Britain's First Muslim Fantasy Novelist?

Added: (Mon Jun 20 2011)

Pressbox (Press Release) - Britain’s First Muslim Fantasy Novelist?
Monday, 20th June 2011

After three years of trying to find a publisher for his fantasy novel, Noor A Jahangir, a writer of YA fiction and a Muslim scholar, published his book through the online distribution service Smashwords.com.
Noor A Jahangir, born and raised in Lancashire, is a trained Muslim scholar who also holds a BA/Hons and a postgraduate diploma. He was inspired at the age of seven by a reading from C. S. Lewis’s The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Noor has been writing since the age of 14, whilst studying at one of Britain’s Islamic seminaries. The Changeling King is his first novel, but he has also produced a number of short stories under various pseudonyms.
In regards to the traditional publishing route, Noor said, “Its been my dream since I was seven to be a published writer and to inspire others to write. I would have loved to have been taken on by a traditional publisher but I’ve been rejected by every agent and publisher of YA fiction that allow unsolicited manuscripts. Last year, I was short listed out of 20,000 submissions for the Brit Writers Unpublished Award, so it makes me wonder why I’m not good enough? Perhaps I need to prove myself to be commercially viable be first building a fan base through ebooks.”
The Changeling King follows the inter-linked stories of six teenagers, one of whom is a Mughal Prince. The ebook is priced $2.99 (rrp) and is available from Smashwords and the Kindle Store.
ENDS
Noor A Jahangir was born and raised in Lancashire, England. He grew up in a town very much like Affrington and knew at the age of seven that he wanted to be a writer. Most of his teen years were spent in an Islamic boarding school for boys, set in the Pennine Moors, overlooked by Peel Tower. He is a qualified Muslim scholar, holds an honours degree in English Studies with Media Studies and Creative Writing, a post-graduate Diploma in Management Studies, and is currently studying for his Masters. He works as a senior manager in the non-profit sector. The Changeling King is his first novel. He has previously had four short stories published by various publications, under a number of pen names.
Email: nasrullah@trollking.co.uk
Web: http://www.trollking.co.uk
Blog: http://noorajahangir.wordpress.com
Twitter: noorjahangir