Al-bint allati la tuhibbu ismaha (اَلْبِنْت الَّتِي لَا تُحِبُّ اسْمَهَا)

This is a heartwarming and imaginative tale perfect for young readers and adults alike. The story follows Sardunya (Geranium), a clever and imaginative young girl who absolutely hates her unusual name because her classmates tease her for it. To escape her frustrations, she dives headfirst into the world of books. One day, her life changes forever when she discovers a glowing, magical globe in the school library. This discovery plunges her into the Continent of Stories and Imagination, a fantastical realm that is slowly fading away because people are forgetting how to read. Alongside two eccentric companions from this magical world, Sardunya must embark on an unforgettable quest to save the continent—and, in the process, learn to embrace exactly who she is.

Author: Elif Shafak (أَلِيف شَافَاق)

She is an award-winning British-Turkish novelist. She is a bestselling author in many countries and her work has been translated into 55 languages. Her novel 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World was shortlisted for the Booker Prize and RSL Ondaatje Prize, while The Forty Rules of Love was chosen by the BBC among 100 novels that shaped our world. Shafak holds a PhD in political science and is an honorary fellow at St Anne’s College, Oxford University. She is a Fellow and a Vice President of the Royal Society of Literature. An advocate for women’s rights, LGBTQ+ rights, and freedom of expression, Shafak contributes to major publications around the world and was awarded the medal of Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres.