Samina Ali

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Born
Hyderabad, India
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Member Since
January 2025


Samina’s debut novel, Madras on Rainy Days, was the winner of France’s prestigious Prix Premier Roman Étranger Award and a finalist for both the PEN/Hemingway Award in Fiction and the California Book Reviewers Award. Poets & Writers Magazine named it a Top Debut of the Year. In 2013, she curated the acclaimed global exhibition Muslima: Muslim Women’s Art & Voices, showcasing work by Muslim women artists, activists, and thought leaders around the world. Her Tedx talk has over 8 million views. Her upcoming memoir, Pieces You’ll Never Get Back, is a harrowing story about her unlikely survival after the birth of her son.


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Samina Ali What a great question! In Pieces You'll Never Get Back, I describe how neurologist after neurologist didn't believe I would live, much less recover li…moreWhat a great question! In Pieces You'll Never Get Back, I describe how neurologist after neurologist didn't believe I would live, much less recover like I did. People keep asking me the same question my neurologist asked me on my last follow-up appointment: how did you do it, how did you recover? I don't know if I'll ever really know ....(less)
Samina Ali I've been reading memoirs for several years as I write my own, Pieces You'll Never Get Back. I'm really curious now to read more fantasy, magic, and y…moreI've been reading memoirs for several years as I write my own, Pieces You'll Never Get Back. I'm really curious now to read more fantasy, magic, and young adult. I love how you can explore relevant issues in such a powerful way in this genre. If you have recommendations, please send them!(less)
Average rating: 3.7 · 1,507 ratings · 187 reviews · 9 distinct worksSimilar authors
Madras on Rainy Days

3.47 avg rating — 906 ratings — published 2004 — 18 editions
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Pieces You'll Never Get Bac...

4.13 avg rating — 337 ratings6 editions
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All the Women in My Family ...

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4.31 avg rating — 277 ratings — published 2018 — 3 editions
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Living Islam Out Loud: Amer...

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3.93 avg rating — 241 ratings — published 2005 — 4 editions
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Madras Bajo La Lluvia Puzzle

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Madras on Rainy Days

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Madras on rainy days.

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Start an Online Store in 7 ...

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Passive Income With Digital...

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More books by Samina Ali…

The Importance of Model Books

When I teach fiction writing in the Online Novel Certificate Program at Stanford University, I tell my students all the time to read books that are similar to the ones they are currently writing. If you're writing a romance, find other romance novels. Crime/detective story? Find other ones similar to your own. Our books don't live in isolation. Books are in conversation with one another.

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Published on February 01, 2025 15:38

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Quotes by Samina Ali  (?)
Quotes are added by the Goodreads community and are not verified by Goodreads. (Learn more)

“No matter where you are, keep your life simple - that is all I am saying. Remember, a rich man is not the one who has the most, but one who desires the least.”
Samina Ali, Madras on Rainy Days

“whatever is happening outside, Beta, your must not let it sink into your flesh. Do not punish your body for what it cannot control.”
Samina Ali, Madras on Rainy Days

“We each have our own beliefs. What is important is not to piush your beliefs onto others.”
Samina Ali

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