| Samina Ali | |
| Birth Place: | Hyderabad, India |
| Occupation: | Writer |
| Language: | English |
| Nationality: | American |
| Alma Mater: | University of Minnesota University of Oregon |
| Genre: | Fiction |
| Subjects: | --> |
| Notablework: | Madras on Rainy Days[1] |
| Spouses: | --> |
| Partners: | --> |
| Awards: | 2015 Prix du Premier Roman Etranger Award |
Samina Ali is an American author and activist born in India.[2] Her debut novel, Madras on Rainy Days, won the Prix du Premier Roman Etranger award from France and was a finalist for the PEN/Hemingway Award in Fiction.[3]
She has served as the curator of Muslima: Muslim Women’s Art and Voices, a global, virtual exhibition for the International Museum of Women (IMOW), now part of Global Fund for Women.[4]
She is the co-founder of American Muslim feminist organization Daughters of Hajar.[5] [6]
In 2017, she held a public intervention titled What does the Quran really say about a Muslim woman's hijab? at the Tedx of the University of Nevada, explaining the prurient basis of the hijab and the prohibition of the wearing of a bra by Muslim women. By 2020, the video had been viewed more than 8 million times.[7]
She is a blogger for HuffPost and The Daily Beast.[8] [9]
In 2004, Samina received the Rona Jaffe Foundation Writers' Award in fiction.[10] One year later, Madras on Rainy Days was awarded the Prix du Premier Roman Etranger award in 2005,[11] and was a finalist for the PEN/Hemingway Award in fiction.
In July 2004, Madras on Rainy Days was chosen as a best debut novel of the year by Poets & Writers magazine, and she was featured on the cover in July/August 2004 issue.[12]