Nadia L. Hohn
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What I Had to Write after this Tragic Event

1/30/2023

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On January 29, we remember the victims of the #QuebecCitymosqueshooting.

Yesterday was the 6th anniversary of the #QuebecMosqueShooting.

My thoughts are with the families and community grieving at this time.

Below, I share my Instagram post from last year’s fifth anniversary.

At the time, in 2017, I was living in #AbuDhabi, #UnitedArabEmirates. The #UAE is a #Muslim country and 80% of its inhabitants are foreign nationals.

I am not Muslimah.

But, while there, I felt safe as both a #Black person and a #Christian. I felt safe to attend my #church weekly and visit others, meet with other #Christians to pray, and celebrate holidays. I experienced #MiddleEastern #hospitality with the dates and coffee in the entry ways of schools and hospitals.  I felt a sense of respect and freedom to practice my faith as a Christian, that I hadn't felt in Canada.  When I solo-travelled to Egypt, I saw links between the culture and things I read in the customs of Jesus and his contemporaries.  Malaika means angel in #Swahili and #Arabic.

I did a lot of writing while in the UAE— poetry, short stories, books. Ideas 💡 for a third #Malaika3 book began to percolate the year before and gelled as I looked out my window and saw an orange disk in the sky and flat desert and dusty air all around.

​When I heard about the #Quebecmosqueattack, I was devastated. I grieved for the families and #MuslimCanadians. Given that this tragedy happened in #QuebecCity where both #MalaikasWinterCarnival and #MalaikasSurprise are set, I wondered about how this event might have affected #Malaika and her family. How could it not. A mosque, like a church or any place of worship, should be a safe place.  

I imagined that some of the men killed may have been fathers.  I know that Malaika lost her biological father which I explore in Malaika, Carnival Queen.  I would imagine that she had something in common with the children who lost their fathers on January 29.

Early versions of Malaika’s Surprise included the attack along with other topics.  So big in scope for a #picturebook. I took it out and other topics to be addressed in #Malaika4 (2023). What stayed was Malayka M, a new #Somali Muslim friend for my main character who speaks #Arabic with her father.

You’ll notice the important roles of fathers in both Malaika’s Surprise and Malaika, Carnival Queen.  You'll also notice the friendship between two girls of different languages, cultures, and faiths.

The character of Malaika M. was inspired in part by Somali journalist, Hodan Nalayeh.  I met her shortly after my divorce.  She had been through one as well.  Feeling down, the sparkle she carried gave me hope that one day I would feel that way.  She even said, "We should talk" about it.  She made me feel that "everything be okay", which are the words that Malaika M. says to an anxious Malaika.

Thanks to my Beta readers and references— Rahma Rodaah,  Fartumo Kusow, SK Ali, and Rabia Khokar. The latter three were or are teachers. #MalaikasSurprise has been selected on best booklists and nominated for a @ontariolibraryassociation #BlueSpruceAward.

​#MalaikasSurprise has been selected on best booklists and nominated for a @ontariolibraryassociation #BlueSpruceAward.

There was so much that I wanted to say in this book that I had enough for two books. That second book 📚 became #MalaikaCarnivalQueen which comes out this May 2023.

May my books help readers to love one another and stand against hate.
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Nadia's Notables January 2023 Newsletter

1/27/2023

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In this issue…
  • ARCs for Malaika, Carnival Queen 
  • Black History Month (February)
  • ByBlacks Black Canadian new releases 

Letter from the editor
Happy new year!  I hope 2023 finds you happy, healthy, and rested.  I spent my holidays sleeping, spending time with friends, and catching up on great shows.I look forward to this new year.  At the top of my list is completing some writing projects so they’re ready for submission to my agent and eventually publication.  I also look forward to the release of two books this year, Malaika, Carnival Queen and The Antiracist Kitchen: 21 Stories (and recipes).

Best wishes,

Nadia L. Hohn

​
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ARCs for Malaika’s, Carnival Queen 

Selfie photoshoot time.

Stay tuned.

PRE-ORDER YOUR COPY TODAY 

On May 2, 2023, MALAIKA, CARNIVAL QUEEN will be in the world.

Illustrated by Irene Luxbacher, #MALAIKACARNIVALQUEEN is the fourth book in my #Malaikaseries and my eighth title.
Malaika learns about her father, who came to Canada as a migrant farm worker when she was a just a baby and who shared her love of carnival.  This book is dedicated to the memory of my two grandfathers.

#MalaikaCarnivalQueen will be released in May 2023.
For preorder and preview, check the links here: linktr.ee/nadialhohn 

Black History Month (February)
Each February, I have the pleasure of presenting to several schools, libraries, and events.  My school day presentations are almost full, but I have availability to present evenings and some Saturdays in Black History month.  I’m also scheduling presentations in March and May 2023.  If interested, please contact me for my 2022-2023 presentation package.

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ByBlacks Black Canadian new releases

TO GET YOUR 2023 NEW BOOK LISTED IN ONE OF MY MONTHLY @BYBLACKS ARTICLES,

Please send:
- your title
- author name(s)
- publisher's name
- release date
- genre
- weblink 

to nadialhohn.com/contact before the 1st of the month of your release date. 

Please include the name of your illustrator, if any. 

Self-published authors are welcome but please specify.

For books coming out in January and February 2023, please send me these titles ASAP.

@byblacks

Upcoming Events
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Articles and Podcasts 

“Celebrate Black Canadian Authors This Holiday Season with These 36 Books”, ByBlacks  December 2022

“If You Love Black Panther, Then You’ll Love These Books”, ByBlacks              November 2022

“The Hairy Truth” and “A Deeper Meaning”, Owl Magazine,                              November 2022

“Three Black Organizations Working to Get Us Reading,” byblacks,              October 2022

“Top 10 Summer Reads for Black Canadian Kids,” byblacks,     
August 2022

Travelling Across Canada’s Underground Railroad, Owl magazine (January/February 2022)

“Kojo’s Holiday”, Chickadee magazine (December 2021).

“How Harriet’s Daughter Helped Me Find My Way as a Black Canadian and a Writer for Young People”, Arc Poetry magazine (Arc 96 Islands of Influence Caribbean Canadian edition) (Fall 2021).

“Writer with a Capital W”, University of Waterloo podcast

“Writer Finds Resilience Stories Black Women and Girls”, University of Waterloo magazine (Spring 2021). 


Upcoming books
Patty Dreams (Owlkids), Spring 2025.

Journey to Grandma's House (Groundwood Books), Fall 2024.

The Antiracist Kitchen: 21 Stories (and Recipes) (Orca Books), Fall 2023.

Malaika, Carnival Queen (Groundwood Books), Spring 2023.

Published books
Kwanzaa section in Celebrate with me! Recipes, Crafts, and Holiday Fun from around the world (Magic Cat Publishing/Abrams Kids), 2022

Contributor to 100+ Voices for Miss Lou: Poetry, Tributes, Interviews, Essays anthology (UWI Press), 2021.

Louise Go A Country in 100+ Voices of Miss Lou: Poetry, Tributes, Interviews, Essays (UWI Press, 2022).

Interview in Contemporary Canadian Picture Books: A Critical Review for Educators, Librarians, Families, Researchers, & Writers by Beverley Brenna, Richard Dionne, and Theresa Tavares (Brill, 2021).

Malaika's Surprise (Groundwood Books), Spring 2021  https://houseofanansi.com/products/malaikas-surprise  French version available in 2022 by Éditions Scholastic, Malaika's Surprise Book Trailer

A Likkle Miss Lou: How Jamaican Poet Louise Bennett-Coverley Found Her Voice (Owlkids), Aug. 15, 2019 

Harriet Tubman: Freedom Fighter (Harper Collins), 2018 

Malaika's Winter Carnival (Groundwood Books), 2017 (available in French and English paperback http://scholastic.ca/editions/livres/view/le-carnaval-de-malaika)

Malaika's Costume (Groundwood Books www.groundwoodbooks.com), 2016 (available in French paperback www.scholastic.ca) 2021 TD Book Giveaway

Music in the Sankofa series (Rubicon Publishing), 2015 www.sankofacollection.com

Media in the Sankofa series (Rubicon Publishing), 2015 www.sankofacollection.com​



© Nadia L. Hohn, 2023
Toronto, ON, Canada

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2022 Highlights Reel

1/27/2023

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​My 2022 Highlight Reel 

It’s been quite a beautiful, challenging, and intense year. 

This song about sums it up. In spite of the challenges, the ups and downs, I made many dreams come true:

1) finishing my thesis novel manuscript (even though there were times my supervisor worried I wouldn’t finish)

2) completing my MFA (I’m so glad I decided to reapply for this long held dream)

3) My picture books are all available electronically and audibly

4) I visited my tenth province— Prince Edward Island— and returned to Nova Scotia after 20+ years.

5) I’m teaching elementary school music... finally.

Some challenges too.

But here’s what I learned from them:

1) Balance

2) Make time for the people you care about.

3) You can learn from your mistakes.

4) Work steadily but take breaks.

There were so many people pictured in this reel who helped make this year truly a blessing for me. And, I wish this reel was longer... there are so many people who helped make this an amazing year for me who aren’t in this video. Thank you to everyone.

(This is my fifth (or so) attempt at creating this video reel and I’m thankful it is finished.)

Song: Blessed by Jill Scott
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    Nadia L. Hohn

    Write or die chick.

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