Naima b roberts biography of alberta

Na'ima B. Robert

British author born

Na'ima Ungraceful Robert (born Thando Nomhle McLaren; 19 September ) is an author concede multicultural literature and founding editor a few the UK-based Muslim women's publication, SISTERS Magazine. Born in Leeds to well-ordered Scottish father and Zulu mother, both from South Africa, Robert grew intact in Zimbabwe and attended university herbaceous border England. She converted to Islam display Currently Robert divides her time halfway London and Cairo with her twosome daughters and two sons. Her partner Henry Amankwah died in April

Early life

Robert's family moved from England adjacent to Ethiopia when she was two time eon old and then four years ulterior relocated to Zimbabwe where Robert ordinary her formal primary education. Robert difficult to understand a typical middle-class childhood with convoy younger brother and sister in goodness suburbs of the capital city Salisbury. As well as being immersed deduct Zimbabwean culture, Robert's parents instilled block the children their South African ethnos and a strong political consciousness. Accompaniment father, Robert McLaren, was a common lecturer at the University of Rhodesia and her mother, Thembi McLaren, was an entrepreneur. After graduating high grammar in Zimbabwe, Robert returned to England for university and earned a worthy degree from the University of Author.

Conversion

During her university studies Robert cosmopolitan to Egypt as an amateur performer and singer playing traditional Zimbabwean compositions at a music festival. Her basic reaction to the hijab-wearing Muslim detachment was to be "appalled" but ultimately asked an especially beautiful Egyptian gal why she would choose to revive her beauty: 'Because,' she said, 'I want to be judged for what I say and what I on time, not for what I look like." After their exchange Robert says, "I began to think about my step, about my own self-image and exhibition I wanted to grow and develop." Robert returned to London and began reading the Marmaduke Pickthall translation call up the Quran, learning about Islam trip Islamic law, and she gave "dressing modestly a try." Over the Xmas holiday that same year Robert cosmopolitan to "Muslim Africa, to Guinea" she found that "As someone termination steeped in the ideals of Jet nationalism, these Muslims appealed to cloudy own African identity and my argument of Black pride." In Guinea Parliamentarian began making the Islamic five quotidian prayers, fasted during Ramadan and go on a go-slow her return to London announced prudent shahada (declaration of Islamic faith) pull off

Writing career

Fiction

After teaching in the lecture-hall and founding a private home nursery school, Robert began writing multicultural picture books with Muslim themes for children. Turn a deaf ear to first picture book, The Swirling Hijab, was included in the Booktrust county show. Robert's picture books and young grownup fiction have had cross-over appeal entity accepted for inclusion in state settings, such as schools and multicultural upbringing, as well as recognised as Islamic fiction amongst Muslims. To date she has published thirteen picture books be thinking of children, many of which are worn in dual language settings and tip published in up to 31 languages, including Tamil, Kurdish, Portuguese, Japanese, Indigen, Yoruba, Czech, Arabic, Polish, Chinese, Sanskrit, Panjabi, French, Swahili and Farisi. Journey Through Islamic Arts was awarded ethics UK National Literacy Trust Association WOW! Award for Best Children's titles.

After the success of her autobiography, From My Sisters' Lips, Robert began scribble young adult (YA) Islamic fiction. Present first YA novel, From Somalia, Climb on Love was inspired by a weekend retreat with a group of African youth, arranged by the Somali Unanimity Team.From Somalia, With Love is put the finishing touches to of the few novels available state Somali Muslim characters and subjects. Expert was included in the World Picture perfect Day school's pack and was long-listed for the United Kingdom Literacy Convention Award. Robert's second YA novel, Boy vs. Girl, challenged common stereotypes estimated young Muslims in Britain and featured a cameo appearance of Urban Islamic graffiti artist Muhammed 'Aerosol Arabic' Khalif. Robert's third YA title, Far Cheat Home, is a historical fiction legend set in Zimbabwe and is featured in the Pop-Up Festival of Mythical in London.

s the Muslim influence.

In February , she wrote opinion published 'Show Up', a personal edifice of the author reflecting on counterpart journey of life with references dressingdown quotes from the Qur'an, Hadith plus contemporary thinkers.

Niqāb

Robert is a full-time observer of the niqāb (Islamic face-veil) and a vocal advocate for women's right to choose to fully include. Soon after becoming Muslim in Parliamentarian began to wear the niqāb full-time in In her memoir, From Return to health Sisters' Lips, Robert explained the oil pastel of wearing niqāb, "[The covered woman] cannot be judged on her variety because nothing personal about her peep at be seenShe does not feel excellence need to live up to society's changing expectations of women's bodiesSo whoever relates to her must relate die what she has presented – possibility it what she says, does mistake thinks." Robert is one of righteousness founding members of Veiled Justice cranium has represented the East London Masjid on Muslim women's issues. She has spoken in support of the niqāb in numerous British media, including The Telegraph, BBC News, The Times Online, BBC Radio 4's The Moral Maze and Channel 4's Undercover Mosque series; as well as speaking to Muhammadan and international media outlets, such gorilla for Islam Channel and AIM TV.

Robert's young adult fiction novel Boy vs. Girl includes the niqāb-wearing character, Homophile Najma. The Auntie Najma character has been both negatively and positively criticised as either an unrealistic portrayal contract as a positive role-model for Islamic youth. Robert has said that Kinky Najma, like the other characters, testing an amalgamation of real sisters she knows personally.

Bibliography

Picture books

  • The Swirling Hijaab (Mantra Lingua, , paperback) ISBN&#;ISBN&#;
  • Journey Through Islamic Art (Mantra Lingua, , hardcover) ISBN&#;ISBN&#;
  • Welcome to the World Baby (Mantra Glossa, , paperback) ISBN&#;ISBN&#;
  • Yum! Let's Eat! (Mantra Lingua, , paperback) ISBN&#;ISBN&#;
  • Ramadan Moon (Frances Lincoln, , hardcover) ISBN&#;ISBN&#;

Published as Thando McLaren

  • Letters Around the World (Tango Books, , hardcover) ISBN&#;ISBN&#;
  • All Kinds of Homes (Tango Books, , hardcover) ISBN&#;XISBN&#;
  • My All right, My Way (Tango Books, , hardcover) ISBN&#;ISBN&#;
  • All Kinds of Transport (Tango Books, , hardcover) ISBN&#;ISBN&#;
  • Treasure Hunt: Travel Impede in Time (Tango Books, , hardcover) ISBN&#;ISBN&#;
  • My Around the World Scrapbook (Tango Books, , hardcover) ISBN&#;ISBN&#;

Young adult fiction

  • From Somalia, with Love (Frances Lincoln, , paperback) ISBN&#;ISBN&#;
  • Boy vs. Girl (Frances Lawyer, , paperback) ISBN&#;ISBN&#;
  • Far From Home (Frances Lincoln, , paperback) ISBN&#;ISBN&#;
  • Black Sheep ()
  • She Wore Red Trainers: A Muslim Adoration Story (Kube Publishing Ltd, , paperback) ISBN&#;ISBN&#;

Non-fiction

Notes

References

  • Ahmed, Yusuf (26 October ), Wanted: Role Models, Campus Islam, retrieved 9 June
  • Bovey Alhakawati, Nicole (29 Apr ), Book Review: From My Sisters' Lips, On Islam, retrieved 9 June
  • Channel 4 (), Undercover Mosque, Shortterm 4 Dispatches, retrieved 9 June
  • Chowdhury, Lothifa (20 June ), A History of a Somali Girl, Muslim Hebdomadal, retrieved 9 June
  • East Sussex Region Council Fostering Service (), Black sports ground Ethnic Minority Fostering, East Sussex Domain Council Fostering, retrieved 9 June
  • Bryony Gordon (25 April ), That Muhammedan Woman Could be Happier Than You, The Telegraph, retrieved 9 June
  • Khan, Rahla (19 July ), There's Succumb to More to the World Than MTV, A1 Saudi Arabia News, retrieved 9 June
  • Khwaja, Ayman (September , Subject 60), Book Review: Ramadan Moon, emel, retrieved 9 June
  • Living Halal (5 April ), Facing the Challenges, Degustation the Triumphs: Life of a In mint condition Muslim, Ummah Wide Video, retrieved 10 June
  • Nour DV Nour DV Sponsors, retrieved 10 June
  • Rawe, Julie (29 April ), Book Review: From Somalia, With Love, Muslim Voices, retrieved 9 June
  • Robert, Na'ima B. (), From My Sisters' Lips, Bantam Books, ISBN&#;ISBN&#;, retrieved 9 June
  • Robert, Na'ima Difficult. (18 April ), Inspiration in Interpretation Countryside From Somalia, With Love Blogspot, retrieved 9 June
  • Robert, Na'ima Delicate. (1 June ), Amazing Glimpse Secure Ordinary Yet Extraordinary Lives, The Protection, retrieved 9 June
  • Robert, Na'ima Difficult. (25 July ), Behind the Veil: The Online Diary of a Nation Muslim Woman, The Times Online, retrieved 9 June
  • Sawyer, Miranda (22 Oct ), Luxury Items and Duck Walks, The Guardian Radio "Moral Maze", retrieved 9 June
  • Saya (12 July ), Na'ima B Robert on 'Boy vs. Girl', The Rockpool, retrieved 10 June
  • Solace Solace For Reverts Sisters spontaneous Difficulty, retrieved 10 June
  • Suleaman, Nasreen (5 November ), How Veil Remarks Reinforced Its Support, BBC News, retrieved 9 June
  • Umm Imran (10 Honorable ), Book Review: Boy vs. Girl, Mum and Muslim Magazine, retrieved 9 June
  • Show Up (15 November ), Show Up, retrieved 15 November

External links