From Omar’s time on campus

Thanks to funding from the Doris Duke Foundation (DDF), the Highlights Foundation is able to host programming to support Muslim Storytelling through 2025. Through the Building Bridges Program, DDF works to elevate U.S. Muslim storytelling with the goal of increasing mutual understanding and well-being among diverse populations for the benefit of building stronger, inclusive communities.  Omar Abed joined the Highlights Foundation for The Crash Course in Children’s Publishing and a retreat for Muslim Storytellers through that program, and then he recieved the Palestinian Writers and Illustrators Scholarship to attend a Working Retreat for Novelists and Graphic Novelists.

In all three courses and retreats, he was able to connect with experienced writers and receive some invaluable feedback about how to navigate his career.

In Omar’s Words

With many personal expenses coming up this year, I’m not sure I would have made it out to Highlights on my own. The scholarship allowed me to attend, connect, and pursue my dreams of writing with the support that makes all the difference.

These scholarships really do have a personal impact for so many writers with amazing ideas who just need that extra encouragement and support to produce their stories. I likely wouldn’t have found my way to Highlights without the support of a scholarship, so [it] allowed me to connect with other writers in a way that I otherwise would’ve missed.

During his time, Omar received career guidance and learned new takeaways:

I received guidance on how to navigate some tricky parts of my manuscript, and advice about how to pitch the story. I also received advice from others regarding how to pursue speaking opportunities, which has always been an interest of mine. The scholarship allowed me to pursue both the craft, the networking, and the storytelling that I so deeply needed.

I learned that there is an audience for every story, and that although the industry (specifically YA) might be trending older, there is still an audience for “tame” books at every age level. The guidance I received has inspired me to stay true to my stories and my readers without sacrificing my comfort for the sake of readership. I will attempt to write universal, uncompromising values, and write the stories for younger me.