The Salam Award Team
The Salam Award for Imaginative Fiction is run by a team of volunteers. We are spread out across the globe with different day jobs, but share the passion of Imaginative Fiction.
Tehseen Baweja
Nur Ibrahim
Nur Nasreen Ibrahim is a journalist and writer, presently based in New York City. Born and raised in Lahore, she lives on the fence between fiction and non-fiction. She was a twice-nominated finalist for the Salam Award. Her writing has appeared in The Aleph Review, Salmagundi Magazine, Barrelhouse,
in anthologies from Platypus Press, Catapult, Hachette India, and more. You can find her on Twitter @Nuri_ibrahim
Mushba
Mushba Said (she/they) is a speculative artist and writer from Karachi, Sindh. An alumni of the Salam Award Spec Fic Workshop 2023, they write speculative fiction under the pen name Khushbu Khushi. When not creating, Mushba enjoys gardening, reading POC-centric fiction, playing indie video games, and listening to lo-fi music. They also help out Tasavvur magazine. To see what else Mushba is up to, find her on Instagram (@Mushbagram) or Twitter (@HeyMushba).
Usman Malik (Advisor)
Usman T. Malik is a Pakistani writer and doctor who divides his life between Orlando and Lahore. His short fiction has been reprinted in several Best of the Year anthologies including the Best American Science Fiction & Fantasy series and has been nominated for the World Fantasy Award, the South Million Writers Award, and twice for the Nebula Award. He has won the Bram Stoker Award as well as the British Fantasy Award. You can find him on Twitter @usmantm
Ayesha
Ayesha Channa’s love for books is only surpassed by her passion for languages, lore and chai. She mostly writes fiction, dabbles sporadically in poetry and creative nonfiction, and was selected as a participant in the Salam Award Writers Workshop, 2023.
Raazia
Syeda Raazia Naqvi is a business management student by day, aspiring fantasy writer by night. Originally found drifting in the waves of Karachi, she is now based in Islamabad, where she pens down gothic South-Asian historical fantasy pieces. While dividing her time between Tasavvur and Salam Award, she was also selected for The Salam Award Workshop 2025.