IWA Secretary Monthly Report
August 2009
2009-2010 Board of Directors:
Director: S. E. Jihad Levine (Sister Safiyyah)
Assistant Director: Mahasin D. Shamsid-Deen
Secretary: Balqees Mohammed
Financial Officer: Linda D. Delgado (Sister Widad)
Marketing Officer: Zabrina bint Abu Bakar
Each of these elected positions of the Board of Directors is on a volunteer basis.
Work for Hire Positions –
Sister Umm Junayd bint Naeem is the Editor in Chief of Islamic Ink, IWA’s quarterly magazine, as well as Web-Admin for the IWA’s official website: www.islamicwritersalliance.net.
NEW Board Member:
Sister Debora McNichol was approved of by the IWA membership as well as the Board to fill the newly incorporated position of Legal Officer, serving on a volunteer basis, enacting as an advisor to the Board members on legal matters, with no voting privileges on Board issues.
Islamic Writers Alliance (IWA) Organizational News:
IWA Poetry & Fiction Anthologies:
Great strides have been made on the two anthologies: Many Poetic Voices, One Faith and Many Voices, One Faith II-Islamic Fiction Stories, during the month of August 2009.
The Poetry anthology, Many Poetic Voices, One Faith, was published as of August 22, 2009, and has been released for sale. To view the cover and opening page and more book details, log onto the IWA website www.islamicwritersalliance.net or go directly to the publisher www.muslimwriterspublishing.com.
For more information concerning purchases, log onto the IWA website: www.islamicwritersalliance.net, go directly to the publisher www.muwlimwriterspublishing.com or contact any of the Board members for directives.
For those outside of the USA or having an international shipping address, you will most likely need to make your orders via an international retailer. Listings should be available through Amazon as well as other various international booksellers/distributors.
Although books will not be sold or distributed on consignment, retailers are eligible for a 40% discount off list price (list price $8.95).
For those interested in advertising the books on your sites or blogs, contact Sr. Zabrina, IWA Marketing Officer, to attain the new IWA logo/banner and jpg with text for the anthology for addition to your site.
Orders from buyers and retailers can also be obtained and referred back to the IWA or MWP for sales.
IWA Catalog:
A comprehensive listing of all participating IWA members who have paid for advertisement for their inclusion, this catalog is an excellent additional marketing tool at a reasonably low price for all and any members interested in being included in future updates It is also an excellent and helpful marketing tool to have on hand when visiting bookstores, schools, educational professionals, or anyone else who you are interested in raising interest with for the presence and purpose of the IWA.
To view the catalog, log onto: www.islamicwritersalliance.net/projects/IWAcatalog2007/catalogmenu_index.html
Or simply log onto the website: www.islamicwritersalliance.net and then click on the link for the catalog.
For those interested in downloading a printable version, please contact the IWA Marketing Officer, Sr. Zabrina or the IWA Director, Sr. Safiyyah.
501C3 Non-Profit Status & Administrative Measures
The application fee was paid and sent by the Financial Officer, Sr. Widad, to the newly appropriated Legal Advisor, Sr. Deb, who then in turn sent application to the respective authorities for hopeful approval. With the latest move, the IWA as an organization is coming closer to achieving the goal of attaining official non-profit status. More news on this as it develops.
IWA Website
The IWA website has much to offer all in the form of information about the IWA present and past, as well as the various products and services available through this international group of professionals dedicated to producing and dispersing quality Islamic Literature.
IWA members and associates-do not miss out on this grand opportunity for yourselves in the form of some free and some very nominally priced advertising opportunities. For the members, there is free of charge the chance to publicize your talents via the Members’ Page venue. Attention Associates: this is a great incentive on its own to become a due-paying member. There is also the Bookstore, which is a listing of those published authors desiring this additional spotlight to showcase their work. In addition, there are pages to update you on the history and evolution of the IWA, as well as regular monthly updates concerning important news as well as updates to the members’ pages.
Do take a look, and return regularly to view the updates: www.islamicwritersalliance.net
IWA Membership News & Accomplishments:
Sr. Enith Morillo reports of having made the transition into the world of published writers during the month of August 2009. Two of her poems, “Towelead” and “Khula” are featured in the newly published IWA poetry anthology: Many Poetic Voices, One Faith, along with the works of many other talented, and well-known Muslim writers. www.islamicwritersalliance.net/projects/poeticvoicesanthology.html
In addition, The Message International magazine, June/July 2009 issue, published an article written by Sr. Enith, titled “Gaps in Academia: Rethinking Education in America”, based on a session by the same title from the ICNA-MAS Convention 2009 featuring Dr. Dalia Mogahed, among other renowned speakers. www.messageonline.org
Last but not least, Sr. Enith was named the Media Liaison for a newly formed program under the Rhode Island Council for Muslim Advancement (RICMA)- “Healthy Families Initiative”. She has been actively working on press releases, articles and the recent nomination (and victory) of the initiative’s founder to the Northern RI YWCA Women of Achievement Award 2009. www.ricma.org/hfi.htm
Sr. Linda D. Delgado,(aka Sr. Widad),owner-publisher of Muslim Writers Publishing at www.muslimwriterspublishing.com, just published and released the IWA anthology, Many Poetic Voices, One Faith, on August 22, 2009.
Linda D. Delgado wrote a Press Release for the IWA anthology, Many Poetic Voices, One Faith, which will in turn be sent to various press agencies and other related organizations for public notification of this new publishing event.
Linda D. Delgado wrote an article for her monthly FOCUS column, titled “What Are Your Children Reading?”, to be published in the September 2009 edition of the Crescent Times Newspaper of Australia.
Linda D. Delgado, owner-publisher of Muslim Writers Publishing at www.muslimwriterspublishing.com, sent the IWA anthology manuscript, Many Voices, One Faith II-Islamic Fiction Stories, to editing and the manuscript is scheduled to move forward into book design work September 15, 2009.
Sr. Widad also reports to us that as of the close of August 2009, the IWA Board of Directors, with the excellent assistance of the organization’s Legal Counsel, Debora McNichol, completed work on the IWA ByLaws and North Carolina Articles of Incorporation, and the IWA incorporation application was mailed. Incorporation is pending approval.
Sr. Camilla Sayf reports that she is proud to have some of her work included in the IWA’s poetry anthology, Many Poetic Voices, One Faith. Sr. Camilla also directs our attention to www.simplyhaiku.com, at which she now has an essay and haiku poetry published as of August 2009. She also now has a Haiga showcase at The Green Leaf gallery, http://thegreenleaf.co.uk/HP/Duets/01/CH.htm.
Br. Irving Karchmar, author of Master of the Jinn: A Sufi Novel, reports of the latest development of his work being translated into Bengali language. This contract was negotiated in August 2009, and is scheduled for completion sometime in 2010. Also, the German translation of Master of the Jinn, titled Meister der Jinn, will be one of the books displayed by the publisher at the Frankfort Book Fair.
http://www.masterofthejinn.com
Sr. Mehded Maryam Sinclairannounces the release of her illustrated book, A Trust of Treasures, from Kube Publishers, UK, illustrations by Angela Desira. A sampling of its contents:
“Here is a litany of praise and gratitude
to the Power of the One,
Who created the magnificent treasures of the earth and the skies and then,
like a hidden treasure waiting to be known,
created us,
who alone among all creatures can reflect,
and accept stewardship,
and bow down to Him in love and awe."
Her third CD, A Mercy to the Worlds, the Coming of Muhammad, may Allah bless him and give him peace, has received a glowing endorsement from the Grand Mufti of Jordan and will be produced within a month, inshaAllah. Watch out for it!
See Sr. Mehded Maryam Sinclair's Storytelling Pages at www.nuralqasas.wordpress.com. Come and visit, see and hear samples! New portal for audio and pdf story files under construction:
www.storiesoflight.com.
IWA MEMBERSHIP UPDATE:
Dues-paying Members: 57, 1 deceased = 56 total
Associates: 38
Total: 94
Report Prepared and Posted by:
Balqees Mohammed
IWA Secretary
September 15, 2009
