Bestselling young adult author tells why every child deserves to see themselves as a hero on the page

A Q&A with Jennifer Cloer

Author Samira Ahmed writes about what she calls the revolutionary girl in her bestselling novels about rebellion, courage and social change. I find her work so important because, as she puts it in this QA, “every child deserves to see themselves as a hero on the page.” We believe this can change culture, because young people grow up with an expanded view of themselves and a different narrative about the possibility of the world around them. Samira also talks to us about her latest book, This Book Won’t Burn, an important story at this moment when book bans continue across the United States. 

SCCMC: Your books feature strong, diverse characters. Could you discuss the importance of representation in literature, particularly for young readers?

Samira: The throughline of my work is the story of the revolutionary girl. I think young people are inspiring and brilliant and capable of so much more than they are often given credit for. I want to honor their stories and one of the best ways I can do that is by writing books that show the incredible and infinite diversity of who we are. Every child deserves to see themselves as a hero on the page and I hope that my work can help some young people see themselves while asking other readers to look at the world through the eyes of someone different than them. Stories build empathy. They connect us to each other.

Samira Ahmed

SCCMC: Your writing often deals with important social and political issues. How do you balance telling a compelling story while shedding light on these issues?

Samira: Honestly, the compelling story exists because the characters are dealing with social and political issues. My main characters are often put into nearly impossible situations because of sociopolitical pressures that are being placed upon them–whether it’s young people being silenced by censorship, individuals being attacked because of their faith or ethnic background, or teens who are challenging a harmful status quo. These very real circumstances are compelling because characters are put into positions where they need to find their courage, where they are finding their voices and their power as they grapple with forces outside of themselves. I love writing novels where characters are struggling with challenging questions–what is more riveting than that? 

SCCMC: Your latest novel, This Book Won’t Burn, is a timely and gripping social-suspense novel about book banning and activism. What inspired you to write this story?

Samira: This Book Won’t Burn was inspired by a question a teacher posed to me. About two and a half years ago, I met an English teacher who wanted to bring my novel, Internment, into her classroom at a small, rural high school with a mostly white student body. However, two colleagues in the school strongly objected to my novel being taught there–giving the reason that the school had no South Asian or Muslim students so there wasn’t a place for my book in the curriculum–an example of “soft” banning a book. The teacher who shared this with me was stunned by this pushback and was, honestly, scared. They were afraid of potential repercussions and even of being fired because they were a single parent and couldn’t afford to lose their job. But the teacher felt terrible about not fighting back, so she asked me what to do, “Samira, how can I be brave?” she said. That wrenching question stayed with me and became the basis of my novel. My main character, Noor, as well as others in the story, are confronted by this very question—how can I be brave?—when dealing with censorship and hate in their community. 

“Every child deserves to see themselves as a hero on the page and I hope that my work can help some young people see themselves while asking other readers to look at the world through the eyes of someone different than them. ”

SCCMC: How do you think literature can be a catalyst for social change?

Samira: I like to say that I write contemporary novels because I want to show the world as it is, to imagine the world as it could be. Art has always been a catalyst for social change because the role of the artist in society is to make plain the things we aren’t always aware of, to illuminate the things we cannot see or refuse to see. Literature makes plain the questions we need to address in our world–it makes them impossible to avoid and in that way, it compels us to act, to rectify, to find answers. 

SCCMC: How do you think the publishing industry has changed in terms of diversity and representation since the beginning of your career?

Samira: Unfortunately, it hasn’t changed as much or as quickly as I would’ve liked. Still, thanks to the work of organizations like We Need Diverse Books, we’ve seen more titles from BIPOC and LGBQT+ authors. We definitely have more work to do. I believe our shelves should reflect our world and we’re not there yet. One way readers can change this is by supporting books by authors from diverse backgrounds–and that can mean buying them, requesting them at libraries, and standing up for these titles when they are being challenged and banned in school districts and libraries across the country. 

SCCMC: What advice would you give to aspiring writers, especially those who want to tackle important social issues in their work?

Samira: Stick to it. Your work, your story is necessary. Publishing is a tough industry and writing can often feel lonely and, at times, it can feel easier to give up. Every published writer has felt that way at some point. And when you're tackling difficult or tough topics, it’s important to remember that you’re not teaching a lesson, you’re building a world and telling the story of a three dimensional, complex individual and the path forward for them, as for us, is rarely, if ever, straightforward.