Raya Rahman

Publisher
The Unexpected Friend (author)
Bengali Alphabet Flashcards (illustrator)
Rani's Seashell Necklace (author)

Raya Rahman is the founder of Guba Publishing. After a decade of working in the corporate world, she now partners with other authors, illustrators and non-profit organizations to publish diverse and multicultural children's stories and learning resources. Raya lives in Oakland, California with her husband and their two spirited daughters, who were her main inspiration for starting a children’s publishing house.

Inshra Russell

Creative Director
Tiny Jumps In (author & illustrator)
Counting Bugs (illustrator)
Where are the Chonchols? (author)

Inshra Russell is the founder of a boutique creative services agency called Studio Inku, that works in partnership with Guba Publishing to create high quality picture books for children. Inshra is a multi-platform content creator with a portfolio of projects that includes short films, photography, illustrations, graphic design and video production. She lives in London, U.K. with her husband and their son, Ruben. Find her on www.studioinku.com.

Rakibul Hasan Headshot
Rakibul Hasan

Illustrator
My World of Colors, My World of Opposites & My Beautiful World

Rakibul Hasan is an illustrator, writer and an Art Director by profession. He has illustrated many books, publications and advertisements for various brands and publication houses in Dhaka, Bangladesh. In his ten years of experience as an illustrator, his favorite works have always been children’s books.

Shazia Omar

Author
Sun Moon Secret
Rani's Seashell Necklace

Shazia Omar is a writer, activist and yogini. She has written two novels (Like a Diamond in the Sky, Penguin 2009 and Dark Diamond, Bloomsbury 2016) and a mind, body, spirit book (Intentional Smile: A Girl’s Guide to Positive Living, Bloomsbury 2016). She completed her undergraduate at Dartmouth College, USA and her Masters in Social Psychology at LSE, UK. When not working, writing or teaching yoga, Shazia is busy playing with her two beautiful children. Find out more about Shazia at www.shaziaomar.com.

Sophie Cousinié

Illustrator
Sun Moon Secret

Sophie Cousinié is a French artist and illustrator. Her unique drawings, hand-made with ink and painted with watercolors, range from animal portraits to representing humans in ordinary life situations. Sophie has done exhibitions and live drawing events in France and England and has also taken part in an international artistic residency in Kolkata, India.

Samai Haider

Author
Tilmund's Travel Tales

Samai Haider is an Economist by profession and a writer by passion. She has travelled to nearly 50 countries and lived in three and she uses her experiences to write stories to inspire others to see the world. Samai has been featured on the Lonely Planet and she was a finalist for the 2015 World Nomads Travel Food Scholarship. She continues her quest to find new adventures, now with a family in tow, and chronicle them for fellow travel enthusiasts. You can find her at www.samaihaider.com.

Reesham Shahab Tirtho Headshot
Reesham Shahab Tirtho

Illustrator
Tilmund's Travel Tales

Reesham Shahab Tirtho is an architect, illustrator and cartoonist based in Dhaka, Bangladesh. His unique illustrations have been featured in renowned national dailies, monthly magazines and publishing houses. He is famous for his elaborate mural work that beautifies many areas of Dhaka City. Reesham loves travelling, cinema, music, books, cartoons, and most of all, spending time with his little girl.

Syed Rashad Imam Tanmoy

Illustrator
Where are the Chonchols?

Syed Rashad Imam Tanmoy (or Tanmoy) is an editorial cartoonist and comic book artist from Bangladesh. He is the associate editor for “Unmad”, the longest running South Asian satire magazine. His Graphic novel Mujib is based on the autobiography of the Father of the Nation ‘Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’ has been published in 10 episodes. 

Asma Ul Husna Sanchita

Author
I am Bokul

Sanchita is a creative writer, a cartoonist and a teacher from Dhaka, Bangladesh. She is also the author of two illustrated children stories in Let's Read Asia of The Asia Foundation. Sanchita’s purpose in life is to make this world a little bit better for the next generation through her stories.

Mayyu Ali

Author
The White Elephant

Mayyu Ali is a Rohingya poet and the author of EXODUS: Between Genocide and Me. He has published op-eds in New York Time, Washington Post, TIME, Financial Time, The Independent, CNN, Al Jazeera, etc. He is the editor and co-founder of Art Garden Rohingya. 

Nabidur Rahman

Illustrator
The White Elephant

Sayeef Mahmud

Illustrator
Rani's Seashell Necklace

Sayan Mukherjee

Illustrator
I am Bokul

Yasmin Ullah

Author
Hafsa and the Magical Ring

Yasmin Ullah is a Rohingya human rights activist. She was born in the Northern Rakhine state of Myanmar. Her family fled to Thailand before resetting in Canada in 2011. Her previous works such as Time to Act: Rohingya Voices exhibition with the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, the Genocide Learning Tool with the Montréal Holocaust Museum and the Anthology: I Am A Rohingya where she published her poetry can be found on both Museums' sites.

Rafiuzzaman Rhythom

Illustrator
Hafsa and the Magical Ring

Humairah Shams

Illustrator
Where in the World? A-Z Flashcards

Humairah is an artist, calligrapher and self-proclaimed wildflower. Based in Bangladesh, she's currently working as the Artist and Designer for Made With Love, an art boutique she co-founded with her sister. She’s also an occasional workshop instructor where she conducts creative workshops on watercolor and calligraphy.