Malaka Gharib wins an Arab American Book Award

‘I Was Their American Dream: A Graphic Memoir’ took home the award in the Children/Young Adult category.

Malaka Gharib‘s I Was Their American Dream: A Graphic Memoir has been awarded an Arab American Book Award, in the Children/Young Adult category.

“It’s tremendous that my experience as a Filipino Egyptian American is being recognized & lifted up by the Arab American community,” Gharib said on Twitter.

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Smash Pages Q&A: Malaka Gharib

The creator of ‘I Was Their American Dream’ discusses zine culture, being creative every day and more.

Malaka Gharib has been making comics and zines for years now, including The Runcible Spoon, a zine about food and fantasy she’s been making since 2010. Last year her first book I Was Their American Dream was released, looking at growing up as a Filipino-Egyptian in the United States and exploring questions of race, identity and belonging in different ways. 

Gharib has an active and entertaining Twitter and Instagram presence where she’s regularly making art, putting together things like a “5 minute zine” or other small projects. In her day job, Gharib is a writer and editor at NPR in Washington, D.C. She recently made an episode of the podcast Life Kit, about weaving art into your everyday life. We spoke recently about the book, zine culture and trying to make one creative thing a day.

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