BROOKLYN, NY, UNITED STATES, February 6, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Samiha Hoque, a Bangladeshi-American author and co-founder of independent press Shaherazad Shelves, announces the upcoming publication of her debut novel “Slums of Paradise,” selected as a She Writes Press STEP contest winner and scheduled for release in August 2026. The novel’s publication follows a historic political shift in Bangladesh that has special significance for the author and countless Bengali families.
Written over the course of ten years, “Slums of Paradise” tells an intimate story of immigration, marriage, and vengeance politics through the eyes of four Bengali teenagers in 1970 and 2014. The narrative draws from the lives of family, friends, and neighbors who lived under the Sheikh family regime in Bangladesh, as well as the author’s own experience visiting the country in 2014.
According to Samiha Hoque, the novel addresses generational trauma stemming from Bangladesh’s violent independence in 1971, exploring how political violence permeated family interactions and created lasting impacts across generations. In twenty-seven years, the author visited Bangladesh only twice, as her parents vowed never to return unless then-Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was removed from power.
That day arrived on August 5th, 2024. Sheikh Hasina was ousted from the country through a student-led revolution, marking a turning point for freedom of expression in Bangladesh. Human Rights Watch refers to the horror stories of her regime that are now being spoken of freely for the first time, making “Slums of Paradise” one of many untold stories finally able to reach audiences without fear of repercussion.
“When I first sought publication, I worried that my words would hurt my family in Bangladesh or find their way into the New York Bengali community to hurt my parents,” the author notes. “My novel’s publication date, however, is thankfully after Hasina’s expulsion to India and proof of the fear the Sheikh family instilled on freedom of speech.”
Hoque is a two-time Climate Justice Fellow for the Center for Engagement, Environmental Justice, and Health (CEEJH) and holds a B.S. in Earth and Environmental Sciences with an English minor. She is also the author of the picture books “A Country of Beautiful People” (2023) and “Brave Is the Tiger” (2026). Her essays have won the Dean Myrtle Saxon-Jacobson Award in Expository Prose and were nominated for the 2021 Brooklyn Non Fiction Prize.
“Slums of Paradise” will be available in August 2026. More information about the author and her work can be found at https://samihahoque.com/.
About Samiha Hoque
Samiha Hoque is a Bangladeshi-American author, environmentalist, and co-founder of the independent press Shaherazad Shelves. Her work draws inspiration from her Muslim Bengali upbringing and explores themes of immigration, identity, and political history.
Contact:
Email: samiha@shaherazadshelves.com
Website: https://samihahoque.com/
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