About Samia’s editorial and professional work:
Samia is an editor at First Second Books, a graphic novel publisher within Macmillan. She has a particular interest in Young Adult and Middle Grade fiction and nonfiction, contemporary, romance, drama, dramedy, or magical realism. Emotional themes, mental health, family, economic hardship and fish-out-of-water-stories, are the types of stories that she gravitates to. Some of her favorite books include Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me, Bloom, Heartstopper, Check, Please, Scott Pilgrim, Fullmetal Alchemist and Fruits Basket.
While editing is her day job, she has another life as an artist and writer, working on stories and maintaining a small business. Her goal is to use her experiences as a creator to support every author she works with, and to help others understand the graphic novel medium.
“To pay attention, this is our endless and proper work.”
Saving Sunshine
It's hard enough being a kid without being teased for a funny sounding name or wearing a hijab.
It's even harder when you're constantly fighting your sibling—and Zara and Zeeshan really can't stand each other. During a family trip to Florida, when the bickering, shoving, and insults reach new heights of chaos, their parents sentence them to the worst possible fate— each other’s company! But when the twins find an ailing turtle, it presents a rare opportunity for teamwork—if the two can put their differences aside at last.
From Saadia Faruqi and Shazleen Khan comes a relatable, funny, and heart-wrenchingly honest story of Muslim American siblings learning how to build each other up in a world that is too often unkind.
Titles Samia has worked on with other editors:
