Deadline Extended!

Remember the two writing competitions at the IWA I told you about last month? Originally, the deadline for submissions was supposed to be November 8, 2011, but it has now been extended to November 18, 2011.

2012 Arab American Book Award

 According to this announcement:

Submissions are currently being accepted for the 2012 Arab American Book Award. Authors and publishers may contact Kristin LaLonde at 313.624.0223 or klalonde@accesscommunity.org for nomination forms and criteria. Submission deadline is February 01, 2012.

The Arab American Book Award honors significant literature by and about Arab Americans and was established by the Arab American National Museum in 2006. Categories include fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and children/young adult. Last year's winner in the children's category was Time to Pray, by Maha Addasi.

It's that time of year again...

It's hard to believe that it is already time for National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). If you're unfamiliar with the event, each November participating writers from around the world spend the month working to complete the rough draft of a 50,000-word novel. It sounds like a lot of work, but it is basically writing a little more than 1,600 words each day, which is very doable if you are motivated. Good things can come out of NaNoWriMo. I personally know a few authors who completed novels during the month and went on to have them published. Others broke out of their longstanding writer's block to find that they are capable of writing a full-length novel. There is even a NaNoWriMo for young writers.

Are you participating? Let us know by leaving a comment.

Creative Inspiration from 1001 Inventions

Abbas ibn Firnas

 

 

Unfortunately, I did not find out about the Creative Story Writing Competition taking place at 1001 Inventions until after the deadline for participation had passed, but the guidelines are worth taking a look at anyway, especially if you are a teacher, a homeschooling parent, or a writer who simply needs a burst of creativity. The guidelines provide you with a list of eleven figures from the Golden Age of Muslim civilization. The idea is to choose one and write a 5,000-word story that includes the character. Historical accuracy is encouraged, but the rules also allow for some artistic license. I can definitely see a story like this making a nifty book for kids or even turning into a full-length novel.

Did you participate in this competition?

If so, tell us about it by leaving a comment below.

Two Writing Competitions at the IWA

The Islamic Writers Alliance (IWA) is currently sponsoring two writing competitions:

Islamic Fiction Stories Contest

• Contest Theme: The writer may choose the topic/genre/theme as long as the story is Islamic fiction.
• Maximum word count: 2,500 words
• Submissions: October 15, 2011 through November 8, 2011

Essay Writing Contest 
(co-sponsored with the Zakat Foundation of America)

• Contest Theme: A Muslim’s Responsibility to Neighbors and Community
• Maximum word count: 1,200 words
• Submissions: October 15, 2011 through November 8, 2011

For each competition, there are three categories in which one can participate:

• IWA Member
• Adult Muslim (general public)
• Young Adult Muslim (ages 13-17)

The first-place winner in each category will receive $50 and a copy of the soon-to-be-published IWA cookbook, Serving Up Faith.

NaNoWriMo

November is National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). The goal is to start (and finish) a 50,000 word novel by November 30th. This year, I know of several Muslims who will participate. I am personally tempted to join the fun but think I will be too busy with my regular freelance commitments. Nevertheless, I have signed up under the user name precisiontext. What about you? Let us know in the comments section below.

Islamic Fiction Contest at the IWA

The Islamic Writers Alliance (IWA) is holding its 2nd annual Islamic Fiction Contest. The competition is open to three categories of participants:

• IWA Members
• Adults – authors 18 and over who are not members of IWA
• Youth – authors between the ages of 13 and 17

According to the IWA website:

Entries may be of any genre, including but not limited to: adventure, comic, crime, detective, fantasy, family historical fiction, mystery, romance, thriller, western

Stories submitted to the competition must be received by November 10, 2010. Winning authors will be awarded cash prizes (typically $50 per winning entry but not yet confirmed for this year).

Complete guidelines are available here.

Muslim Fiction Anthology

Andrew Madigan of United Arab Emirates University is editing an anthology of short fiction related to the Middle East and the Muslim world. According to this announcement:

Entries must be set in the region, and address the concerns of the region, though the characters (and the authors) can be from any culture or nationality. Translated works will be considered. Word count is not the central issue, though works of 2,000-10,000 words are more likely to be accepted.

Deadline for submissions is March 2011.

If you are interested in contributing to this anthology, continue reading here.

Apex Magazine to Showcase Muslim Talent this November

Apex Magazine, a publisher of science fiction and horror (among other things), is showcasing Arab and Muslim authors in its November 2010 issue. While it may or may not be too late to submit a story or poem for publication (I heard that the deadline is October 15th, but check with the editor), I am sure that many of the visitors to this blog will be interested in reading/purchasing the issue. I also noticed that one of the magazine's editors (Zakarya Anwar) is a British Muslim of Pakistani heritage.

If you do happen to get published in this magazine, payment is 5 cents per word for short stories and 25 cents per line for poems.

If interested, continue reading here.

MG/YA Writer Needed

This Craigslist ad seeks "a motivated writer to write middle grade/young adult short novels. Writing style and voice must be able to cross a multicultural demographic."

Read the ad for more information.

Islam and Science Fiction

Ahmed K. Khan, science fiction writer and co-editor of A Mosque Among the Stars, defines Islamic Science Fiction in an article published on IslamOnline.net. You can read two of Br. Ahmed's stories here:

The Pre-sonic Man

The Maker Myth

If you are a science fiction writer, you will probably be interested in the Islam and Science Fiction Website.

You can also submit Islamic sci-fi stories for publication on IslamOnline.net by following these guidelines.

Deadline Extended!

Back in May, I mentioned that the deadline for the The Islamic Foundation Writing Contest would soon be drawing to a close. I just checked the website again, however, and found that the deadline has been extended to December 31, 2009! This is great news for people interested in entering this exciting competition, which has a little something for everyone, even illustrators.

Another good thing about the competition is that it is open to people of all ages, children and teenagers included.

Star Writers

If you're looking for something to do with the kids this summer, it seems like this would make a great family project. You might even start by introducing them to Star Writers, by Sister Amatullah Al-Marwani. Star Writers is a wonderful workbook for Muslim children that introduces them to the world of writing creative stories with Islamic themes. Although it is for children, I, too, am benefiting from the book and learning how to write more creatively.

In any case, check out the guidelines for the The Islamic Foundation Writing Contest.

The Islamic Foundation Writing Contest

The Islamic Foundation Writing Contest is in its 7th year, and this year's deadline (June 1, 2009) is quickly coming to a close.

Categories are as follows:

• Fiction
• Non-fiction (E.g. history, biographies, diary)
• Comics
• Illustrations (see guidelines below)

According to the guidelines:

Prize winning entries may be published by the Islamic Foundation as part of its Muslim Children's Library Series.

Also: This competition is open to everyone, young and old.

If you are interested in this competition, you must act quickly as the deadline is (once again) June 1, 2009.

Lying versus Fiction and Make-Believe

There is an on-going discussion among many Muslims regarding whether fiction is okay to read and write, whether fiction is considered lying, and whether we should expose our children to it.

Here is another fatwa from IslamToday.com indicating that fiction is not a form of lying as many believe:

Question: Every day when my school-age sisters speak together about what happened to them in school that day, their little brother always comes over and contributes to the conversation. His is not even in preschool yet, but he tells all kinds of tales about what happened that day at his sisters' school. These tales are fantastic and have no truth in them whatsoever. What should I do about my little brother's habit of telling lies?

Read the answer by Sheikh Nidâl Muhammad al-Qusayyir.

Notice the last line, where he says:

Who knows, your little bother might grow up to be a great writer!

Author Umm Zakiyyah Speaks to Muslimah Source

If you like Islamic Fiction, you'll probably enjoy this detailed interview with Umm Zakiyyah, the author of several novels having Islamic themes.

As an aside, Muslimah Source (the site where the interview is published) is seeking Muslim women to contribute articles "of relevance to Muslim women and the Ummah" (click here for guidelines and information).

Although I believe this is a non-paying opportunity, this seems like a nice site to write for if you are looking to reach out to the Muslim community in a meaningful way.

Thanks to the anonymous poster who directed me to the site.

Two Writing Contests at the IWA

The Islamic Writers Alliance is sponsoring two writing contests this year, each one having cash prizes:

The IWA 5th Annual Poetry Contest

The IWA 1st Annual Short Story Competition

There are three categories of submission for each competition:

• IWA Member

• Adult – authors over the age of 16 who are not members of IWA

• Youth – authors under the age of 16 who are not members of IWA

Click here for guidelines and additional information.

Islamic Fiction Writing Contest at Mishkat

Of interest to writers of Islamic fiction:

Mishkat Publishing is sponsoring a Ramadan writing contest having a prize of $100.

Deadline: Sunday, September 28, 2008 11:59pm CST

Birmingham Muslim Writers Awards 2009

Last year, I briefly mentioned the Birmingham Muslim Writers Awards, a project that started in 2006 with the goal of highlighting new literary talent in Birmingham, UK. Since then (if I've understood correctly), the project now targets Muslim writers across the UK (not just in Birmingham). The group that runs this project offers awards in several categories, including the following:

Non Fiction
Short Story
Novel
Poetry
Screenplay/Drama
Under 16s
Best Children's Story
Journalism
Academic Writing

The group started accepting entries for 2009 back in June, so check out the new website for details on how to make a submission. Also see the list of winners for 2008. This is a competition open to both published and unpublished writers.

International Fiction by Muslim Authors

My blog stats tell me that many people come to this blog because they are seeking a list of Muslim writers. Here is one list you might find useful. There is, however, a distinction between Muslim-authored fiction and fiction with Islamic themes. I have not read most of the books on the above list, but I am almost sure that many of them are culturally oriented and do not seek to educate the reader about Islam or promote correct Islamic teachings. This is something that Sister Widad talks about frequently. Besides starting a publishing business dedicated to Islamic fiction, Sis Widad also created a database of contemporary authors who are writing religiously oriented Islamic fiction. If you're not sure what the distinction is, you'll probably be interested in Sis Widad's most recent blog post:

Why is Islamic Fiction Different from Other Fiction Written by Muslims?

All of this does not mean that there is no value in "cultural" fiction written by Muslims. It is just important to understand the difference and read with a discerning eye. Generally, if you are looking for religiously oriented work, then you should browse the websites of Muslim publishers or mega-retailers like IslamicBookstore.com, which, by the way, recently added a section for Fiction with Muslim Themes to its website. I also noticed there is a section for Muslim Fiction at Online-Islamic-Store.com.

P.S. I just came across this excellent analysis of Muslim fiction written by Umm Zaid. You'll definitely want to read her article if this is an issue that interests you.

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.