Zoulfa Katouh (born March 29, 1994) is a Canadian author of young adult fiction. Her debut novel, As Long As The Lemon Trees Grow, was published in 2022.[1]

Life and career

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Katouh was born on March 29, 1994, in Calgary, Canada, but was raised between Dubai and Switzerland, where she has completed her master's degree in drug sciences.[2] She is of Syrian descent.

Her debut novel, As Long As The Lemon Trees Grow, was the first book by a Syrian author to be published by Bloomsbury Publishing and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. She began writing it in 2017.[3] It was published in September 2022 in both the United States and the United Kingdom.[4] It was a finalist for the 2023 Governor General's Awards, an annual Canadian collection of recognition of distinction in various fields. She is the winner of the Amy Mathers Teen Book Award 2023 [5] and was nominated for the Carnegie Medal (literary award), Yoto Carnegie Medal for Writing 2024.[6] Her debut novel has been translated into twenty-three languages.

Personal Life

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She is a fan of BTS, Taylor Swift, Hayao Miyazaki, and Cinnabon.

References

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  1. ^ "'Hopefully, my book can reach someone who can help the people who have been displaced from their homes in Syria'". Middle East Monitor. September 16, 2022.
  2. ^ Hassanein, Deana; Osman, Nadda (2022-09-30). "As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow: Syrian author Zoulfa Katouh on survivor's guilt and hope". Middle East Monitor. Retrieved 2024-03-07.
  3. ^ Eyre, Charlotte (2022-06-20). "Zoulfa Katouh| 'I really wanted to show Muslims who don't reject their religion'". The Bookseller. Retrieved 2024-03-08.
  4. ^ Ulatowski, Rachel (2022-09-13). "Interview: Zoulfa Katouh Talks Revolution & Muslim Representation in 'As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow'". The Mary Sue. Retrieved 2024-03-08.
  5. ^ "Amy Mathers Award: Past Winners and Finalists". Canadian Children's Book Centre. Retrieved April 17, 2023.
  6. ^ "Writing Nominated Titles 2024". Yoto Carnegies. Retrieved April 17, 2023.