Kaatiba | كاتبة : writer, author (f. declension)

First there was the pen...

...and then there was a woman who daydreamed her way through life, read like a dragon hoarding gold, and won't stop trying to capture the worlds in her head - no matter how elusive they prove to be.

Hello! I'm Sumayyah! I'm a Muslim writer of fiction who occasionally dabbles in poetry. I'm based in Canada and I'm the co-founder of Sakina Literary Society. 

Latest Post

Jane Austen - The Secret Radical: A Book Review

This was an interesting read. I picked it up on the recommendation of a Pride & Prejudice fanfic (specifically, the author's footnote). I found the structure interesting. The 'truthful fiction' of starting each chapter with an imagined perspective of Jane Austen herself, the chapters themselves being tied to each of Austen's books, the footnotes (I love a good footnote). I liked the historical context that Kelly provided for Austen's works, the unravelling of potential symbolism and metaphor. 

Books

currently in progress

The Storyteller, The Djinn, and The Prince

A Muslim-themed fantasy inspired by One Thousand and One Nights, featuring a kidnapped prince, djinn, and a revenge plot decades in the making. 

Oracle

A very loose retelling of Alice in Wonderland and its sequel, featuring an oracle who isn't, an assassin who won't kill her mark, a usurper queen who was once a hero, and much betrayal.  

Rivener

A post-apocalyptic fantasy featuring a woman with a destructive power, an enslaved wolf shifter, and their run for freedom from the hunters who hound them. ​

Short Stories

completed

The Queen, the Lion, & the Rings

Once a king or queen of Narnia, always a king or queen of Narnia. 
​Or, Susan Pevensie's story, continued.​

A Net of Stars, Woven

A flash fiction collection featuring various figures of Greek and Roman mythology, both mortals and immortals alike.​

The Peacock, The Crown, & The River

A fable about how the peacock earned his beautiful colours.

October Odds

A flash fiction collection built on prompts provided the Fictober 2019 writer's event, all featuring a dash of oddness.