It’s been half a decade since the founding of Salaam Reads, an imprint of Simon & Schuster devoted to publishing books featuring Muslim stories and characters. That’s five years of enriching stories that feature far-ranging and authentic representations of Muslim identity. Deeba Zargarpur, editor at Simon & Schuster for Young Readers and Salaam Reads, spoke about the vibrant catalog of titles across multiple genres and target age-ranges, how they’re reaching young readers, and what’s in store for Salaam Reads in 2022 and beyond.
In the five years since its founding, how has Salaam Reads changed and evolved?
It feels surreal that five years have passed since executive editor Zareen Jaffery and publisher Justin Chanda launched Salaam Reads in 2016! But it also feels incredibly momentous. When the imprint was founded, the goal was twofold: to offer Muslim children, across a wide variety of lived experiences, the chance to see themselves reflected in literature, and as Zareen said at the time, to “plant seeds of empathy” in non-Muslim readers.
Since then, Salaam Reads has published 44 books (including seven new books in 2022) and sold one million copies worldwide. Our books have received several awards, garnered numerous starred reviews, and have been featured on best of year lists. Our authors depict a diverse array of experiences lived by characters who are united under a shared umbrella of Muslim identity. As we continue to grow and look toward the future, we intend to continue publishing picture books, chapter books, middle grade, and young adult novels that serve young people. I’m so proud of the books on our list, but more than that, I’m proud of the authors. Most of the writers and illustrators on Salaam Reads’ first lists were debuts, and it began as an imprint that showcased new talent. Now, in addition to still seeking out unpublished creators, we are also the home to prolific authors who have made a deep and lasting footprint on the literary landscape. As we move into the next chapter of the Salaam Reads story, I’m excited for us to keep growing these established names while cultivating new talent, and to explore further how the imprint can foster longevity for our authors.
It’s so rare for Muslim readers to see themselves reflected authentically on the pages of books. In its fifth year, how is Salaam Reads meeting this challenge?
Promoting authentic Muslim representation is very near and dear to my heart. For many years, I never saw myself in books—and on the rare occasion I saw a Muslim character depicted, the story was always rooted in common misconceptions or white savior narratives that focused on Muslim suffering and oppression. In my childhood and young adult life as a reader, I felt invisible, like my voice and lived experience were not meant to be part of the American experience. As an Afghan-American Muslim who grew up in a post 9/11 world, my identity was both erased and feared in mainstream media. It wasn’t until I read Amina’s Voice by Hena Khan, part of Salaam Reads’ inaugural list, that I finally got to see a positively depicted Muslim perspective that felt close to my own. It was a powerful moment for me. It gave me a sense of peace and belonging that I’d been missing my whole life. And, five years later, there’s still so much need for stories that offer this experience to readers, which is why Salaam Reads remains essential for young people today. Every child deserves to feel seen, to be celebrated, and to be the hero of their own story. As an editor, I live by this mantra.
Since joining Salaam Reads in 2020, it’s been my goal to further expand on what the imprint has already been doing beautifully, by acquiring even more genres and formats of books that center a real variety of positive and joyous portrayals of the Muslim experience. I would love to expand our offering in fantasy and non-Western myths/fairytales/folklore, as well as to continue to highlight underrepresented Muslim voices.
The future for Muslim representation is exciting. In the past five years, we’ve seen an increase in literature for Muslim children across all publishers, which we’re thrilled about—it means Muslim readers don’t need to depend solely on us to find books that reflect their experiences, and that (we hope) more and more Muslim writers and illustrators will create incredible work, knowing there is an audience waiting for them. I can’t wait to see what future Muslim creators will make and look forward to partnering with more of them to share their stories.
I’d love to hear more about how Salaam Reads is connecting with and supporting emerging authors.
We know the path to publication can often be a difficult one, particularly for those who’ve historically been shut out of the industry. There are so many barriers to entry that can make it almost impossible for marginalized authors to find their way in. Some of the biggest barriers, to me, are time and access to information. It takes both to seek out and secure literary representation, and we recognize that many Muslim creators may not have access to the time and/or information to go through that process, which is why we have an open submission policy for Muslim authors not represented by literary agents. Our submission guidelines can be found at our website, salaamreads.com.
We hope this policy can help Muslim authors with the first step of pursuing their publishing dreams. But consideration and acquisition are only the first steps of the publication process, and our goal for all our authors, no matter how they find their way to us, is to not just publish a book but to build a career. Turning a debut author into an established name with a sustainable, long-lasting career takes a village, and there’s a committed team at Simon & Schuster who are deeply personally invested in the Salaam Reads list and who work closely with editorial to get the books into readers’ hands and build awareness of the authors. Five years after our inaugural list launched, we’ve seen this kind of growth happen with the authors whose books were on it, like Hena Khan, S.K. Ali, Hanna Alkaf, Aisha Saeed, and Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow. Five years from now, I look forward to seeing how the debuts we are signing up now have grown to become career authors.
How do you go about reaching the readers you believe will be most impacted by the books?
Reaching readers is central to what we do as publishers, and the marketers and publicists working on Salaam Reads’ books are passionate and dedicated to getting them into the hands of Muslim children and teens. Our team is always exploring new ways to do this, whether via media, social media, through gatekeepers like booksellers, educators, and librarians, or many other methods for directly reaching readers.
While reaching Muslim kids with our books is a significant priority, though, it’s worth saying that I believe the message behind Salaam Reads is universal. What makes the imprint special is that its books depict specific experiences, but our books are mainstream, commercial books that anybody can enjoy and appreciate, and they invite all readers to admire and celebrate the Muslim experience, not just those who have lived it. So that’s part of our outreach strategy as well.
It’s unfortunately unique to find Muslim characters starring in their own fantasy and adventure stories. Why is it important to see Muslim protagonists in these types of fun and exciting narratives?
I believe fantasy, as a genre, is a means for escape. There is this inherent thrill to it, the promise of glittering magic that is waiting just around the corner to sweep you away on the grandest adventure of your life. There’s a reason why many of the most beloved and global children’s franchises begin as fantasy books. Reading these stories is often the first time a child imagines themselves as a hero, who is worthy, who is strong, who is brave, who is important. But when fantasy worlds are not diverse, when there aren’t books that include Muslim protagonists or if Muslim characters are crafted to follow harmful stereotypes, it sends a message to Muslim children that they are not meant for a grand, magical adventure. They are not meant to be the hero.
When I was a child, I grew up in the era of Harry Potter and there is a memory, to this day, that sits with me. When the news broke that an open casting call would be held for the film adaptation, I wrote a letter to the casting directors. I was 10 years old, sitting in my local masjid, and I desperately wrote all the reasons why Hermione was important to me. On the pages of the books, I saw so much of my personality in her. But in the letter, I also opted to be seen as an extra, because there weren’t any Muslim characters in the franchise I identified with. I already knew, at 10, that I didn’t have a place in this story, that I was best suited to be a background character rather than the hero, and that fact broke my heart.
I never mailed that letter and the feeling of not belonging never left. While fantasy worlds are fiction, we cannot discount the fact that fantasy worlds are shaped and limited by an author’s own lived experiences and beliefs. Which is why it’s incredibly important for Muslim authors to continue to carve a space for Muslim heroes in fantasy, and other adventure stories.
Can you name a few highlights of the imprint for 2022 and beyond?
I’m so excited about the books we have coming up in 2022 and 2023! Many beloved Salaam Reads authors are returning, some with continuations of fan-favorite stories, others with something totally new. And we have some exciting debut voices on the list as well. In 2022, we’re thrilled to be publishing S.K. Ali’s much-anticipated sequel to her acclaimed novel Love From A to Z. Fan-favorite characters Adam and Zayneb continue their love story in Love From Mecca to Medina, which takes them on a spiritual journey together. From Hanna Alkaf, author of award-winner The Weight of Our Sky, comes Queen of the Tiles, a gripping murder mystery set during an intense Scrabble competition, in which teen Najwa Bakri must investigate the mysterious death of her best friend when her Instagram comes back to life with cryptic posts and messages a year after her death.
In middle grade, we are thrilled to be working with Women’s March co-organizer and activist Linda Sarsour on a nonfiction book, an inspiring and empowering young readers edition of her memoir We Are Not Here to Be Bystanders. In this edition for a younger audience, Linda shares the memories that shaped her into the activist she is today, and how these pivotal moments in her life led her to being an organizer in one of the largest single-day protests in U.S. history.
In picture books, from beloved Mommy’s Khimar author Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow, comes Abdul’s Story, a charming and encouraging picture book about a little boy who loves storytelling but struggles with writing until he learns that it’s okay to make mistakes.
And looking ahead to early 2023, I can’t wait to share The Love Match by debut author Priyanka Taslim, with readers. It’s a heartfelt young adult rom-com about Bangladeshi-American Zahra Khan who is exasperated when her meddling mother arranges a match to secure their family’s financial security—just as Zahra is falling in love with someone else. It’s frothy and fun, but with a layer of depth, and sure to delight any reader who loves a good romance.
