I always wondered what it would be like to use a notebook that depicts your Muslim identity.
So I designed series of three dua-inspired notebooks. The first of the three designs is LIVE now on my Etsy Shop.
I named it Constellation and the dua at the back is "Call Upon me and I shall respond d to you"
Quran 40:60
Jamal Rafat
My debut Book:
It's past midnight somewhere
The book is about revisiting pain, reclaiming heritage and finding bliss in solitude. Four themes in the book take you through where I have been, where I come from, where I am now and where I am going. You’re taken on an emotional journey that’s both fantastical and relatable. I wrote it because I had so much to say. I wrote it because I wanted to create a community of like-minded souls that came to words for healing.
A Book review, Hayati Magazine
Nov 2020
"Her poems have vivid imagery and sensory which takes the reader on a journey through midnight, where all things happen especially for the writer or poet whose head is bustling with ideas, begging to be expressed in the form of the written word. It is the poet’s personal memoir, from where she has been to where she is now and where she is going. The reader can relate. It is a blooming self-discovery and it inspires us to contemplate exactly that! I, too, began pondering upon the questions: Where was I, where am I, where am I going?"
Praise for Jamal's work
Deep. Strong. Poignant.
Author of seven poetry collections
"I love the imagery of nature and love. There is a beautiful awareness of cultural identity and faith. I can feel the pain and pride behind the poems."
Maxwell Olaleye, Nigeria
Copy Writer
"I commend the great work and energy Jamal has put into putting this piece together. Being able to put the yearnings of your heart and ramblings in your heads on paper to inspire the world is a gift that should be celebrated."
Creator of Little Mosque on the Prairie, a hit CBC sitcom and the author of Laughing All the Way to the Mosque.
“I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not into poetry but when I started reading Jamal’s inaugural collection I was hooked! Each poem is like a tiny, precious jewel. You're taken on an emotional journey that’s both fantastical and relatable.”