Muslim Canadian novelists, stand-up comedians, musical groups, social media influencers, and photographers participated in this year's Reviving the Islamic Spirit Conference in Toronto, Ontario.
Djamila Ibrahim will be discussing her debut collection of short stories, "Things Are Good Now", in conversation with CBC Ottawa's Adrian Harewood on Thursday, November 15th. Purchase tickets online here.
As the Asian American film "Crazy Rich Asians" continues to bring in the bucks at the box office, Hollywood execs are now searching for the next great racially diverse romantic comedy.
Pascal Pictures, founded by Amy Pascal, has just optioned "Ayesha at Last", a modern Muslim Canadian retelling of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice published by Harper Collins Canada.
Toronto-based author Uzma Jalaluddin will be in Ottawa on Wednesday, July 11 at Octopus Books.
Oromo-Somali Canadian Spoken Word artist and former Edmonton Youth Poet Laureate, Nasra Adem, 23, will be in Ottawa on Monday, April 30 at 7pm as part of the Youth Speak Ottawa showcase in partnership with the Ottawa Public Library.
Muslim Link interviewed the poet, writer and arts educator about her work and the challenges of writing authentically as a Muslim woman in Canada today.
Mona Ismaeil is the owner of Modern Hejab, an online hijab store, and blogs at My Modern Hijab. She is also the director of External Affairs for the Alberta Muslim Public Affairs Council (AMPAC) in Edmonton, Alberta.
Muslim Link interviewed Mona about her experiences being a blogger focused on life as a woman who wears hijab.
Somali Canadian Rowda Mohamud won the inaugural Ross and Davis Mitchell Prize for Faith and Writing on October 31st, as part of the Faith in 150 initiative, for her collection of poetry reflecting on her experiences of faith in Islam, racism, Islamophobia, and identity as a Muslim woman in Canada. The prize is ten thousand dollars.
Gord Downie, the lead singer of the Canadian band The Tragically Hip, passed away on October 17, 2017 due to cancer. The Tragically Hip are one of the most beloved music groups in Canada's history. Gord Downie sang and wrote most of The Hip's songs. Through tears Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke about Gord Downie by stating: “Gord was my friend, but Gord was everyone’s friend. He knew, as great as [Canadians] were, we needed to be better than we are. Our buddy Gord, who loved this country with everything he had, and not just loved it in a nebulous ‘oh, I love Canada way,’ he loved every hidden corner, every story, every aspect of this country that he celebrated his whole life.”
Somali Canadian writer Rowda Mohamud shared the following reflection on the impact a lyric from The Tragically Hip's song Bobcaygeon, written by Gord Downie, had on her as a newcomer to Canada, after having arrived as a refugee with her family in the 1990s. The song is named after the town of Bobcaygeon, Ontario in the Kawartha Lakes region.
On Saturday, October 21, folks in Toronto had an opportunity to hear from some emerging artists from Canada’s vibrant Black Muslim community. The Stars Within Us: A Black Muslimah Poetry & Theatre Showcase will debut original works developed in the Stellar (R)evolution (cycle 1) workshop series, a SPARK Cultural Hotspot program created and facilitated by Timaj Garad in partnership with the City of Toronto, also supported by I-Insight and the Children's Peace Theatre.
Muslim Link interviewed Spoken word poet Timaj Garad and two workshop participants, Shukria D. and Hafsa Ali, who performed on Saturday, about why it is important to create spaces for young Black Muslim Canadian women to share their stories through art.