“ We’re frequently delivered the same old Muslim women’s trope – the placid housewife, or the shackled bint who doesn’t know any better. But there aren’t many who challenge stereotypes as strongly as writer Samina Ali ”
– Aquila Style Magazine

Samina Ali author

Meet Samina Ali

Samina Ali is an award-winning author, curator, and popular speaker. Her debut novel, Madras on Rainy Days (Farrar, Straus, Giroux), was the winner of France’s prestigious Prix Premier Roman Etranger Award and a finalist for the PEN/Hemingway Award in Fiction.

In the critically acclaimed global exhibition, Muslima: Muslim Women’s Art & Voices, Samina presents a groundbreaking collection of thought pieces and artwork from contemporary Muslim women who are defining their own identities and, in the process, shattering pervasive stereotypes.

Continuing in the spirit of her widely popular Tedx talk , “What Does the Qur’an Really Say about a Muslim Woman’s Hijab?”, Samina is currently writing a nonfiction book that weaves her personal story with a passionate appeal for women’s equality and justice.

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Samina has been featured in

Madras on rainy day book - Samina Ali

Madras on Rainy Days
“This book goes to a place where few, if any, of its predecessors have gone before. It is a love story about a man and a woman trying to win each other. But there is an East-West caveat: They are already married, their union arranged by their families with the help of astrologers. They woo after they’ve tied the knot. Complicating matters even further, the husband is not what Layla expected in more ways than one.” – Ms. Magazine

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Samina Ali - author, speaker, curator

“I see my work as part of the global movement by Muslim women — a gender jihad — to undo patriarchal and, at times, misogynist readings of Islam in order to reclaim women’s God-given rights.”

Let’s Work Together

Hey, did you know I’m available for your next event? Whether consulting, speaking or teaching, I’ve worked with universities, corporations, museums, and leading organizations. I’d love to work together with you too!

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