Marzieh Abbas | Marzieh A. Ali (She/Her)
Languages: English and Urdu
Raised between the bustling cities of Dubai, UAE and Karachi, Pakistan, Marzieh is a baker turned award-winning author. She loves adding magic to her creations- whether that’s a seven- layered rainbow cake or the books she writes for children all over the world.
Her debut picture book, A Dupatta Is…, released in 2023 from Feiwel & Friends, Macmillan.
Marzieh aims to spread positivity, a can-do attitude, and the joy of diversity through her stories. Her words draw heavily from her South Asian Muslim identity.
She loves teaching fellow creatives and has conducted several classes online for writers over the years.
Marzieh is a member of Julie Hedlund's 12x12 Picture Book Challenge and a graduate of the Lyrical Language Lab and Children’s Book Academy.
Marzieh dreams of owning a talking parrot someday. But, until then, she lives in Pakistan with her husband and children who inspire her every day. She is represented by Lynnette Novak at The Seymour Agency.
You can find Marzieh online at:
Marzieh’s strengths are…
Marzieh’s strengths are playing with structure to find the right vehicle to tell a story, character development, making a story relatable to kids, finding and honing the heart and voice of a manuscript, and using poetic devices to give a manuscript some oomph so it really stands out and evokes the emotions the writer is trying to convey in a reader.
What Marzieh is looking for…
Marzieh is looking for a mentee who is an avid reader, likes to play with the structure of their manuscripts, and devotes time to improving their craft in hopes of breaking into the picture book market.
She would love to work on stories with heart and lyrical language— anything dealing with an unusual topic and/or a fresh take on a familiar topic.
She hopes to take on a mentee who is also looking to perfect their query letter and take the plunge into querying.
A Note from Marzieh:
“If you want to be a good writer, you have to be an avid reader! I read at least 50 picture books a month, sometimes going back to make note of opening lines and lyricism that stood out to me. It’s a tip I picked up from the first picture book course I took. Sometimes sharing on social media and reviewing the books that spoke to me helps me keep track of all the wonderful books out there.”
Marzieh’s Picture Books
Marzieh writes in other markets, so to check out her full catalog please visit her website.
A DUPATTA IS…, written by Marzieh Abbas and illustrated by Anu Chouhan (April 2023, Feiwel and Freinds, Macmillan)
A RAMADAN TO REMEMBER, written by Marzieh Abbas and illustrated by Najwa Awaliff (January 2024, Soaring Kite Books)
Marzieh’s Upcoming Picture Books
YASMEEN LARI, GREEN ARCHITECT (HarperCollins, Clarion, 2024)
HENNA IS…(Macmillan, Feiwel & Friends, 2024)
AWE-SAMOSAS! (HarperCollins, Clarion, 2024)
BOOKS ON MY BACK (Macmillan Feiwel & Friends, 2024)
PICKLING TIME (Albert Whitman, 2025)
If Marzieh created a Visual Wish List, it would be made up of…
*Unless otherwise stated, the below serves as a wish list only. Each mentor is excited about the opportunity to find a manuscript they can’t stop thinking about. Please apply if you think you’d be a good fit.
MAMA SHAMSI AT THE BAZAAR, written by Mojdeh Hassani & Samira Iravani and illustrated by Maya Fidawi
BÁBO: A TALE OF ARMENIAN RUG-WASHING DAY, written by Astrid Kamalyan and illustrated by Anait Semirdzhyan
GRANDMA’S TINY HOUSE: A COUNTING STORY!, written by Janay Brown-Wood and illustrated by Priscilla Burris
EYES THAT KISS IN THE CORNERS, written by Joanna Ho and illustrated by Dung Ho
MASALA CHAI, FAST AND SLOW, written by Rajani LaRocca and illustrated by Neha Rawat
THE KATHA CHEST, written by Radhiah Chowdhury and illustrated by Lavanya Naidu
ENOUGH IS…, written by Jessica Whipple and illustrated by Nicole Wong
Marzieh is a good fit for…
Diverse voices (specifically BIPOC)
Nonfiction -Fiction (prose)
Lyrical
Multigenerational
Food
Family
Cultural celebrations
Joy
Marzieh is not a good fit for…
Exclusive rhymers
Who can apply to Marzieh? BIPOC, unagented authors only.
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