
Accountant Bilal Hasham and his journalist wife, Mariam, plod along contentedly in the sleepy, chocolate box village they've lived in for eight years. Then Bilal is summoned to his dying mother's bedside in Birmingham. Sakeena Hasham is not long for this world but refuses to leave it until she ensures that her son remembers who he is: a Muslim, however much he tries to ignore it. She has a final request. Instead of whispering her prayers in her dying moments, she instructs Bilal to go home to his village, Babbels End, and build a mosque. Mariam is horrified. The villagers are outraged. How can a grieving Bilal choose between honouring his beloved mum's last wish and preserving everything held dear in the village he calls home? But it turns out home means different things to different people. Battle lines are drawn and this traditional little community becomes the colourful canvas on which the most current and fundamental questions of identity, friendship, family and togetherness are played out. What makes us who we are, who do we want to be, and how far would we go to fight for it?
Author

Ayisha is a British Muslim, lifelong Londoner, and lover of books. She read English Literature and went on to complete an MA in Creative Writing (though told most of her family it was an MA in English Literature – Creative Writing is not a subject, after all.) She has spent various spells teaching, photocopying, volunteering and being a publicist. Now, when she isn’t searching for a jar of Nutella in her cupboards, she divides her time between writing and being managing editor at Cornerstones Literary Consultancy. Ayisha is one of WH Smith's Fresh Talent picks, Winter 2016. 'Sofia Khan Is Not Obliged' is her first novel and will be published by Bonnier in Jan 2016. 'Fun, Fresh and Funny' – MHAIRI MCFARLANE, bestselling author of 'You Had Me At Hello.' 'Malik achieves the perfect balance of romance and humour' – INDEPENDENT 'In creating a host of characters that are normal in their abnormality, relatable yet individual, Malik is undoubtedly making a difference.' – NEW STATESMAN 'Thoroughly engaging and laugh-out-loud funny from the off, this witty, unapologetic, honest, fun and feisty tale fully deserves the buzz it's getting' – HEAT MAGAZINE 'Feisty, funny and relatable it’s the feminist romantic comedy you’ve been waiting for' – ELLE MAGAZINE 'This fictional diary of the dating travails of one righteous romantic is snort-diet-Coke-out-of-your-nostrils funny and will resonate with any woman who’s looking for love' – RED MAGAZINE '...an entertaining debut with laugh-out-loud moments – a contemporary love story you won't want to miss' – CANDIS MAGAZINE 'Refreshing and funny' – SUNDAY MIRROR 'Fun, feisty and addictive. It deserves to be read' – IRISH EXAMINER 'A courageous, revealing, fiendishly funny and important book. Genuinely ground-breaking” – VASEEM KHAN, bestselling author of 'The Unexpected Inheritance of Mr Chopra' '...everything about this novel challenges expectations...a sharp, funny but ultimately very normal portrait of life as a British Muslim' THE NATIONAL 'Must-read... Liven up your daily commute or boost your bedtime routine with [this] page-turner' – MARIE CLAIRE 'Best of the New Books Hot List... For fans of Bridget Jones’s Diary' – GRAZIA Part of 'a new wave of female-focussed fiction... Bridget Jones-esque' – STYLIST