About
Humera Malik is an award-winning and best-selling children’s author and elementary school teacher. A British-American Muslim of South Asian descent, Humera loves coffee, reading, travel, and jogging — in that order! She currently resides in Arlington, Virginia with her husband and three children.
Meet Humera
- Roots
“My story begins in Nairobi, Kenya and Sialkot, Pakistan, the birthplaces of my mum and dad, respectively.
An Indian emigrant to east Africa, my Nana (maternal grandfather) worked for the British Crown in Tanzania (then “Tanganyika”) and Kenya, as my Nani tended to their 11 children (!) in a typically large yet tight-knit family. After Kenyan independence, my grandparents — with my then 5-year-old mum and her siblings in tow — emigrated to England, settling in Gillingham, Kent.
Dad was just 23 when he came to England, starting out with Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), then trying out various fields before settling on interpretation for the government. (But my favourite was easily his time as a proprietor of a Kentucky Fried Chicken in Derby!) My parents married young, building a life for their family in Manchester through hard work and perseverance.
- Growing up
There weren’t always many children who looked like me in school. I was welcomed by some but mostly felt like an outsider. At times, we had very little, but we were content. My mum and eldest sister taught school, so after graduating with a degree in Language, Literacy, and Communication from the University of Manchester, I followed suit.
A year into teaching, I met Naveed, who at the time was studying at Harvard University. (His aunt and my mum were friends from the masjid and introduced our families.) A year later, we were married and I moved to Washington, DC, where Naveed had just started his career in public service.
After a magical year in DC, we moved to Kuwait — Naveed’s first posting as a career diplomat — where I taught grade 2 at a British school. Since then, we have lived in India, Jordan, and are now back in the U.S. for a spell.
- My writing journey
After having our first child, I moved from the classroom to writing, beginning with articles and self-publishing children’s books that I thought my own kids would like to read. These were books about Islam, being Muslim in the west, and mindfulness.
I’ve since found my groove, telling stories that feature characters of South Asian descent but which are relatable to all children. I hope that, in learning about a different culture, all kids become more accepting of others; and by seeing my characters overcome their struggles, that young readers learn to be more self-accepting too.
Wherever I happen to be, I’m always “in the lab,” cup of coffee in hand, either drafting new stories or editing those in the pipeline. Having benefited from generous mentors in the kidlit community, I decided to pay it forward by founding SASS–the South Asian Scribe Squad. I’ve partnered with eight awesome writers to mentor aspiring authors — connect with us at @SAScribeSquad!
Most of all, thank you for your support and happy reading!
Some of my favourites…
- Food: Sabat Masr lentils with rice
- Drink: Spanish latte
- Outdoor activity: Jogging, hiking (tie)
- Hobby: Travel!
- Movie: Downton Abbey, Kuch kuch hota hai
- City (to visit): Queenstown, New Zealand
- Children’s book (currently!): Thirst and Under the Moon
- Place to write: My neighbourhood cafe