Suad Kamardeen is a British-Nigerian Muslim writer, Head of Editorial at Amaliah, fiction editor at Rowayat, proofreader, photographer, engineering graduate and a Creative Writing Masters student at the University of Oxford. She is interested in documenting histories and cultures through storytelling.
Her young adult novel, Never Enough, won the SI Leeds Literary Prize 2022 and was also selected as runner-up for FAB Prize 2021. Her adult novel was shortlisted for the Stylist Prize for Feminist Fiction 2021, and in 2017, she co-authored a short story collection, Soulful Stories: of Hope, Love and Light. Her writing has also appeared in Bad Form Review and Sapelo Square.
In 2022, Suad launched a writing community, Qalb Writers Collective, to support Black and Muslim women writers and share the knowledge she’s gaining through her writing journey.
She also co-hosts two podcasts with friends: Bookversations, where she has reflective conversations inspired by books she cares about, and Ọrẹ Meji: Yoruba ni ṣoki, a podcast centred on embracing her mother tongue, Yoruba, and reconnecting with her heritage.
Work history
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Head of EditorialAmaliah
London, United KingdomPart Time
Manage the commissioning, sourcing, editing and publishing of content which platform the multifaceted voices of Muslim women around the world, and serve the needs of the Amaliah audience.
• Publish monthly articles with a reach of 2 million each month
• Lead development of Amaliah’s growth through audience- and community-focused editorial products
• Develop and manage relationships with 30 regular writers and over 400 community contributors
• Manage end-to-end publishing of 10 monthly pieces including developmental, structural, copy and line editing as well as proofreading
• Manage editorial budget including vendors for content production and workshop hosting
• Regular audit of editorial landscape and social media content to identify gaps in coverage
• Run weekly editorial meetings and brainstorming sessions
• Launched the Journalism Webinar series with over 400 sign-ups, with several attendees secured roles at leading journalism houses like the BBC
• Spearheaded the launch of several projects including the Bookclub, Agony Aunt column, Muslim Women Historical Figures series etc.
• Liaise with partners, including consultants and contractors for projects
• Run focus groups with regular writers to develop ways to meet their needs and nurture their growth
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ProofreaderSelf Employed
United KingdomFreelance
• Proofread several books including Palazzo and The High Notes by Danielle Steel
• Completed an authenticity read for the anthology Joyful, Joyful: Stories Celebrating Black Voices
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Skills
- Proofreading
- Writing
- Editing
- Copyediting
- Web Development
- Research
- Interviewing
- Podcasting
Education
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Mst in Creative WritingThe University of Oxford
Oxford, United Kingdom
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Certificate in Software EngineeringCODE University of Applied Sciences
- Berlin, Germany
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Awards
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WinnerSI Leeds Literary Prize
My young adult novel, Never Enough, won the SI Leeds Literary Prize 2022:
https://www.sileedsliteraryprize.com/2022-winner-announced/SHORLIST - Stylist Prize for Feminist FictionThe Stylist Group
Novel shortlisted:
https://www.stylist.co.uk/books/stylist-prize-for-feminist-fiction-2021-shortlist/578621