Triumphant and uplifting - a queer Muslim memoir about forgiveness and freedom.

'Revolutionary' Mona Eltahawy * 'Exquisite, powerful and urgent' Stacey May Fowles * 'I fell in love with this book' Shani Mootoo

A memoir of hope, faith and love, Samra Habib's story starts with growing up as part of a threatened minority sect in Pakistan, and follows their arrival in Canada as a refugee, before escaping an arranged marriage at sixteen. When they realized they were queer, it was yet another way they felt like an outsider.

So begins a journey that takes them to the far reaches of the globe to uncover a truth that was within them all along. It shows how Muslims can embrace queer sexuality, and families can embrace change. A triumphant story of forgiveness and freedom, We Have Always Been Here is a rallying cry for anyone who has ever felt alone and a testament to the power of fearlessly inhabiting one's truest self.

About the Author
Samra Habib is a writer, photographer, and activist. As a journalist they've covered topics ranging from fashion trends and Muslim dating apps to the rise of Islamophobia in the US. Their writing has appeared in the New York Times, Guardian, and Advocate, their portraits have been exhibited at the V&A in London and their photo project, 'Just Me and Allah', has been featured in Nylon, i-D, Vanity Fair Italia, Vice, and Washington Post. They work with LGBTQ organizations internationally, raising awareness of issues that impact queer Muslims around the world. We Have Always Been Here is they're first book.

Reviews
To say I count, I exist, is revolutionary when you are denied complication. Habib has written the book she wished she had when she was young. It is a book we should all have had long ago * Mona Eltahawy, author of Headscarves and Hymens *
A beautiful telling of a life, of love, of the reclamation of power, of feeling truly seen, and of finding your way home. An exquisite, powerful, and urgent book * Stacey May Fowles, author of Infidelity *
I fell in love with this book . . . In prose as economical, crisp, clear, and truthful as poetry, Samra Habib offers a map of how we might learn to see and treasure one another and ourselves * Shani Mootoo, author of Cereus Blooms at Night *
Habib speaks for a community that has often been muted, but writes with a voice and style that is all her own * Rachel Giese, author of Boys *
A testament to the power of storytelling, self, and reclaiming our own narratives, We Have Always Been Here is a fantastic memoir. I felt as I turned each page as if I were walking beside Samra as she told me each step of the story. A commitment to testimony, to telling our own stories in our own ways, resonates at its core, as well as love - for people, for community, for self. * Nadine Aisha Jassat, author of Let Me Tell You This *
A fiercely intelligent memoir * NB Magazine *
Thoughtful and compassionate...deeply invested in a passion for life and the pursuit of personal * Diva Magazine *



Book Information
ISBN 9781529404869
Author Samra Habib
Format Paperback
Page Count 240
Imprint riverrun
Publisher Quercus Publishing
Weight(grams) 172g
Dimensions(mm) 196mm * 128mm * 6mm