Sana Rafi is the author of Little Seeds of Promise, and the upcoming title A Mermaid Girl. You can find out more about Sana, her projects and her thoughts, on her website by following her on Twitter and Instagram.
Interview Questions were compiled by Noureen Qadir Jafar and Amna Hussain
When did you decide you wanted to be a writer? What inspired you to write for children and how did Little Seeds of Promise come about?
I don’t know if I ever actively decided to be a writer. It was a part of me from a very early age. I remember loving my elementary school English teacher. I remember looking forward to reading comprehension exercises in third grade. And then I started writing for local children’s magazines in Pakistan around age nine or ten.
I was introduced to picture books only after I became a mother so I think my first inspiration was my son. I also think writing for children meshes well with my personality. Little Seeds of Promise came about from my deep desire to write about immigrants and how difficult yet rewarding their journey is.
As a child, you lived in many countries. Is this story influenced by your own experiences or stories of other new immigrants? Is the grandmother figure based on anyone in your life?
Yes, for sure. I don’t think I would’ve been able to write this book had I not experienced what it was like to be an immigrant as a child. Before moving abroad, I shared a house with my grandparents and so I couldn’t write Maya’s story without including a significant person in her life whom she had left behind. That’s the thing with immigrants–they always leave a part of themselves in their homeland and I wanted to emphasize on mourning that loss with some positivity if that makes sense.
Moving to a new country and changing schools is not easy. What helped you adjust to those big changes in your life?
Honestly, change was hard and I wish I had had access to books that could’ve mirrored my immigration experience. The one thing that remained constant in my life during hard times was my writing–I always continued to write and submit my work to publications, participate in contests as a way of distracting myself but also of giving myself something to look forward to. When I was sixteen, I won a national short story contest and that’s when I knew writing was a deep part of my identity. It became my outlet and friend through the big changes.
On your website, you mentioned that you used to write long letters to your penpals. How did you select your penpals? Would you like to share anything about your penpal experience?
It all started because of a children’s magazine I used to read. They always had a section for penpals and I remember being super intrigued by that. Of course, I loved to write so I thought it would be fun and that’s how it all started. One of my good penpal friends was Shazia who resided in the UK. We’re still friends today, decades later despite the fact that we have never met each other in person. It was a very exciting experience–I used to love receiving snail mail!
Can you talk about the process and time in writing this book?
This book took many shapes and forms. I was constantly writing it and revising it for months before I started querying agents. I sent it directly to my publisher, The Innovation Press and I heard back with some interest. But then a few months passed before I received a book deal from them, which I gladly accepted. Then the book went through several edits–we worked very hard in getting the right messaging across and there was quite a bit of back and forth between me and the editors.
Who was your biggest supporter in your journey of writing Little Seeds of Promise? What does your family think of your book?
My friend and fellow children’s book author Rabea Chaudhry was the first person to nudge me into the world of writing picture books so I always think of her as a monumental presence in my writing journey. My family has been so supportive and excited for me!
Which picture book authors do you draw inspiration from?
I love picture books by Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow, Aya Khalil, Reem Faruqi, M.O. Yuksel, Susannah Aziz and many more!
We know that authors and illustrators don’t often get to work directly together. Were you in touch with the illustrator? Did you have a vision for the way you wanted the book to look and how did you feel about the interpretation by Renia Metallinou?
While Renia and I never got to speak directly, we did communicate via our publisher/editor and I do think she did a lovely job with the illustrations. I was able to see them at different stages and offer my opinions. I was grateful that Renia was able to accommodate some of the changes that I requested and in the end I believe she was able to bring together an even more vibrant and beautiful book than I had envisioned.
Do you feel that books featuring Muslims are being created and marketed in a positive way? Are there trends you like or hope will change?
I believe that the publishing industry has ways to go in terms of supporting Muslim books. It’s hard enough to receive a book deal and then to undertake its marketing and make noise about your own book can be burdensome for some of us. I think the publishing industry needs to do more so that our books become more visible. When will our books be part of the mainstream?
How do you hope your work can impact the Muslim community? How do you hope your work can impact perceptions of Muslims?
I hope to empower the Muslim community though my books. I want them to feel proud of Muslim books that feature the holidays they celebrate or include character names that are easy on their tongues, names they have known growing up. Though my work, I’d like to normalize what being a Muslim is like–build awareness, open doors for meaningful conversations and understanding.
What is the best way to support Muslim authors, agents, editors, librarians and those involved in creating Muslim literature? What do you hope the literature world looks like for Muslims in the coming years? In 20 years?
Support for Muslim and other diverse creatives can come in many forms. Please buy our books or request them from your local library! Please leave us reviews with pictures of our books on Amazon, Goodreads etc. Please consider donating our books to causes that support diversity and inclusion. And one of the best ways to support us to gift our books to children that need them so that they can grow up feeling seen and validated.
In 20 years, I hope there are a whole lot of us Muslim artists out there. I hope that instead of just finding a couple picture books with the word ‘mosque’ or ‘halal’ on the cover, we find them abundantly. Just like non-Muslim children know about Christmas from a young age, I hope authors, agents, librarians can do a good job of showcasing Eid and all the love and joy around this special Muslim holiday.
Your next children’s book A MERMAID GIRL is coming out in summer 2022 and is about modest swimwear/burkini, which we have not seen much of before! Would you like to share anything about it and what inspired you to write it?
Years ago, as an adult, I tried to learn how to swim. I vividly remember telling my dad ‘no’ to his offer of getting me enrolled in swimming lessons as a child. I still don’t know how to swim but am hopeful I’ll learn one day (those adult swim lessons didn’t quite work out). But the book came about with me thinking of how uncomfortable I felt wearing a swimsuit as a Muslim girl child living in a Muslim country. I would’ve learned how to swim with a female coach in an all-female pool. Yet, there was something that stopped me, apart from my fear of the water. And that led me to imagine myself growing up in a non-Muslim country and wearing a burkini to the pool. It’s not something I have witnessed yet but I do have friends whose daughters wear modest swimwear. The point is that all of us deserve to experience swimming if we want to and what we wear to the pool or the beach shouldn’t be something that stops us from receiving joy in the water. So, I wrote A MERMAID GIRL in hopes of giving children like myself a little nudge towards courage, bravery and owning their identity.
What is something that you would like your readers to know about you. Are there any words of wisdom that you would like to pass on to young writers?
Writing can become your best friend, in both good times and bad. It can help lift your mood and it can also fuel your creativity. Some days it’s harder to write than others but it’s always worth it so keep on writing!
Fatima’s Great Outdoors, a picture book about an Indian American Muslim family’s experience camping, was published on March 30, 2021. It’s proven to be a wonderful book for sparking discussions about a host of topics, including the range of representation in immigrant experiences in children’s literature, especially as it relates to the South Asian community. 
Fatima Khazi, an eight-year-old immigrant from India, is excited for her first ever camping trip with her family. After a rough week at school, this is the perfect getaway. Packed into the car, snacking on savory Indian treats, and singing along to old Bollywood songs by Rafi, a popular singer in India, the family makes their way to the campsite. The resourcefulness and ingenuity of her mother solves problems with a frightening spider, a stubborn tent, and a campfire that won’t catch. Fatima and her hardworking parents want to enjoy this “great American pastime” and eat Halal bacon along with their traditional Indian meal of shami kababs, roti, and anda.
South Asian readers will relate to cultural touches and vocabulary in the book. However, there is no glossary to help other readers understand these unfamiliar words like nani (maternal grandmother), Apa (older sister), shabash (word of encouragement), roti (bread), shami kebabs (beef patties), samosas (fried pastry), aanda (fried egg), ghee (clarified butter), and Rafi, a famous singer from India. 
It is an endearing book for young readers, though its tropes and cliches were a bit excessive for a South Asian immigrant like myself. Even so, I feel that the book is a nice introduction to the immigrant experience. Venturing into camping is clearly a step into the unknown, just like immigrating to a brand new country is a huge step in itself. The reader roots for this little girl and her family’s resourcefulness. 
Thank you to Kokila for providing digital access to this book. Fatima’s Great Outdoors was published March 30,2021.