Adiba Jaigirdar

Adiba Jaigirdar is a Bangladeshi-Irish writer. Her debut novel, The Henna Wars, is listed as one of Time magazine's 100 Best YA Books of All Time, alongside novels such as Little Women, Lord of the Flies, and The Catcher in the Rye.[1]

Adiba Jaigirdar
Born
Dhaka, Bangladesh
NationalityBangladeshi-Irish
Alma mater
OccupationWriter
Notable workThe Henna Wars

Personal life

Jaigirdar was born in Dhaka, Bangladesh,[2] then alternated between living in Saudi Arabia and Bangladesh as a child.[3] At age ten, she and her family immigrated to Tullamore, Ireland;[3] she has lived in the Dublin region ever since.[2]

Throughout much of her life, she has been in situation where she is among only a few people of color, an experience that has shaped her writing.[3]

Jaigirdar identifies as a queer Muslim woman of color.[4][5][6] Like characters from her novel Hani and Ishu's Guide to Fake Dating, Jaigirdar "has been told that parts of her identity cancel out others and couldn't exist in the same person."[7] Her writing is now inspired by her history and with hopes that young Muslim people of color can embrace their queer identities.[7][8]

Education

After immigrating to Ireland at age 10, Jaigirdar attended an all-girls Catholic school.[4] She has a Bachelor of Arts in English and History from the University of Kent, as well as a Master of Arts in Postcolonial Studies from University College Dublin.[2][4]

Career

Aside from writing young adult novels, Jaigirdar has been a writer for Book Riot.[9] She also teaches English as a foreign language to recent immigrants to Ireland.[4]

Jaigirdar has written about people like herself and stated, "My very existence is political, so the things that I write will also be seen as inherently political."[6] Like characters from her novel Hani and Ishu's Guide to Fake Dating, Jaigirdar "has been told that parts of her identity cancel out others and couldn't exist in the same person."[7] Her writing is now inspired by her history and with hopes that young people of color can embrace their queer identities.[7]

Selected texts

The Henna Wars (2020)
Main article: The Henna Wars

The Henna Wars was published May 12, 2020 in the United States and October 2021 in the United Kingdom. The book follows Nishat, a Bangladeshi teenager who comes out as a lesbian while in high school.

The novel deals with a number of themes, including racism, homophobia,[10] Islamophobia, and coming-of-age. The intersection between Nishat's cultural identity and her sexual identity is a central theme of the novel. Lana Barnes of Shelf Awareness described Nishat's struggle as "the dichotomy of wanting to break from the constraints of tradition while still maintaining strong ties to culture and beliefs."[11]

The Henna Wars has received generally positive reviews, including starred reviews from Kirkus Reviews and Shelf Awareness.[12][11] Time included The Henna Wars on their list of the 100 Best Young Adult Books of All Time, alongside novels such as Little Women, Lord of the Flies, and The Catcher in the Rye.[1] It was listed as one of the best young adult books of 2020 and 2021 by Teen Vogue, American Library Association, The Irish Times, Autostraddle and NPR.[13][14][15][16][17]

Publications

Anthology contributions
  • 200 CCS: Year One (2017)
  • Momentum (2018)
  • Keep Faith (2019)
  • Allies: Real Talk About Showing Up, Screwing Up, And Trying Again, edited by Dana Alison Levy (2021)

References
  1. "The 100 Best YA Books of All Time". Time. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
  2. "Media Kit". Adiba Jaigirdar. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
  3. Narang, Nimarta (30 June 2020). "Author Interview: Adiba Jaigirdar of 'The Henna Wars'". Brown Girl Magazine. Archived from the original on 30 January 2022. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
  4. Simeon, Laura (25 May 2020). "Writing To See Herself Reflected in a Book". Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
  5. Ahmed, Natalia (22 May 2021). "Adiba Jaigidar's newest novel made me re-think my past". The Tempest. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
  6. Als, Amal (26 June 2020). "Navigating queerness & tradition in YA fiction with Adiba Jaigirdar, author of "The Henna Wars"". The Tempest. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
  7. Khan, Mariam (16 June 2021). "'I didn't know Asian people could be queer - I hope my book helps other Muslims'". Metro. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
  8. Bussel, Rachel Kramer. "5 LGBTQ Authors On The Inspiration Behind Their Young Adult And Middle Grade Books". Forbes. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
  9. "Adiba Jaigirdar, Author at BOOK RIOT". BOOK RIOT. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
  10. "'The Henna Wars' Is on Time's List of the 100 Best YA Books". Time. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
  11. Barnes, Lana (26 May 2020). "The Henna Wars". Shelf Awareness. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
  12. "The Henna Wars". Kirkus Reviews. 9 February 2020. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
  13. Paxson, Caitlyn (30 June 2020). "Mermaids, Werewolves And Witches: Welcome Summer With These 6 New YA Novels". NPR. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
  14. NGILBERT (14 January 2021). "2021 Best Fiction for Young Adults". Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA). Retrieved 30 January 2022.
  15. Hennessy, Claire. "Young adult fiction: Picks for February". The Irish Times. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
  16. "67 of the Best Queer Books of 2020". Autostraddle. 11 December 2020. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
  17. Clarendon, Dan (9 June 2020). "20 LGBTQ+ Books for Teens Coming Out in 2020". Teen Vogue. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
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