We are excited to announce this year’s Writer-in-Residence, young adult author Intisar Khanani! Intisar will be welcomed as Writer-in-Residence at a public transition event on Saturday, Feb. 7, from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Mariemont Branch.
The afternoon will also celebrate Mary Kay Carson, CHPL’s outgoing Writer-in-Residence. Mary Kay will give a reading of her new work, which was completed as part of her residency. Intisar will provide an overview of what customers can expect from her residency, including upcoming workshops and office hours.
Her YA series The Sunbolt Chronicles (Sunbolt, Memories of Ash, and Debts of Fire) and Dauntless Path (Thorn, The Theft of Sunlight, and A Darkness at the Door) both feature “mighty girls and diverse worlds.”
When asked about her tagline, Intisar says that she writes from a cross-section of diversity, including racial, cultural, mental/physical health, disabilities, and gender — or, in less words, a more holistic view of what the world looks like.
“I think it’s so vital that young people and people of all ages see the world in its complexity and beauty,” said Intisar, “because that’s the only way we humanize the people we live with. That’s really important in my writing. You’ll see that across my stories.”
A Darkness at the Door and Memories of Ashwere both Kirkus Review picks for Best Young Adult Fantasy Novels of the Year. Before becoming an author, Intisar worked with the Cincinnati Health Department writing grants and developing projects that addressed community health and infant mortality.
Intisar grew up as a nomad and world traveler. While she now resides in Cincinnati, she has lived in five different states as well as in Jeddah, on the coast of the Red Sea. Now, Intisar focuses on her time on her two passions: raising her family and writing fantasy.
Much of her work for her six books were written in CHPL locations, especially at the Deer Park and Blue Ash branches. In taking on the residency, Intisar hopes to give back to her own community through workshops, events, open office hours, and more.
“Stories are a part of how we understand the world,” said Intisar. “And I just can’t state enough how incredible it is to have this kind of a resource in our community in such an amazing system as CHPL.”
As part of her work as CHPL’s Writer-in-Residence, Intisar will have office hours and host workshops. For more details on those events, check back at chpl.org/writer.
Books by Your Writer-in-Residence
Books written by our Library Writers-in-Residence, past and present.
Charitable donations support the Writer-in-Residence program, including the generous contributions of Naomi Tucker Gerwin and The Library Foundation.
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