US paperback of THE MIRACULOUS TRUE HISTORY OF NOMI ALI--available for pre-order

Received my advance copies of the US paperback this week. What a beauty! Immense gratitude to my publisher Deep Vellum. If you didn't read it in hardcover, the paperback is available for pre-order at most outlets, including Deep Vellum's website, bookshop, and amazon, so please consider buying it now, gifting it, spreading the word, all ...

THE INJURED BODY: A FILM ABOUT RACISM IN AMERICA by Mara Ahmed

Hello visitors! I'm super excited to share news of a breathtakingly beautiful and vital film, 'The Injured Body,' by filmmaker and multi-media artist Mara Ahmed. The world premier is this Friday, November 14 at 7:00 p.m. at Cinema Art Center in Huntington, NY. And I'm thrilled to announce that I'll be joining Mara, and artist Brianna L. Hernandez, for the post-screening discussion. 

More about the film:

The Injured Body: A Film about Racism in America Directed and Produced by Mara Ahmed

"How do we carry the weight of racism in our bodies and how can we begin to heal? 'The Injured Body' is a visually rich and emotionally resonant documentary that delves into the everyday realities of racial micro-aggressions through candid conversations with 16 women of color living in New York. Inspired by Claudia Rankine's groundbreaking book Citizen: An American Lyric, the film explores the complex intersections of race, gender and identity in today's America. 

"The film is a celebration of resistance, beauty, and embodied storytelling. Shot across the changing seasons of Upstate New York, 'The Injured Body' features mesmerizing dance sequences primarily choreographed by Mariko Yamada. Each performance becomes a lyrical response to trauma, expressing what words often cannot. From vibrant costumes to a dynamic musical score, every element of the film invites the viewer into a rich sensory experience. 

"More than a documentary, 'The Injured Body' is a call to imagine a world beyond racism, and to believe in the possibility of collective healing. Through its blend of testimony and poetic movement, it challenges us to see, feel, and, ultimately, act."

Tickets on sale now: use QR code in the flyer below or go to maraahmed.com 

It promises to be a special evening and I hope to see you there 💖

Mass Book Awards 25th Anniversary: Readings at Northampton Center for the Arts on 11/5/2025

Please join me in celebrating the 25th Anniversary of the Mass Book Awards. The event is on Wednesday, November 5 at 6:00 pm. at Northampton Center for the Arts, 33 Hawley Street, Northampton, MA. 

If you've visited this blog before, you'll know that my novel The Miraculous True History of Nomi Ali won in the fiction category in 2023; it was and continues to be a huge honor to be awarded in the state where I live and work. And I'm honored now to be reading from the book, alongside six other past winners, as part of Mass Book Award's celebration on November 5. 

Hope to see you there. 💚

"Environmental Thought ... The Novels of Uzma Aslam Khan"

Yes, a whole book on my books! I'm stunned, in the happiest of ways. So much gratitude to Dr Sonia Irum for this deep, deep labor of love. 

Dr Sonia Irum and I have twice had the joy of being in conversation and I've been so touched by her sensitive and expansive reading, especially her commitment to highlighting my love of the natural world--a love organic to my worldview. Every writer cherishes a patient and present reader and thinker; I've known Sonia to have this generosity, yet never expected an entire book to be devoted to my pages. Thank you, dear Sonia. And congratulations. 💖

Book description, in brief: "Focusing on the novels of the internationally renowned author Uzma Aslam Khan (this book) explores the rich environmental landscapes of Khan's works ... In her novels, Khan gives voice to the nonhuman 'Other,' highlights the harmonious connections between humans and nature, and reflects on the far-reaching ecological, social, and health effects of climate change." 

This work couldn't be more timely. It's available to order worldwide, including here. (And, no, this isn't an April fools post; this is real!)

Removal and Resistance: Reflections on Anti-Muslim Racism

I began writing this article on anti-Muslim racism a couple months ago, soon after a personal incident that I reference in it. This was around the same time as an attack on a couple at a Panera Bread outlet that became the incident I begin with. The result is a work that is global and personal, current and (sadly) likely to remain timeless. Read "Removal and Resistance: Reflections on Anti-Muslim Racism" in full in The Wire. 

EXCERPT: "White and white adjacent bodies may be buffered by the Muslim, Arab, Black, brown and Indigenous bodies that they push to the frontlines of hate, war, and genocide. But what happens when the buffer is gone? Who will be left?"

Mass Cultural Council--Grants for Creative Individuals

Gratitude to the Massachusetts Cultural Council for awarding me this year. Congratulations to all the awardees, 385 out of a pool of 4470 applicants. We come from across creative fields--visual arts, literary arts, theater, music, film, and more--each receiving the same amount, with 98%, myself included, first-time awardees. Read more about grants for individual creatives here.

Top and bottom: fruits of our Japanese maple

Stories Told & Untold: Writing Between Memory & History

Delighted to be on this panel on Tuesday, April 23rd, 7:00 p.m., at the Belchertown Recreation Center in western  Massachusetts, in community with Therese Soukar Chehade and Hannah Moushabeck. We'll each speak on how we navigate the spaces between memory, history and narrative; I'll especially focus on my last novel, The Miraculous True History of Nomi Ali. 

Hope you'll join us! Promises to be a special evening. 💓