Manchester Muslim Writers - More Info.

Back in May, I mentioned a new group for writers in the UK: Manchester Muslim Writers. At that time, I did not know much about the group, but it turns out that the group has a website, located at www.muslimwriters.org.uk. All signs point towards this group being very supportive of Muslim writers, holding workshops and other beneficial events. If you live in the vicinity, it definitely sounds like a great resource for Muslim writers in the UK.

New Group for Muslim Writers

According to this article:

Novelist and poet Zahid Hussain is launching a society to help develop the talent of writers, hoping that one day “Muslim narratives” would become a part of British life. He is setting up Manchester Muslim Writers, open to Muslim and Non-Muslim writers, to foster creative and factual writing including poetry, the novel, screenplay, blogging and journalism.

Read the full article for more information about meeting times and location.

Muslim Publishing Network

The Muslim Publishing Network "was established in May 2008 with the purpose of improving the standard of Muslim Publishing Worldwide." Right now, there is not much to see on this site, but it looks like it has potential to be a good resource in the future.

Resource: Religion Newswriters Association

According to this page on the Religion Newswriters Association website, Ebru TV is seeking a part-time host for Perspectives of Faith, a one-hour interview program on Islam, religion and interfaith dialogue. The listing is from May, so it may be that the position has since been filled.

Incidentally, the Religion Newswriters Association (whose aim is to help journalists cover religion with "balance, accuracy and insight") is a great resource for people writing about Islam.
On September 17th, for example, a conference called Covering Islam will be held in Washington, D.C. Topics of discussion will include the basics of the faith, the leadership role of women, and the rise in civic participation among American Muslims.

Also check out the following RNA Source Guides:

Covering Islam 101
Lots of resources, including demographic information on Muslims and surveys about Islam.

Covering Islam and Politics
A listing that includes research centers, organizations and scholars with expertise on the growing role of Muslims’ interactions with government and politics.

Islam: A Guide to U.S. Experts and Organizations
Lists more than 100 experts who specialize in such areas as civil rights, politics, foreign affairs, art, culture, history, law, family issues and more. It also includes Muslim advocacy organizations, research centers and think tanks.

Among other things, there are also scholarships and contests to benefit from. And, if you write for secular media, you'll definitely want to check out the Religion Newswriters’ Religion Stylebook for preferred spelling of religious terms, such as Koran/Quran, Muhammad (PBUH), Mecca/Makkah, etc.

Call for Submissions: Halal 2

About a year ago, I mentioned that Linda D. Delgado (Sis Widad) was putting together a second volume of her popular cookbook: Halal Food, Fun and Laughter. Although the deadline for submissions was originally August 2007 and then extended to September, it turns out that Sister Widad is still working on the book and accepting submissions in a variety of categories. Details are here (in the original announcement). The proceeds from this book will go to charity. Also, Sis Widad has decided to focus on healthy eating and provide more vegetarian recipes in Halal 2.

In other news, Sister Widad has started a new discussion group dedicated to Islamic fiction. I am also happy to announce that a fundraising initiative by HalfDate.com raised more than $1200 for Sister Widad to pay for the design of five teacher-study guides that will, insha'Allah, be of significant benefit Muslim teachers and children.

Come Visit the IWA

Back in Ramadan, I was selected to be the new web administrator of the Islamic Writers Alliance. If you haven't ever visited the site (or if you haven't been there for a while), I hope you'll stop by, insha'Allah. It is really a great and supportive organization for Muslim writers. The site isn't finished yet (it's a constant work in progress), but we are adding lots of new material each month.

Muslim Writing Community in London

This person in London is: "Looking for muslim wrtiers, poets to get a islamic writing community going, doesnt matter what ur expirience level is, just get in touch."