Narjis Sheikh is the founder and Executive Director of Muslim Literary Festival (MLF), a Toronto-based not-for-profit that connects Muslim writers with education, resources, and opportunities in the publishing and creative industries. A novelist-in-progress, her work often explores themes of identity, family, food, and chai. Always chai. Her writing has appeared in The Burgeon Zine in both 2023 and 2024. Narjis serves on the advisory board for BIPOC of Publishing in Canada and is deeply committed to building more inclusive literary spaces. Previously, she was Volunteer Coordinator at Halal Fest, one of the Bay Area’s major cultural festivals and Events & Curating Director at GAMA in San Francisco, where she organized art exhibits and large-scale community events. Stay up to date with MLF on Instagram @muslimliteraryfestival and connect with Narjis @narjiszahraa.