Sing Me a Circle

by Samina Najmi

"All points on a circle are always the same distance from the center." These exquisite personal essays trace the orbit of author Samina Najmi as she reflects on events, people, and places that shape her vision of the world. Whether she finds herself in Pakistan, England, or the United States, she keeps her family and her love of stories firmly at the center of her life. As Najmi navigates the process of forging her identity as a professor and mother, her extended family inspires, haunts, and stirs her to action. Through sorrows and singing, questions and growth, she passes along a centering love of family and beauty to her children. And like the unsung writers in her family, Najmi seeks home in time and on the page.

359 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 1, 2025

About the author

Samina Najmi teaches multiethnic US literatures at California State University, Fresno. Her personal essays have appeared in over thirty literary journals, including World Literature Today. Her memoir-in-essays, Sing Me a Circle: Love, Loss, and a Home in Time, won the 2024 Aurora Polaris Award in creative nonfiction and will be published by Trio House Press on Oct 1, 2025. Daughter of multigenerational displacements, Samina grew up in London and Karachi before arriving in Boston for graduate school. She has lived in California's Central Valley since 2006 and watched with wonder her children, her students, and her citrus grow. For more on Sing Me a Circle and Samina's other publications, come visit https://saminanajmi.com