Shenaaz Nanji

Shenaaz Nanji was born on the ancient island of Mombasa, one of the oldest settlements on the East African coast, and grew up amid a fusion of cultures: Bantu-Swahili, colonial British, and East Indian.

She holds an MFA in Creative Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College. She has written seven books for children. Her novel, Child of Dandelions, was nominated for the Governor General's Award for Children's Literature in 2008.

A strong advocate of literacy, Shenaaz likes to inspire and motivate children to read and believes that words have power to change lives, especially for young people.

Shenaaz is a lover of Baobab seeds, laughter, dancing alone, and singing in the shower.