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Welcome back to another episode of The Resilient Writers Radio Show!

This week, I’m thrilled to introduce you to Aamir Hussain, whose debut novel Under the Full and Crescent Moon is officially out in the world.

This is no ordinary debut. It’s a speculative historical novel that asks a bold and fascinating question: Could there be a Muslim matriarchy—and what would that world look like?

The story follows Khadija, a young woman growing up in the imagined city of Madid al-Agham, where faith, politics, and the law intertwine. Over the course of 11 transformative months, Khadija becomes a mufti—a scholar and writer of fatwas. She’s pulled into debates, courtroom-style conflicts, and life-changing choices, all while negotiating family ties, mentorship, and an intellectual rival who challenges her beliefs and authority.

Aamir shares with us how this novel took root. Raised in Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and later the Greater Toronto Area, he experienced different expressions of Islam firsthand.

After 9/11, he saw the faith misrepresented online—flattened into stereotypes. That disconnect led him to years of research into Islamic history and law, and eventually into the story that became Under the Full and Crescent Moon.

We talk about:
✨ The long road to this debut—from early prologue drafts in 2015 to a finished manuscript in 2022.
✨ Writing on Toronto’s TTC and GO Train during his daily commute.
✨ Balancing heavy research with a compelling narrative (and how his editor, Julia Kim, helped cut 40,000 words!).
✨ The challenge of writing a female protagonist with honesty and respect—and how early readers gave him confidence in Khadija’s voice.
✨ What it means to show, not tell, when weaving faith, politics, and history into fiction.

What struck me most in this conversation is Aamir’s hope for readers. For Muslim readers, he hopes Khadija’s world reflects the richness and diversity within their own communities. For non-Muslim readers, he hopes the book challenges stereotypes and sparks curiosity about the depth of Islamic history and interpretation.

More than anything, he wants readers to see that communities, like individuals, are varied, nuanced, and deeply human.

On publication day, Aamir admits to feeling a little overwhelmed—but grateful. He didn’t originally set out to be a writer, but the story insisted on being written. Now, he’s embracing the identity of “novelist” and looking ahead with humility. Will there be another book? Inshallah—God willing.

If you love novels that mix immersive worldbuilding with thought-provoking questions, you’re going to love this conversation—and you’re going to love Khadija.

Grab your copy of Under the Full and Crescent Moon and join us for a behind-the-scenes look at how it came to be.

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Here's one for the poets!

In this special episode of The Resilient Writers Radio Show, Rhonda Douglas hosts a poetry panel featuring four accomplished poets: Kess Mohammadi, Guy Elston, Lorne Daniel, and Melissa Powless Day.

Together, they read from their latest works and share an honest conversation about building poetry collections, navigating mentorship, and growing alongside their readers.

Each poet begins by reading a piece from their newest collection. Lorne Daniel shares “Crushed” from What Is Broken Binds Us (University of Calgary Press), a raw reflection on family challenges, addictions, and the small, startling moments that carry us through. Guy Elston lightens the room with humor and poignancy in “Statement from the Board of Directors,” from his debut collection The Character Actor Convention (The Porcupine’s Quill, 2025). Kess Mohammadi reads a dreamlike, image-rich untitled piece from Book of Interruptions (Wolsak & Wynn, 2025), a manuscript deeply influenced by mentorship and philosophical inquiry. And Melissa Powless Day brings us “Tree Museum” from her debut full-length collection A Bow Forged from Ash (Anstruther Press, 2023), weaving Indigenous history and relationships to the land with lyrical power.

From there, Rhonda invites each poet to talk about the origin story of their latest books. For some, like Lorne, the poems emerged out of lived experiences and personal struggles, gradually coalescing into a manuscript. For Guy, the breakthrough came when he shifted from confessional writing to persona poems, realizing that even when he inhabited different characters, his own voice still shone through. Kess shares how mentorship opportunities, supported by the Ontario Arts Council, provided guidance for a more intentional project. And Melissa reflects on how themes naturally braided themselves through her poetry, growing into a cohesive collection.

The conversation also touches on what it feels like to publish a debut collection versus later works. Guy and Melissa speak to the excitement (and the “high”) of holding a first full-length book, while Kess and Lorne reflect on the evolving nature of readership and how the literary landscape has shifted over decades. Kess notes that book two often feels different, with less external excitement but deeper engagement from dedicated readers.

Finally, the poets discuss mentorship—formal and informal. Lorne recalls receiving letters and guidance from Al Purdy, and the importance of staying connected to community. Guy admits he’s still finding his way with mentorship, while Kess explains how seeking a Muslim elder for conversations on Perso-Islamic philosophy shaped Book of Interruptions. Melissa describes mentorship as something rooted in community, often happening organically through relationships, and pays tribute to her “literary auntie,” Shani Ray Rogers.

Whether you’re a poet just starting out, working on your first manuscript, or deep into your writing journey, this conversation will leave you inspired. Our guests remind us that poetry is as much about relationships—between writers, readers, and community—as it is about the words on the page.

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What if the truest way to write your story is to follow feeling instead of chronology?

In this episode of The Resilient Writers Radio Show, I’m joined by award-winning Iranian-Canadian author Hollay Ghadery, whose work fearlessly crosses genres: memoir, poetry, flash fiction, and even a novel narrated by a sock puppet.

Hollay’s debut memoir Fuse won the 2023 Canadian Book Club Award for Nonfiction/Memoir, and it’s unlike anything you’ve ever read. Rather than laying out her life in neat order, she trusted her own non-linear way of experiencing memory.

For Hollay, moments bleed into each other like inkblots on a page, and she honored that in her book. The result? A layered, fragmented form that feels truer than any straight-line telling could.

She also shares how writing changed when she got sober. For years she produced work while living in addiction, but it wasn’t until sobriety that she found the discipline to sit, revise, and shape her words with clarity. Her message is refreshingly down-to-earth: writing isn’t about waiting for a magical state to arrive—it’s about showing up and doing the work, imperfectly but consistently.

Since then, Hollay has released the poetry collection Rebellion Box and the flash-fiction collection Widow Fantasies. And coming in 2026, her debut novel The Unravelling of Ou—a playful, fierce, and absurd meditation on patriarchy, joy, and queer identity, told entirely through the voice of a sock puppet named Ecology Paul.

As Hollay explains, the puppet narrator was no gimmick: it’s the most honest way she knows to tell this story, bypassing shame and revealing truths we might otherwise hide.

Our conversation also explores the realities of publishing. Hollay loves small presses, where collaboration feels intimate and books are treated as art objects. She talks about the highs and lows of awards season, and why it’s essential to celebrate every win—whether it’s a longlist mention or a kind note from a reader. One of her favorite lessons? “It means something to win, but it doesn’t mean anything not to win.”

Hollay practices what she calls “sympathetic joy”: celebrating other writers’ successes without letting envy creep in. She reminds us that another person’s achievement doesn’t take anything away from our own path. If you stay in your lane, there’s no traffic.

If you need a reminder that your quirks, your feelings, and even your sock puppets belong on the page, this episode is for you. Hollay’s wisdom is equal parts candid, funny, and deeply encouraging.