We are asking quick questions of writers and thinkers coming to the WORD Christchurch Festival 2025 (Wednesday 27 August to Sunday 31 August).
Here are some quick answers from Dr Maysoon Salama.
What are you looking forward to doing in Ōtautahi Christchurch?
Christchurch is not only my home, but also the place where my life was changed forever. What I look forward to most is continuing to build bridges of understanding here, working with different communities to promote social cohesion, counter discrimination, and ensure that what happened on 15 March never happens again. I also look forward to the small, beautiful things: spending time with my family, especially my granddaughter who brightens my life and keeps me connected to her father’s legacy. Every time I see her laugh, I feel hope. And I look forward to contributing to conversations, events, and projects that make Christchurch a place of compassion, resilience, and unity.
What do you think about libraries?
Libraries are such precious spaces. To me, they are not only places to find books, but also places of connection, belonging, and learning for all ages and backgrounds. As someone who has written children’s books like Aya and the Butterfly and The Heavenly Papa Giraffe, I see libraries as safe places where children can explore difficult feelings, discover stories that reflect their own experiences, and learn empathy for others. I also love how libraries bring communities together across cultures, they are living symbols of social cohesion, which is something I care deeply about. In many ways, libraries are like bridges: they connect us to knowledge, to stories, and to one another.”
Share a surprising fact about yourself
I have two registered scientific patents from my PhD research project.
Maysoon at WORD Christchurch
Dr Maysoon Salama will be appearing at The Power of Resilience with Dr Lucy Hone and Jake Bailey, Sunday 31 August 10.30am to 11.30am at Tautoru / TSB Space, Tūranga.
More about Maysoon
Dr Maysoon Salama is a scholar in science with a PhD in food microbiology and molecular biology. She dedicates her time to educating the children of Muslim and non-Muslim families and is the co-founder and manager of two An-Nur Childcare Centres. She is the Emeritus National Coordinator for the Islamic Women Council.
Find books by Maysoon at the library
More Quick questions with WORD Christchurch guests
More WORD
Check the programme online or pick up a printed copy from your library.
- WORD Christchurch website
- Follow WORD Christchurch on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok
- Our WORD Christchurch 2025 page - Find books by writers coming to this year's festival
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