t just a love story – there were strong themes of race, class, Islamophobia, family, injustice and so on. It sort of reminded me of my own books in the way that it was unapologetically Muslim, and I’ve honestly never felt so seen in a play before!
 
I’m so grateful to @thebrownhijabi and the crew for creating this wonderful experience. I can’t explain how validated I felt!!! 
 
There’s only a week left to see this – so run, don’t walk!! More info and tickets here: https://kilntheatre.com/whats-on/peanut-butter-blueberries/
Short story: Speed Dating at the Mosque 

Short story: Speed Dating at the Mosque 

by | Aug 24, 2024 | Blog

I’ve always struggled with writing short stories and I have the utmost respect for writers who are able to write them. It takes so much skill, being able to condense an entire story into a few hundred words! If you’ve followed my journey for a while, you’ll know that #FindingMrPerfectlyFinewas about 50k words over the limit and I had to butcher and hack those 50k words off during my first round of edits with my agent 😆🙊 it was by far the toughest edit I’ve ever done!

So yeah. I struggle with keeping things concise 🙊

But the other day, my editor asked me if I’d be up for writing a short story for #TheDailyExpress Sunday magazine, Love Sunday People.

I love a challenge… so yeah. I did it. I wrote a short story called Speed Dating at the Mosque and I did it in less than 900 words!!!

That’s one writing challenge off my bucket list, alhamdulillah!