Papatia Feauxzar is fighting to amplify Muslim voices and break stereotypes across literary genres.
By Julianna Morano
(DALLAS NEWS) Papatia Feauxzar was worried her son would grow up without any books about boys like him.
Her son is multiracial and, like his mother, from a Muslim background. Popular young adult novels like the Harry Potter series, no matter how enjoyable, aren’t reflective of their background.
Rather than making do with what was available, Feauxzar created her own publishing house. Djarabi Kitabs Publishing, which launched in 2013, supports and publishes Muslim authors in a range of genres, from children’s literature to cookbooks. “Djarabi” means love and is a common pet name in Mandinka, a West African language. “Kitab” means book in Arabic.
Feauxzar is carving out spaces for Muslim writers in an industry that hasn’t always been kind to them. Muslims have been subject to harmful stereotypes in the media, and many publishers aren’t open to stories that challenge that narrative.
Her projects to support Muslim authors have only grown since 2013. Last year, Feauxzar initiated a virtual festival celebrating the work of Muslim authors and creatives from all over the world.
“A crazy idea,” some called it, according to Feauxzar. But a successful one, as this summer the festival will be returning for a second run. Authors will participate in panels, workshops and readings. Feauxzar will then compile these prerecorded segments into a video that readers and writers can view starting July 17.
A storyteller at heart
Feauxzar is a storyteller herself. In fact, “Papatia Feauxzar” is a pen name; the author’s real name is only known to her family, friends and a trusted few in the publishing business. She’s written multiple books under the pseudonym, including romance novels.
She said she uses the pen name to avoid backlash against some of these books. Her romance novels deal openly with sexuality and intimacy in marriage, which is frowned upon by some members of Feauxzar’s community.