Rethinking Muslim narratives
Stereotypes reinforced or contested in recent genre fiction
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 2179690 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Claire Chambers (0000-0001-8996-4129), Sairish Hussain (0009-0005-0060-9160) |
| Year | 2023 |
| Volume | 59 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 284-299 |
| Publication date | 2023-05-04 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Postcolonial Writing (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1744-9855 • E-ISSN: 1744-9863 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/17449855.2023.2209907 |
| OpenAlex | W4379230671 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 2 |
| References cited | 18 |
This article discusses the challenges British Muslim writers and publishers face in a largely secular literary marketplace and a society marked by Islamophobia. It explores these authors’ publication experiences, analysing examples from industry diversity initiatives and from conducting interviews with authors. Arguing that distorted representations strip Muslims of their complex humanity, while more nuanced portrayals can humanize them without resorting to stereotypes, we analyse the thrillers East of Hounslow (2017) by Khurrum Rahman and Take it Back (2019) by Kia Abdullah. The article provides unique insights into the publication tactics of Muslim-heritage writers while also demonstrating genre fiction’s potential as a powerful tool for promoting inclusive narratives and challenging stereotypes. It concludes that genre fiction’s popularity and accessibility can help expand readership beyond literary circles and provide a wider audience for diverse storytelling that might otherwise go unheard in mainstream publishing, thus contributing over time to a more inclusive literary landscape
Aesthetics · Art · Audience measurement · Diversity (politics · Face (sociological concept · Humanity · Literature · Mainstream · Media studies · Narrative · Political science · Popularity · Publishing · Social science · Sociology · Storytelling · Anthropology · Gender, Feminism, and Media · Islamic Studies and History · Postcolonial and Cultural Literary Studies · History · Law
Postcolonial Writers in the Global Literary Marketplace
Uses of Literature
The field of cultural production
Britain Through Muslim Eyes
Muslims in Britain
Framing Muslims
The Logic of Practice
Renegotiating romantic genres
Distinction. A Social Critique of the Judgement of Taste
Grooming and the 'Asian sex gang predator
| Citations per year | 2 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2025 - 2026 (2) |
| Highly cited | No |