Huda Fahmy (born c. 1985) is an American graphic novelist. Her novel Huda F Cares? was a finalist for the 2023 National Book Award for Young People's Literature.

Huda Fahmy
OccupationGraphic novelist
NationalityAmerican
EducationUniversity of Michigan–Dearborn (2006)
Notable works

Early life

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Fahmy grew up in Dearborn, Michigan and has four sisters.[1] Her father immigrated to the United States from Egypt, and her mother immigrated from Syria.[2] Though both of her parents spoke English, they spoke Arabic at home. Fahmy has indicated that she learned how to read English from Sunday comic strips.[2][3]

In 2006, Fahmy graduated from the University of Michigan–Dearborn, where she studied English.[1][4][2]

Career

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Fahmy taught English studies at the middle and high school level for eight years.[1]

In 2016, Fahmy left teaching to care for her first son.[2] Following the election of President Donald Trump, she began writing a collection of essays about her experiences as a Muslim Arab-American woman in the United States and shared them with literary agents in hopes of publishing. After several rejections, her sister encouraged her to turn the essays into comics.[5] She shared the comics Instagram under the handle Yes, I'm Hot in This, a joke following people's question of whether she was hot wearing her hijab.[6] A collection of the comics were published by Adams Media under the title Yes, I'm Hot in This.

Fahmy's next graphic novel, That Can Be Arranged, was also geared toward adults and was published in 2020 by Andrews McMeel Publishing.[7] She then published two graphic novels for young adults with Dial Books: Huda F Are You? (2021) and Huda F Cares? (2023). She has described both as "fictionalized memoir".[3]

Awards

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Huda F Are You? and Huda F Cares? are Junior Library Guild selections.[8][9]

Awards for Fahmy's writing
Year Title Award Result Ref.
2022 Huda F Are You? Goodreads Choice Award for Graphic Novels & Comics Nominee [10]
2023 Huda F Cares? National Book Award for Young People's Literature Finalist [11][12][13]

Personal life

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Fahmy is Egyptian-American[14] and Muslim.[3]

As of 2023, Fahmy lived with her husband and children in Houston.[1]

Publications

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  • Yes, I'm Hot in This: The Hilarious Truth about Life in a Hijab. Adams Media. 2018. ISBN 9781507209349.
  • That Can Be Arranged: A Muslim Love Story. Andrews McMeel Publishing. 2020. ISBN 9781524856229.[7][15]
  • Huda F Are You?. Dial Books. 2021. ISBN 9780593324318.[16][17][18][19][20][21][2]
  • Huda F Cares?. Dial Books. 2023. ISBN 9780593532805.[22][23][24]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d MacGregor, Amanda (2023-10-10). "It was the best of drives, it was the worst of drives: a Muslim teen's road trip tale, a guest post by Huda Fahmy". Teen Librarian Toolbox. Retrieved 2023-11-25 – via School Library Journal.
  2. ^ a b c d e Khan, Amina (2021-11-23). "Huda Fahmy Made The Muslim Antihero We've Been Waiting For". Bustle. Archived from the original on 2022-12-08. Retrieved 2023-11-25.
  3. ^ a b c Chandrasegaram, Priya (2021-11-16). "Q & A with Huda Fahmy". Publishers Weekly. Archived from the original on 2021-12-08. Retrieved 2023-11-25.
  4. ^ "Five Lessons Learned with Huda Fahmy | University of Michigan-Dearborn". University of Michigan–Dearborn. Retrieved 2023-11-25.
  5. ^ Srinivasan, Suniti; Yao, JoAnn (2021-11-22). "Q&A With Huda Fahmy, Huda F Are You". We Need Diverse Books. Archived from the original on 2023-06-02. Retrieved 2023-11-25.
  6. ^ Kuruvilla, Carol (2018-03-27). "These Painfully Hilarious Comics Capture Life As A Muslim Woman In America". HuffPost. Archived from the original on 2022-11-24. Retrieved 2023-11-25.
  7. ^ a b "That Can Be Arranged". Booklist. May 15, 2020. Retrieved November 24, 2023.
  8. ^ "Huda F Cares". Junior Library Guild. Retrieved 2023-11-29.
  9. ^ "Huda F Are You". Junior Library Guild. Retrieved 2023-11-29.
  10. ^ "Announcing the Goodreads Choice Winner in Best Graphic Novels & Comics!". Goodreads. Archived from the original on 2023-07-20. Retrieved 2023-11-24.
  11. ^ Kantor, Emma (October 3, 2023). "Finalists for 2023 NBA in Young People's Literature Announced". Publishers Weekly. Archived from the original on October 23, 2023. Retrieved November 24, 2023.
  12. ^ Yorio, Kara (November 16, 2023). "'A First Time for Everything' Wins 2023 National Book Award for Young People's Literature". School Library Journal. Archived from the original on November 19, 2023. Retrieved November 24, 2023.
  13. ^ "National Book Awards Finalists". Shelf Awareness. 2023-10-04. Archived from the original on 2023-11-01. Retrieved 2023-11-24.
  14. ^ Fahmy, Huda (11 December 2018). Yes, I'm Hot in This. Simon and Schuster. p. 190. ISBN 978-1-5072-0934-9. My ethnicity is Egyptian.
  15. ^ "Book Trailer of the Day: That Can Be Arranged". Shelf Awareness. 2020-03-10. Archived from the original on 2022-12-25. Retrieved 2023-11-24.
  16. ^ "Huda F Are You". Booklist. November 1, 2021. Retrieved November 24, 2023.
  17. ^ "Huda F Are You?". Kirkus Reviews. September 14, 2021. Archived from the original on November 24, 2023. Retrieved November 24, 2023.
  18. ^ "Huda F Are You? by Huda Fahmy". Publishers Weekly. September 30, 2021. Archived from the original on November 24, 2023. Retrieved November 24, 2023.
  19. ^ "Huda F Are You?". School Library Journal. Archived from the original on 2023-11-24. Retrieved 2023-11-24.
  20. ^ Quealy-Gainer, Kate (2021). "Huda F Are You? by Huda Fahmy". Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books. 75 (2): 55–56. doi:10.1353/bcc.2021.0519. ISSN 1558-6766.
  21. ^ Habal, Sidra (May 2022). Muslim Young Adult Graphic Novels : Destabilizing Perceptions (Master of Arts thesis). Montclair State University. Archived from the original on 2023-10-31. Retrieved 2023-11-25.
  22. ^ Hunter, Sarah (October 20, 2023). "Huda F Cares?". Booklist. Retrieved November 24, 2023.
  23. ^ "Huda F Cares?". Kirkus Reviews. July 26, 2023. Archived from the original on November 24, 2023. Retrieved November 24, 2023.
  24. ^ Carla. "Huda F Cares". School Library Journal. Archived from the original on 2023-11-24. Retrieved 2023-11-24.
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