"Representation is sorely lacking" Interview with Muslim Voices in Publishing Founder Nazima Abdillahi

Posted on May 5, 2021 in London

Almost halfway through the holy month of Ramadan, observed by over a billion people across the globe, we are delighted to have Nazima Abdillahi, Founder of Muslim Voices in Publishing, join us for a conversation on the SYP blog.
 
Back in February, Nazima told The Bookseller that Muslim Voices in Publishing (MVP) was “born out of a feeling of loneliness”. Fitting words in a year that’s seen a pandemic and months of enforced social distancing—but this sense of isolation existed before COVID-19. Nazima told The Bookseller that Muslim people, especially Muslim women, in the UK publishing industry feel a real need for community and connection with each other. MVP has risen up to try to meet that need.
 
Recently, communities such as BAME in Publishing, Pride in Publishing and Black Agents and Editors (BAE) have been carving out their own space within the whitewashed middle-class walls of UK publishing. MVP is doing just that for Muslims within the book industry; providing a community, celebrating Muslim talent and amplifying amazing stories by and about Muslim creatives.
 
Can you tell us a bit about the reception that Muslim Voices in Publishing has experienced since you began this journey?
 
When I first tweeted about the idea of MVP, I was really taken aback by the reception and attention it received (the tweet is now at over 97k impressions!) and the amount of people reaching out to say how excited they were or to show their support. Honestly, the reception has been quite wonderful!
 
How has Muslim Voices in Publishing changed/developed since its inception in 2020?
 
I sent out the initial tweet about MVP back in November meaning it has existed for about seven-ish months already (at the time of writing)! In that time, we’ve focused on building a social media platform and have hosted several author Q&As, teamed up with Hachette Muslim Employee Network on their recent Ramadan campaign, launched our book club for Muslim women within the industry, featured on The Bookseller and BookMachine, and sent out our call-out for Muslim illustrators (which now has over 300k impressions!) We are still finding our feet but definitely enjoying the experiences along the way. 
 
What are some books written by or which feature the stories of Muslim people that you have really enjoyed?
 
Most recently, I’ve really enjoyed Rumaysa: A Fairytale by Radiya Hafiza (who we were lucky enough to have on the blog) and Mayhem Mission by Burhana Islam. Both were just an absolute joy to read and provided some of the positive Muslim representation that publishing is sorely lacking. 
 
What are your future ambitions for MVP as a platform?
 
The support has been wonderful and so I would like to see MVP grow a bigger reach. I also personally hope that our existence, as well as the existence of others putting in the work (some of which are mentioned above) encourages publishers to really look at their lists and truly consider what they are doing to encourage inclusivity on all levels. 
 
Of course, Muslims are currently celebrating Ramadan. What more could the publishing industry be doing to support Muslim people throughout Ramadan?
 
Ah, this is an easy one because MVP recently teamed up with Hachette Muslim Employee Network who put together a wonderful thread of graphics on how people in the workplace – within publishing and outside of it – can support their Muslim colleagues during this blessed month. So, I’m just going to leave that here.
 
Get involved with Muslim Voices in Publishing by joining their mailing list. Give them a follow on Twitter and Instagram, and check out their blog.
 
Nazima Abdillahi is an editor at Hachette Children’s Group where she works on incredible YA and heart-wrenching middle-grade fiction, alongside her work as the founder of Muslim Voices in Publishing.