Biography

Hena Khan is an award-winning author of picture books and middle grade fiction. Her groundbreaking middle grade novel Amina’s Voice was named a Best Book of 2017 by The Washington Post, NPR, Kirkus Reviews, and others. The sequel, Amina’s Song, won the 2022 Asian/Pacific American Award for Children’s Literature.

As a child, Hena spent countless hours at the public library, but never saw her life as a Pakistani American Muslim reflected on the pages of a book. It didn’t occur to her that someone like her deserved to be a character in a story. After completing her MA in International Affairs from George Washington University, Hena worked with non-profit health organizations as a writer and editor for many years.

In addition to her Amina books, Hena’s middle grade novels are More to the Story and Drawing Deena. She’s also written several series such as her Super You! series and the Zayd Saleem, Chasing the Dream and Zara’s Rules chapter book series. Hena’s award-winning picture books include Golden Domes and Silver Lanterns, Under My Hijab, It’s Ramadan, Curious George, Zain’s Super Friday, and Like the Moon Loves the Sky. Hena’s books are often centered around her culture, community, friendship, and family, and draw heavily from her own experiences. She divides her time between writing and presenting to children, educators, and others, and serves on the board of We Need Diverse Books.

Hena lives in her hometown of Rockville, Maryland with her family but is grateful to have traveled extensively—and she hopes to add to the 35 countries she has visited so far. Her favorite things are getting letters from kids, perfect cappuccinos, and reading in bed.