Shrien Alshabasy

Shrien Alshabasy (she/her/hers) is a first generation Egyptian-American multimedia artist and community leader. She is a Girls Write Now mentor and the founder of Aktub, a writing program for for SWANA (Southwest Asian and North African) high school students based in New York City. Shrien is currently writing a YA novel about finding magic after grief and can be found taking photos of New York creatives. She currently works in a communications at Teachers College, Columbia University and has a B.A. and M.A. in English Literature.

Follow me on Instagram @ShrienAlshabasy

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C6EbX_hLvt6/ If you’re familiar with my page or me, you know that my current book in progress Filomena and the Fool is one of the most important pieces of creative writing that I’ve embarked on. A YA Fantasy set in New York, this book follows Filomena as she embarks on a magical journey to understand grief, find magic, and fall in love. I love this book with all my heart because it’s so related to my younger self and dedicated to my mom, who ran to the dollar store to buy me a notebook when I said I wanted to write a poem. She was my first champion and this book is a love letter to her life and memory. So excited to have taken this book to @rootswoundswords & @tin_house this summer. I am currently raising money to be able to attend this summers workshop, where I will be working on this project. Any support, including sharing, is much appreciated. Link in bio 🖤 #yafantasy #yafantasywriter #bookstagram #grief #writing #magic #love #tarot AHHHHH 🥹🥳🎉 I’ve had to wait to share this amazing news but I am so excited to announce that the manuscript for my novel in progress, Filomena and the Fool, has been accepted into the prestigious @tin_house summer workshop! I feel so honored that this project has been accepted by three programs this year, Roots, Wounds Words, Marthas Vineyard Institute for Creative Writing, and now TinHouse! This book is my baby and a labor of love and I cannot wait to share it with the world. Filomena and the Fool is a YA urban fantasy set in New York City and it follows the magical and healing journey of Filomena after her mother passes away. This story is inspired by my mother and the love she gave me when she was here on this earth and I can only hope that this book is a testament to her life and the power of motherhood. Its proof that loved ones never leave us. Their love is just transformed into creation and comes to us through different people. I would love your support in helping with the cost of this program, if possible. Even sharing is an amazing help and every dollar counts. You can find the link in my bio ❤️ Thank you to my community for supporting me through the motions of grief and joy. To love transformed ❤️ #youngadultfiction #tinhouse #tinhousesummerworkshop #yafiction #yafantasyfiction #yafantasywriter #booklover #booknerd #bookstagram #bookcommunity Follow me on tiktok for more of my writing ❤️❤️❤️❤️ A little writer update and note of inspiration for #writers, especially #youngwriters. I am feeling so blessed and fortunate that my book, Filomena and the Fool, is being recognized by some amazing workshops and fellowships around the country. It feels very much like I am on the precipice of something big. When I was younger that “big” always felt like a huge contract or gaining status or having an agent. And while I wont lie and say that I don’t still aspire to have that, I find that my purpose is strengthening as I write this book. This book is everything to me because it is a creative reflection of my young self and my constantly developing awareness of love and magic and grief and wisdom. I am so passionate about writing for young people and I am so honored that this story is unfolding in the YA Fantasy genre. I love using @landing.space to create vision boards for my book whenever I feel stuck. It is interesting to see what is added every time I create these boards. A big addition this time was the inclusion of a mother figure. This plot revolves around Filomena grieving her mother, but I want to also highlight the power of motherhood. Of knowing that the grief is there because there was so so much love. And the special type of grief that happens when you lose a mother, a protector, provider, creator, nurturer. I am thinking of my mother today and every day as I write and create. And thinking of my book as my baby, who I may not always be perfect for but who I promise to kiss and nurture with inspiration and love. #book #bookstagram #writing #writersofinstagram #yafantasy Some more amazing writing news!!! I was recently accepted as a writing fellow at The Martha’s Vineyard Institute of Creative Writing for Filomena and the Fool!!! I am asking my community for their support in covering the cost of the program once more ❤️❤️❤️ I was awarded a 30% cover of the tuition, bringing my cost for tuition to $1400. As this fellowship is in person, I will also be paying for lodging ($975) to $2375. Beyond blessed to be able to attend the @rootswoundswords retreat! So fortunate and excited to share my YA fiction novel, Filomena & the Fool, with other wonderful writers who’ve experienced pain and alchemized it into beautiful art for others to experience. #writers #writer #yafiction Beyond excited to be a @girlswritenow mentor this year! Todays training was informative and inspiring. As a former mentee, it means the world to me to give back to the program that jump started my writing journey. #yafantasywriter #writing #writingcommunity 🙌🙌🙌🪄I am SOOO excited to announce that I've been accepted into the Roots. Wounds. Words. 2024 Winter Writers' Retreat for Storytellers of Color for my YA Fantasy novel, Filomena & the Fool. As you know, this novel is close to my heart and has been integral in my healing journey. I would be honored to share a space with other BIPOC writers who are writing about their trauma and their healing. The cost of the retreat is $1,050. With student loan payments and life expenses, the cost of the retreat is the only obstacle to my attendance. I would love any support and appreciate your encouragement of my dreams as a writer. You can support my attendance by clicking the link in my bio and donating what you can 🥹 if you can’t, please share with your community. Grateful for any and all support. 🔮 Thinking about writers block and it’s relation to grief. As I write my book, I find myself in waves of avoidance. Being gentle and wise enough to know that there is time for my story to unfold & a purpose for this timing. Swipe to learn more ❤️‍🩹 #grief #writing #yafantasywriter #yafantasy #fiction #books #bookstagram #writingadvice #writingtips #writersofinstagram