PRESS KIT

BIOS

THE SHORT VERSION

Hanna Alkaf is a critically acclaimed author of books for kids and teens, including THE WEIGHT OF OUR SKY, THE GIRL AND THE GHOST, QUEEN OF THE TILES and HAMRA & THE JUNGLE OF MEMORIES. She is also co-editor of the YA anthology THE GRIMOIRE OF GRAVE FATES, co-creator and author of the upcoming MG horror series TALES FROM CABIN 23, and editor of the upcoming MG Southeast Asian fantasy anthology THE BEASTS BENEATH THE WINDS. She graduated with a degree in journalism from Northwestern University and spent over ten years in journalism and communications before trading in nonfiction for fiction. Hanna is a Freeman Award winner and a Kirkus Prize finalist. She lives in Kuala Lumpur with her family.

THE SLIGHTLY LONGER VERSION

Hanna Alkaf is the critically acclaimed author of THE WEIGHT OF OUR SKY (Salaam Reads/Simon & Schuster), THE GIRL AND THE GHOST (HarperCollins), QUEEN OF THE TILES (Salaam Reads/Simon & Schuster) and HAMRA & THE JUNGLE OF MEMORIES (HarperCollins). She graduated with a degree in journalism from Northwestern University and spent over ten years writing everything from B2B marketing emails to investigative feature articles, from non-profit press releases to corporate brochures. She worked in Chicago as an online copywriter for several years upon graduation before coming home to be with her family. She’s been a senior writer at Marie Claire Malaysia, the communications manager of education non-profit Teach For Malaysia, and a freelance journalist. Her articles have appeared in the Malaysian iterations of Marie Claire, Shape, and Esquire, as well as a host of other media both print and online. Her books have gotten starred reviews from Kirkus Reviews, School Library Journal, Publishers Weekly, and Booklist, have been Indie Next Picks and Junior Library Guild selections, and have earned a Kirkus Prize nomination and a Freeman Award.

Hanna now spends her time making it up as she goes along, both as an author of fiction and as a mom. She lives in Kuala Lumpur with her family. Her upcoming projects include the MG horror series TALES FROM CABIN 23 (co-creator and author, HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray, Summer and Fall 2024) and the Southeast Asian MG fantasy anthology THE BEASTS BENEATH THE WINDS (editor and author, Abrams, Spring 2025).

PLEASE SEE: A NOTE ON NAMES