Randa Abdel-Fattah facts for kids

Randa Abdel-Fattah (Arabic: رندة عبد الفتاح; born 1979) is an Australian author. She writes both fiction and non-fiction books. Randa is a strong supporter of Palestinian people and human rights. Many of her stories explore what it means to be Muslim in Australia. Her first book, Does My Head Look Big in This?, came out in 2005. Later, Coming of Age in the War on Terror was published in 2021.

Early Life and School

Randa Abdel-Fattah was born in Sydney, New South Wales on June 6, 1979. Her family background is Palestinian and Egyptian. She grew up in Melbourne, Victoria. For primary school, she went to a Catholic school. Later, she attended an Islamic high school. She earned an International Baccalaureate diploma.

Randa wrote her first "novel" when she was in sixth grade. It was inspired by Roald Dahl's book Matilda. As a teenager, she kept writing short stories. She wrote the first draft of Does My Head Look Big in This? when she was about 18.

Randa studied Arts and Law at the University of Melbourne. During this time, she worked for the Islamic Council of Victoria. This job let her write for newspapers. She also talked with media about how Muslims and Islam were shown. She later earned her PhD, focusing on Islamophobia. This is a fear or dislike of Islam or Muslims.

Writing Career

Randa Abdel-Fattah has appeared on several Australian TV shows. These include Insight (SBS) and Q & A (ABC TV). She has also been on First Tuesday Book Club (ABC).

Randa believes in feminism, which means supporting equal rights for women. She has written about women's situations in Saudi Arabia. She strongly believes that women should be free to wear what they choose. She has said that talking about the veil (a head covering some Muslim women wear) is often discussed too much. She feels it takes away from other important topics. She wants people to focus on other issues, not just how Muslim women dress.

Awards and Recognition

Randa's book Coming of Age in the War on Terror received several honors. It was a finalist for the 2022 Victorian Premier's Prize for Nonfiction. It was also shortlisted for the New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards' Multicultural NSW Award. The book was also longlisted for the Stella Prize. Her book 11 Words for Love was a finalist for the Children's Award in the 2023 Prime Minister's Literary Awards.

Other Activities

Randa Abdel-Fattah is a strong supporter of human rights. In 1998, she ran in the federal election. She was a member of the Unity Party. Their slogan was Say No to Pauline Hanson. This party aimed to fight against racism.

She is also interested in bringing different faiths together. She has been part of various groups that promote understanding between religions. Randa has volunteered her time with many groups. These groups help people with human rights and support migrants. Some of these include the Australian Arabic council and the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre. She has also been a member of the Palestinian Human Rights Committee.

Sharing Information Incident (2024)

In February 2024, Randa Abdel-Fattah was involved in an event where information was shared. This involved details from a private online chat group of Jewish Australians. The shared information included names, jobs, and photos of some members. This event led to a lot of discussion in the media. People debated if sharing this information was right.

Personal Life

Randa Abdel-Fattah lives in Sydney. She lives there with her husband and their four children.

Books by Randa Abdel-Fattah

• Does My Head Look Big in This? (2005)
• Ten Things I Hate About Me (2006)
• Where The Streets Had A Name (2008)
• Noah's Law (2010)
• The Friendship Matchmaker (2011)
• The Friendship Matchmaker Goes Undercover (2012)
• The Lines We Cross (2016)
• When Mina Met Michael (2016)
• "Australian Muslim Voices on Islamophobia, Race and the 'War on Terror'" (Bibliography, Meanjin Quarterly, 9 April 2019)
• Arab Australian Other: Stories on Race and Identity, co-editor with Sara Saleh (2019)
• Coming of Age in the War on Terror, (2021)
• Maku (children's fiction, co-authored with Meyne Wyatt, 2022)
• 11 Words for Love (illustrated by Maxine Beneba Clarke, 2022)