Daya Gala 2024

Saadia Faruqi is a Pakistani American author and interfaith activist. She writes the popular children’s early reader series Yasmin and other books for children, including chapter books, graphic novels, and picture books.

Her middle grade novels include A Place At The Table, A Thousand Questions (a South Asia Book Award Honor 2021) and Yusuf Azeem Is Not A Hero. Her first graphic novel Saving Sunshine was a Kirkus Best Book in 2023. She is a self taught “interfaith activist” who strongly believes that the path to peace in this world is to understand and accept other religions and ways of life as valid and valuable.

Saadia is editor-in-chief of Blue Minaret, a magazine for Muslim art, poetry and prose, and was featured in Oprah Magazine in 2017 as a woman making a difference in her community. Originally from Karachi, Pakistan, she now lives in Houston, TX with her husband and children.

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“As a storyteller, I believe that we can comfort each other through stories about our lives, our families and our cultures. I commend the work Daya does in the community, and want to be part of that process through my shared storytelling.”

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- Saadia Faruqi

Varsha Bajaj, a New York Times bestselling author, is acclaimed for her picture and middle grade books. Thirst, a NYT bestseller, featured on numerous state reading lists is
a Global Read Aloud book, while Abby Spencer Goes to Bollywood was shortlisted for the Cybils Award and is part of the Spirit of Texas Reading program.

Her other works include The Home Builders (a Dolly Parton Imagination Library selection) and This is Our Baby, Born Today (a Bank Street Best Book).

Varsha contributed to the creation and writing of books for the first South Asian American Girl doll, Kavi Sharma and has several upcoming picture books and a middle grade novel. Originally from Mumbai, India, Varsha now calls Houston, TX home and attributes her cultural transition to the United States, from exposure to reading and books.

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"As an ex-therapist, I understand
and support the need for culturally specific services. As a believer in the superpower of stories, I understand the need to be seen and heard. Daya’s work intersects both and is extremely important to women and families in the community.”

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 - Varsha Bajaj