Ramadan Readathon | The Introduction

If you follow me over on Twitter, you’ll probably know that I am co-hosting a readathon next month with Zoya @ We Are All Critics! We are so excited and also overwhelmed by all the support we have received so far. We have some incredible things already lined up including author interviews, Twitter chats and giveaways, and we hope to post a schedule at the end of this month so you know what’s happening where and when. In the meantime, this is a short introduction post explaining why we are doing it and how you can get involved!

WHAT IS A READATHON?

If you’ve never participated in a readathon before then you are not alone. I’ve actually never taken part in one myself! Apparently, the word ‘readathon’ stems from a blend of the words ‘reading’ and ‘marathon,’ in which you read as many books as you can within a given time limit. A readathon differs to a readalong since it allows you to choose which books to read, but feel free to organise buddy reads for specific books if it motivates you to complete the challenge!

WHY ‘RAMADAN READATHON’?

In a nutshell, the holy month of Ramadan takes place during the ninth month of the lunar year, where Muslims all over the world abstain from food and drink from dawn till dusk. Fasting (Sawm) is one of the five pillars of Islam, along with Faith (Shahadah), Prayer (Salah), Charity (Zakat) and the pilgrimage to Makkah (Hajj). At the end of the month, we celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr. This year, Ramadan (1438 AH) begins on May 27, with Eid celebrations taking place from June 25.

The purpose of this readathon is to celebrate Muslim authors who have written anything from comics to poetry to fiction. It is a way for people to support marginalised writers and raise awareness about the importance of diversifying our bookshelves. You can check out this Goodreads list* and this post,* as well as #MuslimShelfSpace and this article for some recommendations, but we will be posting our own lists soon so you can start compiling your TBR for the month. None of these lists are exhaustive, but they are a good place to start. *Note: the purpose of this readathon is to celebrate Muslim authors rather than books written about Muslims. Some of the books on these lists aren’t written by Muslims.

HOW CAN YOU GET INVOLVED?

Spread the word! We have a Twitter account where we will be posting updates throughout the month so make sure you’re following us over there if you’re planning to participate. You can also message us if you have any ideas for posts you’d like to write etc. or if you’d like us to boost anything related that you’ve already written.

Make a TBR! We would love to see which books you choose to read. If you write about these on your blog, please link back to this post so we can see what you’re reading. You can also use the tag #RamadanReadathon on Twitter and Instagram. Feel free to use this banner, or get creative and make your own!

Can’t take part in this reading challenge because you have exams or other commitments? We’ll be hosting a number of Twitter chats throughout the month, details of which will be posted soon. You can still participate in these since they’re not tailored to specific books. There will also be weekly photo prompts on Instagram. Plus giveaways! Lots and lots of giveaways to help you build up your Muslim shelf space!

I think that’s all you need to know for now. Do you have any unanswered questions, or ideas you’d like to share? What do you think of this initiative? Will you be participating? We are so excited to share what we have planned with you all!

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