Fatima Shaik facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Fatima Shaik
photo by Sophia Little
Born	1952 (age 73–74) New Orleans, Louisiana
Occupation	Writer
Education	BS, MA
Alma mater	Boston University, New York University
Notable works	Melitte, 1997

Fatima Shaik is an author and former journalist. She is from both Indian-American and African-American backgrounds. Her writings often explore important social topics. She especially focuses on the experiences of African-Americans in the United States.

Shaik did a lot of research on an old group called the Société d’Economie. This was a Black Catholic mutual aid society. A mutual aid society is a group where members help each other, often with money or support. Her research led to her 2021 book, Economy Hall: The Hidden History of a Free Black Brotherhood. In the same year, she won the Louisiana Writer Award. This award came from the Louisiana Center for the Book.

A film about Fatima Shaik was made by director Kaveri Kaul. The film follows Shaik as she visits her grandfather's birthplace in Kolkata, India. Fatima Shaik is also featured in books like The Booklover’s Guide to New Orleans. She is also in the Encyclopedia of African American Writers.

About Fatima Shaik

Her Early Life and School

Fatima Shaik was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. She grew up in the historic 7th Ward, a famous Creole neighborhood. Her father was one of the first Black pilots in Louisiana. Her mother, Lily Shaik, was a poet who spoke Louisiana French. Both of her parents were teachers in New Orleans public schools.

Shaik's grandfather, Shaik Mohamed Musa, came to the United States in the 1890s. He was Bengali and settled in Tremé, New Orleans, in 1896. He owned a shop. He married Shaik's grandmother, who was a Black woman with Creole and Native American family roots. Shaik's grandfather passed away before her father was born.

Fatima Shaik studied at Xavier University of Louisiana for two years. She then earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Boston University. Later, she received a Master of Arts degree from New York University. She worked as a reporter for newspapers like the Miami News and the New Orleans Times-Picayune. After that, she worked in editing for McGraw-Hill for ten years.

In 1991, she started teaching at Saint Peter's University. She was the first director of their Communications program until 2001. She retired as an assistant professor in 2020. As of 2021, she still teaches there part-time.

A documentary film called The Bengali was released in 2022. It shows Fatima Shaik's journey to explore her family's history in India.

Her Family Life

Fatima Shaik married an artist named James Little in 1984.

Her Books and Writings

Essays and Stories

Fatima Shaik writes personal essays that show the culture of African-American women in New Orleans. Her essays for In These Times newspaper covered the effects of Hurricane Katrina. These essays were written from 2005 to 2015.

Stories About Creole New Orleans

Shaik has written many essays and articles about Creole culture in New Orleans. One essay, "Translation, Semantics, and Race," was on the PEN American Center website. It talked about how Black writers in the 19th century used French language to share hidden political messages.

She also researched the Société d’Economie et d’Assistance Mutuelle. This group kept detailed journals for 100 years. Shaik's work involved reading and explaining these journals. This research was supported by the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities.

Fiction Books

Fatima Shaik is known for her fiction writing. People have praised her for keeping alive the voices of the African-American experience.

Her book The Mayor of New Orleans: Just Talking Jazz was her first book. It was noted for its realistic conversations and relaxed style. These elements helped capture the special feeling of Southern Louisiana.

What Went Missing and What Got Found is a collection of short stories. It has a musical, blues-like feel to it.

Shaik's stories have also appeared in other collections. These include African-American Literature and Breaking Ice: Contemporary African-American Fiction. Her stories have also been published in literary journals.

Books for Kids and Young Adults

Fatima Shaik has written several books for children. Her historical novel, Melitte, was nominated as one of the Best Books for Young Adults in 1998. It received good reviews from The Horn Book, School Library Journal, and Kirkus Reviews.

Her book The Jazz of Our Street was described as a "compact cultural history" by Kirkus. On Mardi Gras Day was named one of the Best Holiday Books of 1999. This award came from the Bank Street College of Education.

Shaik helps lead the Children's and Young Adult Book Committee for the PEN American Center. She has also taken part in the PEN World Voices Festival of International Literature.

Awards and Special Recognitions

In 1981, Shaik received a special fellowship from the National Endowment for the Humanities. This allowed her to study culture at the University of Chicago. In 1989, she was recognized as an important new writer. The Forsythe County Public Library named her one of five writers under 35. They believed she would help shape African-American literature in the future.

In October 2002, Shaik was a writer-in-residence at the New Orleans Public Schools Africana Studies Program. She was also a Scholar in Residence at New York University in 2004.

She is a member of the board of trustees for the PEN American Center. She also used to be on the board of the Writers Room in New York City.

In 2021, she received the 22nd annual Louisiana Writer Award. This award was given by the State Library of Louisiana.