Author Profiles

Ohio has a rich literary heritage as well as some wonderful contemporary authors. Learn more about them here! You can sort by various categories and see who has participated in our annual book festival by using the category search on the left, or search by keyword (including partial author names) by using the search field on the right.

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Photo of Jashar Awan

Jashar Awan

Growing up outside of Washington, DC, Jashar Awan loved drawing and reading. In fact, he still does. For many years, he drew illustrations for publications such as The New Yorker, The New York Times, American Medical News, and Columbia Journalism Review. Jashar made his debut as an author/illustrator with What A Lucky Day!…Read More

Growing up outside of Washington, DC, Jashar Awan loved drawing and reading. In fact, he still does. For many years, he drew illustrations for publications such as The New Yorker, The New York Times, American Medical News, and Columbia Journalism Review. Jashar made his debut as an author/illustrator with What A Lucky Day! for Norton Young Readers. Publisher’s Weekly spotlighted him as one of the most promising children’s debut authors of Fall 2020. His second book, Only Ants for Andy, was selected for the 2023 & 2024 Choose to Read Ohio Booklist. Strum & Drum: A Merry Little Quest from Tundra Books was included in Publishers Weekly‘s 2022 Holiday Books for Kids, as well as Montreal Gazette‘s 2022 Holiday Books for Kids. His latest book, I’m Going To Build A Snowman, from Simon & Schuster has received starred reviews from Kirkus Reviews and School Library Journal and was included in Publishers Weekly‘s Holiday Gift Guide 2023: Children’s & YA. Today, Jashar lives in Ohio with his wife Emily and their son Maxwell, who loves drawing and reading, too.