Nicola Yoon
#1 New York Times bestselling author and National Book Award finalist
Sabaa Tahir
National Book Award winner and #1 New York Times-bestselling author of An Ember in the Ashes and All My Rage
“Fear is only your enemy if you allow it to be.”
Photo credit: Ayesha Ahmad
Former journalist Sabaa Tahir burst onto the YA scene with her #1 New York Times-bestselling novel, An Ember in the Ashes. In 2022, she made history as the first Muslim and Pakistani-American woman to win a National Book Award for Young People's Literature for her novel, All My Rage. Tahir's latest book Heir was the inaugural pick for Good Morning America's YA Book Club. In her talks, she discusses the writing process behind her hit books.
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About Sabaa Tahir
Sabaa Tahir is the New York Times-bestselling author of the 2022 National Book Award winner, All My Rage. An instant New York Times and Indie bestseller, All My Rage is an unforgettable, and heart-wrenching contemporary novel about family and forgiveness, love and loss, in a sweeping story that crosses generations and continents. Hailed by Jodi Picoult as “a gorgeous, star-crossed story about the costs of the American Dream and the way unexpected routes appear when you need them most,” All My Rage was also named a 2022 Boston Globe-Horn Book Fiction and Poetry Winner, an Amazon Best Book of the Year, and a BookPage Best Book of the Year, among other accolades.
In addition to All My Rage, Sabaa Tahir is author of An Ember In the Ashes, a series of wildly popular fantasy novels that have captured the attention of readers of all ages. An Ember in the Ashes was a smash hit upon publication, and a film adaptation is currently in the works. Heir, which introduces a new generation of characters set in the same world, was selected by ABC’s Good Morning America as their inaugural GMA YA Book Club. Tahir’s books are beloved for their action-packed style, entrancing world-building, and prescient commentary on current events and social justice. Through her fiction, Tahir’s novels raise questions about freedom, morality, and what it means to be human.
Sabaa Tahir is a frequent speaker at book festivals, schools, universities, and libraries. In engaging talks, she discusses her path to publication, her writing process, and how stories set in fantastical lands can illustrate the day’s most pressing issues.
Before writing full-time, Tahir was an editor at The Washington Post. While editing an article from the Posts’ India correspondent about Kashmiri women awaiting information about the fates of their detained husbands, Tahir was inspired to begin work on her first book. Their struggle and subsequent strength in the face of the unknown resonated with Tahir, herself the daughter of Pakistani immigrants, and inspired her to tell the story of Laia and Elias, two young people fighting a shadowy, savage government to reunite with their lost family.
Tahir grew up in California’s Mojave Desert at her family’s eighteen-room motel, where she spent her time devouring fantasy novels, raiding her brother’s comic book stash, and playing guitar badly. She currently lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her family.
Contact us for more information about booking Sabaa Tahir for your next event.
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Speaking Topics
The Story of Ember
An in depth look at the process of writing An Ember in the Ashes, the unusual turns the story took, the interviews and research required to make the story authentic, and the equally challenging process of writing the books’ sequels. In this talk, Sabaa focuses on purposefully choosing to portray a diverse world and cast, as well as the inspiration she took from world events while working as a journalist.
The Power of Failure
Sabaa Tahir speaks about her multiple failures across the course of her life, and how those failures helped shape her outlook and prepare her for a career in journalism, and for what followed: the arduous, six-year journey to write her #1 New York Times-bestselling An Ember in the Ashes.
Battling Monsters
We will all face monsters in life, though we don’t always know what to do when we encounter them. Sabaa Tahir delves into her own cowardly reactions to monsters as a teen, and the importance of recognizing and ultimately battling your own monsters, whether it be for the good of one person, or the good of many.
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Praise for Sabaa Tahir
She was wonderful! She was very open, personable, and able to answer all the questions students had. The audience gave her all 4 or 5 star ratings on their feedback forms. […] She exceeded all our expectations and we would love to chat with her again for future books! Thank you!
— Troy School DistrictSabaa was wonderful! She is a terrific speaker who easily connects to the audience with her humor, vulnerability, and kindness. She impressed and inspired us all!
— Open Book, The Pasadena Literary AlliancePraise for Heir
★A welcome blend of mystique and weightiness—plus a dollop of romance—that will delight anyone seeking more complexity in young adult fantasy.
— BookPage (starred review)★Sabaa Tahir is an expert storyteller and Heir is another feather in her cap. This is a book that will linger with readers long after the final pages—enjoy the ride.
— Booklist (starred review)★The stakes are higher than ever in this enrapturing spin-off series, which builds on established lore and adds layers of complexity, culminating in an expansive and brutal adventure ideal for longtime followers and newcomers alike.
— PW (starred review)Praise for A Sky Beyond the Storm
Tahir’s exquisite storytelling doesn’t miss a beat… This series is an epic hero’s journey, with love, adventure, and magic woven throughout. Recommended for every young adult collection.
— SLJA Sky Beyond the Storm is a masterclass example of how to wrap up a series.
— The Nerd DailyPraise for From a Certain Point of View (Star Wars)
The Mashup You’ve Been Looking For.
— TordotcomThe biggest joy of this collection is turning the page to a new story and realizing which character they’ll be jumping to next.
— New York Daily NewsAn entertaining, multi-faceted way to revisit that galaxy far, far away.
— Financial TimesThe stories are humorous, heartbreaking, and downright wacky. If you have a favorite Star Wars character, forget them. You’re going to have forty new favorite characters after reading this.
— ComicsverseAn impressive, and highly entertaining, short story compilation.
— CinelinxPraise for An Ember in the Ashes
Tahir’s deft, polished debut alternates between two very different perspectives on the same brutal world, deepening both in the contrast. In a tale brimming with political intrigue and haunted by supernatural forces, the true tension comes from watching Elias and Laia struggle to decide where their loyalties lie.
— Publishers Weekly (starred review)One thing I can say for sure: this is a page-turner. There comes a moment when it’s impossible to put it down. Sabaa Tahir is a strong writer, but most of all, she’s a great storyteller.
— The Huffington PostFast-paced, well-structured and full of twists and turns, An Ember in the Ashes is an evocative debut that has left me invested in knowing what happens next.
— NPRSabaa Tahir spins a captivating, heart-pounding fantasy.
— Us Weekly[An Ember in the Ashes] thrusts its readers into a world marred by violence and oppression, yet does so with simple prose that can offer moments of loveliness in its clarity. This complexity makes Ember a worthy novel—and one as brave as its characters.
— The New York Times Book ReviewThis novel is a harrowing, haunting reminder of what it means to be human—and how hope might be kindled in the midst of oppression and fear.
— The Washington PostPraise for A Torch Against the Night
Tahir proves to be a master of suspense and a canny practitioner of the cliffhanger, riveting readers’ attention throughout.…[An] action-packed, breathlessly paced story.
— Booklist (starred review)A Torch Against the Night is an unabashed page-turner that scarcely ever pauses for breath.
— The Christian Science MonitorThe sequel to Tahir’s bestselling smash An Ember in the Ashes finally comes out in August, and let me tell you, it does not disappoint.
— Book RiotAn adrenaline rush till the very last page.
— BuzzfeedThe stakes here are high and the plot runs like a well-oiled machine, ratcheting up the tension with every chapter.
— NPR.orgPraise for A Reaper at the Gates
Fans of the series will not want to miss this action-packed installment.
— BookishTahir has created another compelling story that defies readers to stop turning the pages.
— Booklist (starred review)The book deftly handles serious issues like the costs of genocide and war. Both action-packed and emotionally engaging, A Reaper at the Gates is the perfect summer read.
— The Washington Post -
Books by Sabaa Tahir
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Media About Sabaa Tahir
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Featured Title
Heir
A Good Morning America YA Book Club Pick
“An incredible tapestry of treachery, romance, and heart-pounding storytelling. Heir is a tour de force of fantasy that will leave readers breathless and boneless and aching for more.” —Stephanie Garber, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Once Upon A Broken Heart
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