Authentic voices, real lives
Like many authors and illustrators that we speak to in Pen&inc., Na’ima B. Robert was inspired to write by the sheer lack of diversity in children’s publishing. Her books draw on her own experiences as a Muslim woman, and look to show Islam in “a beautiful celebratory light”. Here she talks to Pen&inc. about her writing and her new book, A Child Like You.
NA’IMA B. Robert was born in Leeds and traces her heritage back to Scottish highlanders on her father’s side, and Zulu warriors on her mother’s side. She grew up in Zimbabwe – in what she describes as a non-religious household, and then moved to Egypt.
She is now back in Zimbabwe, and although her journey has come full circle, she is in a very different place compared to when she left. She converted to Islam over 25 years ago, and her journey has taken her from a stay-at-home mum to successful writer and publishing advocate for Muslim women, through her Muslimah Author Project.
On her website, she talks about how “I didn’t always want to be a writer,” adding: “Being ‘a writer’ seemed like something other people did. People who had studied Creative Writing at university. People who spent their mornings in trendy cafes and their weekends at writers’ retreats. People who ‘looked like’ writers.
“As a young mum living in South London – black, Muslim, wearing hijab and niqab, I definitely did not look like any writer I had ever seen!”
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However, becoming a mother proved to be the catalyst to change her perception of who could be a writer, and what a writer could look like. She says: “I became a children’s book author because I couldn’t find the kind of books that I wanted to share with my children, namely, books that depicted Islam and Muslims in a beautiful and celebratory light, in a way that they could relate to. “That mission widened over time to a desire to tell untold stories and leave a series of love letters to the next generation through my books. I have now had almost 30 books published so I am well on my way to my goal of publishing 100 books before I die!”
Despite not seeing other writers who looked and dressed like her, Na’ima says she found it “scandalously easy” to become an author – but she does add that she spent a year “writing nonsense”. But it was this commitment to “finding her voice”, and discovering her own writing niche that has been the secret to her success.
She says: “From the first set of manuscripts that I sent out to publishers, The Swirling Hijaab was picked up by Mantra Lingua. We then did several more
books together before I started working with Tango Books and then Frances Lincoln and Kube Publishers. “I think I was fortunate in that I started writing multicultural stories just before they became popular in the mainstream. Back then, there were very few publishers that were aware of the need for representation or interested in diverse voices. I was fortunate to connect with two of the pioneers in that field and publish many books with them.” Reminded of her own perceptions about what writer should look like, Na’ima adds: “Interestingly, neither my faith nor my appearance impacted my work as a children’s book author: the children I visited in schools were always engaged and enthusiastic and my publishers supported the stories I wanted to tell. Privileged indeed!” Speaking about her conversion to Islam, Na’ima recalls a moment when her own views on wearing hijab and niqab changed – and it gives further insight into her own storytelling. She talks about a trip to Egypt where she saw woman wearing hijab, and admits “I was not impressed at all.” She saw the hijab as a sign of oppression, but spoke
Spring-Summer 2023
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