Salaam Reads is a new Simon & Schuster imprint targeting young readers – genres range from children picture books to Young Adult but all are united in their focus on Muslim stories by Muslim writers.
Teen Vogue comments: “What started out as a quest for greater representation has morphed into an act of resistance. Of course, Salaam Reads never intended to resist anything other than the stereotypes plaguing the media like the pervasive ‘terrorist,’ but after the Trump administration’s executive order banning entry into America from seven Muslim-majority nations, it seems the imprint’s debut is more important than ever.”
The imprint is spearheaded by executive editor Zareen Jaffery who has over fifteen years experience in publishing, and says she has made it her mission to seek out work from the under-represented. “I want Salaam Reads to depict the ummah [community] in its breadth of diversity,” declares the editor. “That’s part of the reason why I still reach out to people and artists because what I find is that the concept of privilege is something I’m hit with every day in my job. What I find is that the stories that are being told are stories that center on middle-class or upper middle-class, college-educated people.”
On March 14th, the imprint will release their first book — “Amina’s Voice,” written by Hena Khan who also penned the popular children’s book “It’s Ramadan, Curious George.”
