In advance of our upcoming group book launch, we’re running Q&As with our featured authors about their books, writing processes, and creative journeys.
Our last Q&A features Yasmin Hanif, author of the children’s book Abdullah’s Bear Needs a Name!, published by Floris Books.
What’s your book about, and what inspired you to write it?
Abdullah’s Bear Needs A Name! is about a boy called Abdullah who is gifted a teddy bear from his Abba (or dad). It’s a bear that has been passed down through the generations. His Abba encourages him to guess what the bear’s name is but Abdullah struggles to find the right name until one day he hears a very old story about his Dadaji (granddad) in Pakistan and is reminded of something very important.
During the pandemic, I started working with a local primary school called St. Albert’s in the west of Scotland. About 90% of the school’s pupils at that time were from an ethnic minority background but the pupils didn’t see themselves as the main character in books and didn’t use their own names in creating stories in class. Names, which were from their own culture, community, religion, or heritage.
I remember one of the teachers telling me that the children had been putting together a list of teddy bear names for a raffle and had chosen names like Jack, Alan and Sarah. Not one of those children had picked a name like their own such as Anum, Omar or Fauzia. The school responded by developing a project called ‘We Can Be Heroes’ where myself and two other writers worked with the pupils to help create collaborative stories where the children saw themselves in the books they read and were the heroes of their own stories.
What led you to publish your book with Floris?
I’m part of the Scottish BPOC Writers Network and they have a monthly newsletter which comes out with news, updates and opportunities. Through this I saw that they had developed a partnership with Floris which offered an opportunity for BPOC writers to submit to them. I attended the information session and Q&A and gained a better understanding of what Floris were looking for and then submitted.
I am so grateful to the Scottish BPOC Writers Network for providing opportunities such as these to BPOC writers and helping to remove barriers. Without the support of the Scottish BPOC Writers, it’s a very real likelihood that I still wouldn’t be a published author. The Network also provided another opportunity when I first started my writing career to be published in their anthology. This was the first time I was paid for my work and again not only did it give me that opportunity but gave me confidence that I was a ‘real writer’.
Can you walk us through the process of getting your book out into the world? The whole process from inception to publication took about 2 and a half to 3 years. Once the book was accepted, I worked with the editor to make sure every word was as perfect as it could be and felt right within the context of the story. My story was then paired up with the fabulous Canadian illustrator, Sophie Benmouyal. This part took a while as the publisher wanted to ensure that every aspect of Pakistani culture and heritage was authentic, so I was included in that process at length and was sense- checking everything as well as providing information and clarity. I’m very grateful to the publishers that they consulted me on it with such detail and care, and to Sophie who did such an outstanding job!
What were some of the unexpected struggles and triumphs you experienced in writing and publishing your book?
Again, I think getting my story in the right hands and overcoming the initial barriers many writers and especially BPOC writers face within the industry. Then it was the wait! I was so excited to tell everyone and share it with the world but the whole process can take years. My triumphs were having my book launched at Waterstones and sharing that with all my family and friends and seeing it on the shelves of bookstores. It was such a surreal moment. I also enjoyed leading a workshop at the Edinburgh International Book Festival this year and engaging with children and parents and seeing the fantastic response to the book. The organisers of the Festival did such a wonderful job. It was a great atmosphere and it was great to share that experience with other fellow writers.
What’s next for you, and what should we keep an eye out for?
At the moment, I’m sharing Abdullah’s Bear Needs A Name! with the world so you’ll see me at book festivals, visiting local bookshops and delivering workshops to schools as well as generally getting the word out. I’ll be attending the Wee Write Festival early next year so please keep an eye out for that on my socials and website!
I’ve recently written a poem for the Kelvingrove Writers Anthology alongside 19 very talented local writers and artists, which is being launched this Friday, so I’m very excited about that. All profits made on book sales will be donated to the Sameer Project. I’m also an attendee of Strathwrites, part of the Collaborative Cultures Programme at the University of Strathclyde with a view to contributing towards their anthology.
Yasmin Hanif is a writer, poet and educator. She has had several poems published including her first piece, ‘Daisy’s Mum’ by Cranachan Publishing in their Stay-at-Home anthology. She was shortlisted for the Kavya Arts Prize in 2023 for her story, which became her debut picture book, Abdullah’s Bear Needs A Name! (Floris, 2025). She was a writer in residence at a school, working to promote diversity and inclusion within children’s writing and publishing, which won the SAMEE Aspiring Writers Award and the Scottish Education Curriculum Innovation Award 2022. She has had 8 short stories published as part of the project.
Image credit: Hannah Rounding