Interview with debut author Nada Shawish Dutka

We are so excited to host Nada Shawish Dutka on our blog today. We asked her about her debut picture book, Cookies and Crescent, which just released!  It is illustrated by Zelma Firdauzia and published by Abrams Kids 

KLiC: What are your favorite illustrations in Cookies and Crescents?

NSD: This is my favorite spread in Cookies and Crescents: Reem and Sara are sitting on the lawn of Reem’s new home. The reader is behind them, and the two characters and the reader pause to look up and see the bright new moon for the first time together. For me, the illustration captures seeing something as new again, as though seeing it for the first time. I love the idea that after the hustle-and-bustle of a city, a big move, and big emotions about big changes, a new perspective can culminate in a quiet moment like this one. Zelma Firdauzia illustrated this scene so, so beautifully.

KLiC: Do you have any tips for pre-published authors?

NSD: Authorship is scary! Book-making is a long process, you have to put yourself out there after a lot of laboring and iterating over your writing, and people will judge you and your book. Three best tips I got when I started:
1. Work on your craft;
2. Do your research (and read a lot);
3. Don’t be afraid. Give yourself the knowledge, safe space, and permission to write because no one else is going to give that to you. That’s the first hardest part.

KLiC: Is there anything you want readers to know about you or about Cookies and Crescents?

NSD: It’s amazing we’re seeing so many books on Muslim holidays and with Arab representation among other community representations, and many great books are doing the important job of educating curious readers about marginalized communities or are focused on being collective identity-proud. As many of my peers have said, there were virtually no books like them in English when I was a kid. They are absolutely needed and beloved. Now, I also want more books to try to push or widen the box that marginalized authors are sometimes put in, and I’m trying to challenge myself to write those kinds of books, or take on projects that can open more doors for other authors.

A daughter of immigrants to the United States, Nada now leads digital marketing for brands. Previously, Nada worked in nonprofit advertising and traveled to report on internal development and humanitarian conditions of refugees and underserved communities. Nada is writing about growing up, influenced by her Palestinian heritage. She has a Master’s Degree in English Language and Literature from Michigan State University and lives in Northern Virginia with her family where she loves to cook, travel, and do anything outdoors. 

Find her on social media:  

Instagram: @nadawritesbooks
​Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/nadawrites.bsky.social 

For more information or to order Cookies and Crescents, click here: 
https://store.abramsbooks.com/products/cookies-and-crescents