She observes space, pilots machines on Mars and writes books! Farah Alibay is with us to present her most recent work, a fiction aimed at young people entitled Najma in the stars.
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In Quebec, Farah is recognized as a NASA engineer who worked on the Perseverance robot. But this week, she launched her first book of children’s fiction, Najma in the stars. Where did the idea for this book come from?
« A few months after the release of my first book, My Martian Year, in 2022, the publishing house contacted me to ask if I wanted to write a children’s book. This is how a travel idea became reality “, she explains.
Her partner, an artist and former sculpture student, now works in the field of video games. When it came to choosing an illustrator for his book, it was obvious to Farah that it would be Jeremy.
« As we imagined Najma’s story in the stars together, it was important to me that we shared authorship credit. It’s as much his idea as mine. We chose the main characters and their personalities together. »
Let’s talk a little about the history. Najma leaves Earth to explore fantastic worlds, but there is also real science in the book?
« Yes! Najma is a pre-teen who is passionate about science and math, but feels a little different from everyone else. She doesn’t really have any friends, but dreams of becoming a pilot like her parents. After a big failure and an argument with them, she decides to run away. In the distant future, instead of hiding at a friend’s house, she steals the family space shuttle and sets off in search of a new world where she could feel like she belongs. »
During her journey, she meets Broccoli, and together they visit planets with varied characteristics: a blue sun, erupting volcanoes, a sun that never sets…
« Each stopover is an opportunity for Najma to learn physics lessons.e,” adds Farah.
Najma in the stars, available now!
For her, it was essential to incorporate real scienceeven if it is a work of fiction. She always loved science fiction films which remain anchored in reality or which are based on physical principles. With Najma in the starsFarah Alibay offers young readers a thrilling adventure blending imagination and scientific learning, while inspiring dreams of exploration and discovery.
Editions Petit Homme
Buy it on Qublivre
Watch the interview with Farah above
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