Nausheen Ahmed

Nausheen Ahmed is a children’s author, journalist, reporter, editor, and storyteller based in Dubai. Her books and articles in traditional media have been published and widely read all around the Middle East, India and Pakistan. Her books and articles have attracted a large readership and were enormously popular, receiving hundreds of letters of appreciation for her novels “Samanzaar” and “Taran”. She focuses on writing fiction for children and young adults, set in the context of a traditional background of a small town. Nausheen’s work is mainly inspired by the culture of the United Arab Emirates, its positive Islamic values and its heritage, which the writer has a deep affinity to and connection with. Nausheen feels strongly that the UAE’s history needs to be taught and narrated to its future generations to give them a sense of pride and belonging.“It is only when people have deep roots do they flourish into a flowering, fruitful nation.” She blends her passion for children’s education with her love for writing about Islamic heritage and values — to enlighten English readers about the UAE's rich culture. Moreover, Nausheen aims to nurture the next generation's attachment to their culture by demonstrating how, by holding on to good Islamic values and leveraging education, we can become one of the most modern, balanced and advanced nations. By writing about the UAE’s art, culture and heritage in the English language, Nausheen feels that young readers will learn to appreciate and honour it as much as she does. When she first started writing stories, at just 13 years of age, she would narrate them to her siblings. Having earned a Masters degree in Journalism and a Bachelors degree in Mass Communication from the United States, Nausheen has been a prolific storyteller and writer over the past 25 years, appealing to various age groups. She has recently signed on to work with Austin Macauley Publishers on a series of historical fiction adventure books for children called “The children of Arabia’s past”, broadly showcasing the lives of children in olden days when the UAE was newly forming into a nation.