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 is expected to be published within the upcoming month.
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:
Sr. Shirley Gavin Anjum, IWA member and illustrator, has recently updated her website which showcases some samplings of her work as well as gives the visitor the chance to contact her directly.
Some of her work includes the illustrations for the comic strips published by Sis Widad, as well as Sis Widad’s activity book published in accompaniment to her Islamic Rose series, Grandma & HijabEz Activity Book, plus illustrations for a recently published poetry book The Beautiful Names by Saaleha Bhamjee.
In addition, she did the cover designs for the following books: The Gift by Zaipah Ibrahim, Silence by Jamilah Kolocotronis, The Size of a Mustard Seed by Umm Juwayriyah, Muslim Teens in Pitfalls and Pranks by Maryam Mahmoodian, The Beautiful Names by Saaleha Bhamjee, Sophia’s Journal: Time Warp 1857 by Najiyah Diana Helwani, Ripples by Jamila Kolocotronis, Saying Goodbye by Linda D. Delgado, and Star Writers by Amatullah Al-Marwani.
To learn more about her work or to see some of her beautiful and intriguing samples, or to simply have the chance to contact her, please take a look at her recently updated website: www.zatoon.com
Sr. Deborah McNichol,IWA member and most recently added Board member in the position of Legal Advisor, announces that she has just recently finished a major editing job.
For more about her preferred style of work and specialty of genre, please visit her website: www.sawalad.com.
Br. Irving Karchmar,author of Master of the Jinn: A Sufi Novel, is proud to announce that his poem “The Moon is Always Full” has been published in the recently released IWA Poetry Anthology Many Poetic Voices, One Faith.
He is also pleased to announce that this announcement itself comes a full six months after his cessation of smoking. We all pray that Allah will give him the strength to carry on, in his writing and in a non-smoking life.
For updates on developments of his novel’s worldwide distribution and translation into various languages, visit the website: www.masterofthejinn.com.
Sr. Jamilah Kolocotronis, author of the four-part Echoes series in addition to two other books, Innocent People and Islamic Jihad, announces that she has been engaged for a book-signing event at Morris Book Shop in Lexington, Kentucky on November 22, 2009.
Linda D. Delgado, (aka Sr. Widad) Financial Officer of the IWA and owner/operator of Muslim Writers Publishing, publisher of the IWA's recently released anthology, Many Poetic Voices, One Faith, wrote a promotional-marketing article about the new book. The article was mailed to 20 Muslim retailers announcing the release of this new book.
Sr. Widad also announces the recent publishing of her monthly FOCUS column in the October 2009 edition of Crescent Times of Australia, titled “Do I Live in Your Community?”
Quality Books That Reflect The Very Best Of Islam!
Publisher- www.MuslimWritersPublishing.com
Author - www.widad-lld.com
IWA Founder www.islamicwritersalliance.net
Blog: www.islamicfictionbooks.wordpress.com
Islamic Fiction Books at www.IslamicFictionBooks.com
Sr. Mehdad Maryam Sinclairannounces the recent publishing and release of her book A Trust of Treasures, as well as the final recording sessions for the CD A Mercy to the Worlds, the Coming of Mohammed.
Although her work is listed with Amazon, there has apparently been some mistakes and misinformation regarding availability of stock as well as pricing.
For some more correct information regarding this as well as an insight into more of her work, visit her website: www.nuralqasas.wordpress.com.
Sr. Balqees Mohammed, IWA Secretary, announces her recent joining of the team at Iqra in producing the Islamic Newspaper Iqra!. In the latest issue, she contributed some of the articles as well as re-writes, in addition to copy-editing. To view this latest edition, see http://issuu.com/iqranewspaper/docs/iqra-ramadan1430.
Some of her creative writing has been published in various anthologies: Between Love, Hope and Fear by An-Najm Publishers of UK, www.an-najmpublishers.co.uk; Many Poetic Voices, One Faith of the IWA published by Muslim Writers Publishing, www.muslimwriterspublishing.com; and Many Voices, One Faith II of the IWA published by Muslim Writers Publishing, www.muslimwriterspublishing.com.
IWA MEMBERSHIP UPDATE:
Members: 57, minus one deceased, 56 total
Associates: 38
Total: 94
Report Prepared and Submitted by:
Balqees Mohammed
IWA Secretary 2009-2010
October 15, 2009
