Mona: An Immodest Memoir of Race and Rebellion (Memoir) set for publication on November 17, 2026 by Tiny Reparations / Penguin Random House

Mona: An Immodest Memoir of Race & Rebellion turns the Repressed Muslim Girl trope on its head as Azra, academic by day and stripper by night, navigates a double life while her parents frantically try to arrange her marriage.
“I’ll be happy if Mona forces a rethinking of race, empire, and labor, and even happier if it elicits a belly laugh and some cheek-reddening titillation.”
Azra Liaqat Khan is the pseudonym for an award-winning political science professor and labor organizer in the northeast. She has written widely about the politics of race, immigration, and US empire. Mona is a departure from her academic work and has been a joy to write. Azra hopes to continue cultivating her creative writing alongside her scholarly publications.
Find Azra on Instagram: @azraliaqatkhan