Fahmida Azim

Fahmida Azim is a Pulitzer Prize-winning Bengali-American illustrator, author, and tea drinker. She immigrated to the US as a child, grew up in Virginia, and has a BFA in Communication Arts from VCUarts. Fahmida works primarily with digital media, but also enjoys more traditional mediums including acrylics, gouache, and ink. Her art frequently addresses themes of identity and autonomy.

Fahmida won the 2022 Pulitzer Prize Award for Illustrated Reporting and Commentary for her work with the Insider on How I Escaped a Chinese Internment Camp. She also won the 2022 Golden Kite Award for her illustrations in the middle grade novel Samira Surfs, written by Rukhsanna Guidroz (Kokila/Penguin).

Her award-winning collaboration with Full Circle Literary author Seema Yasmin, Muslim Women Are Everything: Stereotype-Shattering Stories of Courage, Inspiration and Adventure (HarperDesign), will be followed by Djinnology, a survey of the supernatural spirits of Islam, forthcoming from Chronicle Books in 2023.

Fahmida’s debut picture book, Amira’s Picture Day, written by Reem Faruqi (Holiday House), explores the conundrum little Amira faces when she is looking forward to celebrating Eid with her Muslim community… only to find out it falls on picture day at school! This compassionate, fun exploration of the dual lives many children live has received starred reviews from Kirkus Reviews, School Library Journal and Publishers Weekly.

Fahmida’s work is also featured in In the Spirit of a Dream, an anthology by Alina Chau (Scholastic) and American Anthem by Gene Scheer (Philomel). Her artwork also appears in Six Words Fresh Off the Boat: Stories of Immigration, Identity, and Coming to America by Larry Smith with writer Taz Ahmed, alongside fellow contributors including Aziz Ansari and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.

Fahmida is currently hard at work on the first of a two-book graphic novel deal with Graphix/Scholastic, as well as her debut author-illustrator picture book with Kokila/Penguin. Fahmida and her artwork have been featured in NPR, The New York Times, Eater, Entertainment Weekly, Glamour, and many more. She is currently based in Seattle.

Download Fahmida Azim’s Illustrator Showcase

To see more of Fahmida’s work, visit her website at fahmida-azim.com, and find her as @eemajin on twitter and Instagram.

Reviews for Fahmida Azim’s work:

“Jewel-toned digital illustrations by Azim have a joyful, comics-style sensibility, with meticulous attention paid to the attire of the diverse crowd at the masjid. An endearing portrait of one child’s specific cultural concern, with universal appeal for any reader ever caught between conflicting commitments.”—Publishers Weekly, Starred Review for Amira’s Picture Day

“Azim’s illustrations pair well with Faruqi’s words, focusing on facial expression as well as body language to highlight the mixed emotions: excitement, sadness, surprise. There is much diversity among the people at the masjid, including hijab styles, other attire, and racial presentation. . . . Sweet and sympathetic.” —Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review for Amira’s Picture Day

“…Azim’s illustrations are fun and colorful, with tiny details reflecting the family’s personality, while the people attending Eid celebrations at Amira’s masjid are ­racially and culturally diverse, with varied skin tones, body types, and expressions of fashion and style.”—School Library Journal, Starred Review for Amira’s Picture Day