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 Legal Officer:Deborah McNichol (serving in a non-voting, advisor capacity)
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
The Poetry anthology Many Poetic Voices, One Faith produced by IWA and published by MWP (Muslim Writers Publishing), was published and released in August 2009. Complimentary copies (one each) were sent to the contributing authors, illustrators, and other professionals who made this anthology possible.
The Islamic Fiction anthology Many Voices, One Faith II-Islamic Fiction Stories was published and released during the month of October 2009. Contributors’ complimentary copies were sent to those authors and artists that contribute to its completion.
For more information on both anthologies and directives on how to purchase, log onto the IWA website: www.islamicwritersalliance.net, or go directly to the publisher: www.muslimwrietrspublishing.com. You may also contact any of the IWA Board directors for information on purchasing.
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.
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
As of September 11, 2009, the IWA achieved non-profit status, and is now officially known as Islamic Writers Alliance, Inc.
Two of the first and foremost benefits of this status means that the IWA will be able to open a checking account in its name rather than having its funds in a private account of the name of any one of its members. It also means that the IWA will be able to have its own paypal account, enabling members and customers to take care of their financial dealings with the IWA directly online through the secure paypal system.
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.
Islamic Ink is the quarterly published online magazine showcasing both IWA talent as well as news and updates of the organization, available for subscription via the IWA website: www.islamicwritersalliance.net.
IWA Membership News & Accomplishments:
Sis Debora McNichol, IWA member & Legal Advisor to the IWA Board, has started editing what she expects to be a compelling, sweet, and important book by the time the editing is complete, insha Allah. The book is authored by a Muslimah immigrant. Debora has reviewed Linda Delgado's 1st draft resulting from the month-long participation in NaNoWriMo, with the working title Catch Me If You Can and is looking forward to seeing it in its final, published form, insha Allah. She has also written articles for her blogs and for the Crescent Times. The article in the Times is a small commentary on Major Nidal Hasan, who has been charged with the murder of thirteen people at Fort Hood. Finally, Debora congratulated new member Tarek Chamkhi on the birth of his new baby girl Imani!
Sr. Enith Morillo, IWA member, tells us of her blessed month: her article "Muslims Say 'No More'", on how Muslims are tackling domestic violence in Rhode Island, is featured in the prestigious Al-Jumuah Magazine, Vol. 21 Issue 12.
The newly launched and popular online publication AltMuslimah.com also published an article written by Sr. Enith entitled "Cult Mentality in Secret, Serial Polygynous Marriages". The article generated great commentary and dialogue.
Enith Morillo is a freelance writer. She can be reached via email at enithcm@gmail.com
Sis Fawzia Gilani,IWA member, spends a lot of the time praying really, really hard that Islamic school boards follow rules stipulated by the government so they do not adversely affect her, her child, her livelihood and her pocket. When she is not praying really hard about this matter, she has the following to share: concerning the publication of her stories:
Cinderella - An Islamic Talehas been accepted by Islamic Foundation for publication. Jihad Bin Taye and the Jar of Goldhas been accepted by Noordeen for publication. Eid Mubarak Meetah Sahibhas been accepted by Noordeen for publication. The Grave Trailhas been accepted by Islamic Book Service for publication. Baba Salaam and the Bag of Gold: IBS Salaam the Selfish Merchant: IBS
AdvanTech is interested in animating an Eid story.
Br. Irving Karchmar, IWA member, reports that an excerpt from his novel, Master of the Jinn, has been published in the IWA’s Islamic Fiction Anthology: Many Voices, One Faith II: Islamic Fiction Stories. The excerpt is entitled “The Judgment of God - A Sufi Tale”.
Also, discussions are under way to develop Master of the Jinn into a movie. It is still very early in the process, but inshallah, it will happen. More detail will follow when there are any.
Sis Saba Negash, IWA member, has recently completed the National Novel Writing Month with a 50,000+word children's novel. She looks forward to revising the novel and submitting it and finding a future home for it in a publishing house and hopefully in the hands of children everywhere.
Sr. Saba also contributed two stories in the recently published IWA Islamic Fiction Stories Anthology, Many Voices, One Faith II: Islamic Fiction Stories, titled "A Letter to Jeddah," and "Conflict".
Sr. Saba has recently updated and added content to her website, www.familyreads.weebly.com. It contains wonderful stories for children and parents to read and listen to together as well as resourceful links that parents and teachers may find useful. Check out her bookshelf for wonderful quiet reads or print out a coloring page to color with a special child at www.familyreads.weebly.com.
Sis Zabrina A. Bakar, IWA member and Marketing Officer, contributed Islamic motivational stories for her Life Storyteller Motivational columns at The CrescentTimes of Australia and Woman's Magazine of South Africa.
Sr. Zabraina gave a talk to an audience of Muslims and non-Muslims at an event in Sydney, titled “An Afternoon Tea with Sis Zabrina”, which was organized by Crescent Times Newspaper together with Brother Keysar Trad and Rissalah College. The event was very successful, as her books of the Life is an Open Secret series were sold out, and Sis Zabrina established many new contacts.
Wise Words Publishing appointed two new bookstores as its International Partner in Australia and Brunei Darussalam to carry the whole range of Life is an Open Secret series. They are Darussalam Australia in Sydney and Syarikat xx in Brunei. Readers now can purchase Life is an Open Secret series books at these bookstores.
Sr. Zabrina recorded her first chapter for her audio book Life is an Open Secret-Think About It. The audio book is schedule to be ready by first quarter of 2010.
Life is an Open Secret book series was featured together with other self-help books authored by leading motivational gurus at MPH Bookstores, one of the biggest bookstore chains in Malaysia.
Sr. Zabrina A. Bakar has been accepted and recognized as a Professional Member of 'Malaysian Association of Professional Speakers'.
Sr. Zabrina is working on her new website design and content scheduled to be ready by 12th December 2009.
Sr. Mehdad Maryam Sinclair, IWA member, announces the birth of her fifth grandchild, Salih. Congratulations, sis Maryam!
Her new CD, A Mercy to the Worlds, the Coming of Muhammad, may Allah bless him and give him peace, is out, alhamdulillah. A sample can be heard at www.nuralqasas.wordpress.com, and a digital download can be purchased from www.sunnipath.com/downloads/ This first run was produced in Jordan, with hopes of it getting into retail soon.
Sr. Maryam also reports that the texts for both books, Mercy to the Worlds and The Bowing of the Stars, are being seriously considered for publication by UK publishers.
At the request of the Jordanian Grand Mufti, a translator and narrator have been contracted for the Arabic version of A Mercy to the Worlds. A French translation is underway.
Sr. Linda D. Delgado (Widad), IWA member and Financial Officer wrote her monthly FOCUS article for the Crescent Times (Australia) publication, December 2009 issue titled: “Literacy – A Pathway From Poverty”.
Sr. Linda D. Delgado participated in the November 2009 Writers Month-Nano Project. During the first 20 days of November she wrote a 59,408 word manuscript titled, Catch Me If You Can- a serial killer-detective thriller. The manuscript is now in the rewrite and editing process and Linda expects to have the manuscript published mid 2010.
Linda D. Delgado, as publisher-owner of Muslim Writers Publishing (MWP) awarded three Islamic schools with free new books during November 2009. MWP has given free book awards to Islamic school libraries for the past six years to 16 Islamic schools.
Linda D. Delgado has begun work writing the 5th book in the Islamic Rose Books series. The title of the new book is Reunion. Linda expects to publish this new book during the first quarter of 2010.
Linda D. Delgado wrote a book review for a chidrens’ color illustrated book titled, Grandma Lives With Us, authored by Nazli Currin. The written review will be published in the December 2009 edition of the newspaper, Arizona Muslim Voice, of Phoenix, Arizona.
