We recently connected with Reem Faruqi and have shared our conversation below.

Reem, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?

I’ve been lucky in that my parents have been supportive of my writing. When we immigrated from Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates, to Peachtree City, Georgia, when I was thirteen years old, my box of diaries came with me. I don’t remember packing them, just that I always had them. Those journals have been a great resource for me when I write children’s books. I can take a peek at my old diaries and see what my voice sounded like at different ages and get closer to the character.

My mother instilled a love or reading in me. She would take me to the library as a child and I remember feeling that feeling of giddy excitement when we got to choose books. I also saw my mother reading books which helped encourage me.

Now, as a children’s book author, my father will buy a carton of my books and put them in his car trunk so that he always has a book on hand to give to others. He will let me know when he runs low on books. I remember when I went to my dentist appointment (we shared the same dentist at the time!), and the dental hygienist commented on how she enjoyed my book. I remember being surprised because my book wasn’t even out yet. She responded that my father had been in recently for a cleaning and had given her an early copy of one of my books! Having their support has been great.

Reem, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I’ve always loved working with children. Since I became an elementary school teacher, I remember the peaceful feeling I got when I pulled a book out at read aloud time. When I gave up teaching to stay home to care for my children, I tried to write a children’s book. How hard could it be? It turned out to be CHALLENGING! It took many tries, rejections, and years before I finally got an offer on my first picture book, Lailah’s Lunchbox, a book based on my own experiences as a Muslim girl immigrating to the United States.

I wrote many stories before getting published. I noticed when I wrote about my own experiences, that was when I started to get editorial interest. Most of my stories are inspired by true experiences that I’ve had. It could be an interaction with a classmate, a relationship with a grandparent, or a challenge I’ve faced. I then weave bits of these experiences in my writing!

As a Pakistani-American Muslim author, It was important to me to see similar Muslim protagonists in my book. Growing up, I didn’t see many such characters until I was an older teenager. When I write my books, I am initially writing it for myself and I’m not over explaining any Muslim terms or sayings. It feels quite freeing. Once I sit down for the editorial stage, I will usually tweak a tiny bit here and there, but the main message will hopefully be there. As a Muslim author, there are many practices (such as the five daily prayers) so incorporating them into my writing and normalizing them is what I enjoy to do.

Advice I would give other authors would be the following: for your first draft, write it just for you. I feel like that version will be the most honest and raw. I am pleased and grateful to have twelve books in the works. My twelfth book comes out on May 20th, titled ZARINA DIVIDED, a touching novel in verse inspired by my grandmother’s Partition journey from India to Pakistan.

I would love my readers to feel a pride in their faith, a connection to others, allll the emotions, and a strong sense of family.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

1. “Write Every Day!”

I hear that message touted often by authors. This may work for them, but it doesn’t work for me. I find that I need rest days or ‘off days’ to let my mind wander and think. I also have four young children aged 1 to 14 so life gets hectic and if I make myself write every day, it wouldn’t happen.

2. “Wake up early before your children wake up to write!”

I also hear the message to wake up early before your children get up to write. I am NOT a morning person at all, so that’s not an option for me. Now with a new baby-turned-toddler at home, I have to get used to working in teeny tiny increments, or staying up later at night to get work done. I also thinks naps are important and are a great reset for your mind. If you have the privilege to get a nap, please do.

Have you ever had to pivot?

When I was writing picture books, I would sometimes get advice from editors, that my voice was sounding older and that it veered more to chapter book territory. My agent suggested I try middle grade. However, I was convinced that I was a picture book author for younger children. I told myself I liked to work for people shorter than me. I am 5 feet and three quarters! So I taught second grade, and wrote for a picture book audience.

However, when I reflected on the editorial feedback I received, I decided to pivot and listen. Now, I absolutely love working in the middle grade space for ages 8-12. I enjoy crafting novels in verse, getting to meet middle schoolers (many are taller than me!) at school visits, and hearing their feedback on my books. I find that writing novels in verse is the perfect balance for a picture book author like me who likes to write lyrically but with less words.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.reemfaruqi.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reemfaruqi
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/reemfaruqi
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/reem-faruqi-61558b93/
• Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/reemfaruqi
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@zislamicful
• Other: Substack: https://reemfaruqi.substack.com/ (great place for writers)

  @reemfaruqi.bsky.social (good for kidlit!)

Image Credits

me on sofa reading to kids – Claire Jordan Miller of Georgia State University

me in blue headscarf and blue and pink dress – Mike Williams of Indiana Library Federation

Me in headset – Scotty Crowe of WABE