This week YA author Amra Sabic-El-Rayess took over our Twitter as a part of our weekly Thursday Twitter Takeover. Amra Sabic-El-Rayess & Laura Sullivan are the writers of The Cat I Never Named. The Cat I Never Named is the stunning memoir of a Muslim teen struggling to survive in the midst of the Bosnian genocide–and the stray cat who protected her family through it all. See highlights from the takeover below.
Hello! Thanks so much YE for inviting me to take over! I’m Amra Sabic-El-Rayess, author of the award-winning book – The Cat I Never Named: A True Story of Love, War, and Survival. I’m super excited to be here and talk about my memoir! #YAAuthorTakeover #TheCatINeverNamed pic.twitter.com/PwfQoR235n
— WATCH 📺 LISTEN 🎧 READ 📚 (@YoungEntmag) February 25, 2021
#TheCatINeverNamed is a true story of how my life changed from that of a happy teen and math nerd who was about to fall in love with a boy to suddenly living under the Serb military siege, starving and struggling to survive constant bombing in Bosnia. #YAauthorTakeover
— WATCH 📺 LISTEN 🎧 READ 📚 (@YoungEntmag) February 25, 2021
#TheCatINeverNamed is a true story of how my life changed from that of a happy teen and math nerd who was about to fall in love with a boy to suddenly living under the Serb military siege, starving and struggling to survive constant bombing in Bosnia. #YAauthorTakeover
— WATCH 📺 LISTEN 🎧 READ 📚 (@YoungEntmag) February 25, 2021
Why did this happen to me? Serbia invaded Bosnia to eradicate Bosniaks who were hated because of our identity. #TheCatINeverNamed tells my true story of being a resilient teen in the midst of the genocide against Bosniaks, first to occur in Europe since WWII. #YAauthorTakeover pic.twitter.com/zVpGI7Z7NK
— WATCH 📺 LISTEN 🎧 READ 📚 (@YoungEntmag) February 25, 2021
What was my life like during the war? From 1992-1995, I spent 1,150 days in my besieged hometown of Bihac with no electricity & no access to food or the outside world. Once I walked through a minefield & crossed enemy lines to try to get food for my family. #YAauthorTakeover
— WATCH 📺 LISTEN 🎧 READ 📚 (@YoungEntmag) February 25, 2021
Did you have school during the war? We didn’t have normal schooling & the experience was similar to what teens are experiencing during this pandemic. But, whenever we had school, no one ever skipped classes because we wanted to see each other so badly! #YAauthorTakeover
— WATCH 📺 LISTEN 🎧 READ 📚 (@YoungEntmag) February 25, 2021
How did you learn if there was no school? I learned from the books I could find. I taught myself English from an old dictionary my Dad used in his college days. I would memorize all the words, their meaning & how to spell them even if I couldn’t pronounce them. #YAauthorTakeover pic.twitter.com/b5ZLnrKJby
— WATCH 📺 LISTEN 🎧 READ 📚 (@YoungEntmag) February 25, 2021
What helped you survive? I had an amazing family! My parents & my younger brother Dino were a source of strength for me, but I also had an unexpected & loyal friend I met at the onset of the war who saved my life several times during the war. #YAauthorTakeover #TheCatINeverNamed
— WATCH 📺 LISTEN 🎧 READ 📚 (@YoungEntmag) February 25, 2021
Who saved your life? Maci (Kitty in Bosnian). Maci was a cat who I met one day with a group of refugees coming into my hometown of Bihac. I had a scary encounter with the Serb soldiers and she showed up out of nowhere, calmed me down and followed me home. #YAauthorTakeover pic.twitter.com/OkFx5Z4Zgz
— WATCH 📺 LISTEN 🎧 READ 📚 (@YoungEntmag) February 25, 2021
Did you adopt Maci? Once my Dad & I got home, my Mom was not happy to see Maci with us. We had no food. My Mom worried about the war coming. She knew we couldn’t afford to feed Maci or ourselves, but Maci found a way & adopted herself into our family. #YAauthorTakever
— WATCH 📺 LISTEN 🎧 READ 📚 (@YoungEntmag) February 25, 2021
How did Maci save your life? Maci was truly brilliant. She was unlike any other cat I’ve known. Our city was first bombed on June 12th, 1992. My brother Dino and I were out with 4 of our friends, but stepped away from them because of Maci when a bomb hit. #YAauthorTakeover pic.twitter.com/uu54MIQxYN
— WATCH 📺 LISTEN 🎧 READ 📚 (@YoungEntmag) February 25, 2021
What happened to your friends after the bomb hit? Our 4 friends did not survive. Dino and I did, and this experience changed our lives. Today, I wouldn’t be here, and I wouldn’t have written #TheCatINeverNamed if Maci didn’t save my life on June 12th, 1992. #YAauthorTakeover pic.twitter.com/eRthU5YmzT
— WATCH 📺 LISTEN 🎧 READ 📚 (@YoungEntmag) February 25, 2021
What helped you survive daily? I thought I wouldn’t survive the war. So, I had to live while I could. One day, I decided I had to kiss a boy before it’s too late. I fell in love and that love story was a beautiful contrast to the ugliness of the #war. #YAauthorTakeover #book pic.twitter.com/a6t1TboxrB
— WATCH 📺 LISTEN 🎧 READ 📚 (@YoungEntmag) February 25, 2021
Why did you write this book? I’m worried about the rise of hatred in the US. I see family members not talking to each other or agreeing on what is true or not. I decided to share my story of survival to warn Americans how dangerous hatred can be. #YAauthorTakeover #book pic.twitter.com/t1YldRXTFx
— WATCH 📺 LISTEN 🎧 READ 📚 (@YoungEntmag) February 25, 2021
But, writing my story was also #empowering. No one controlled my narrative. I got to tell my story. Growing up, I was discriminated against in school & by my teachers. I never read a story with a Bosnian Muslim (Bosniak) girl in it. #YAauthorTakeover #book #education #inclusion
— WATCH 📺 LISTEN 🎧 READ 📚 (@YoungEntmag) February 25, 2021
What inspires you? I am inspired by my past. I don’t want what happened to me to ever happen to another child, teen or adult. We live once, and life is unpredictable as I’ve learned. So I use every day that I am here to advance social justice. #YAauthorTakeover #book #education pic.twitter.com/FDi7mSZWbU
— WATCH 📺 LISTEN 🎧 READ 📚 (@YoungEntmag) February 25, 2021
How do we build #resilience? Resilience doesn’t mean a person is invincible. It means finding internal strength to get through a difficult day or a year! In the worst moments during the war, I would say to myself to leave giving up for tomorrow. #YAauthorTakeover #book pic.twitter.com/E6BZw2j9U4
— WATCH 📺 LISTEN 🎧 READ 📚 (@YoungEntmag) February 25, 2021
What is your advice for teens who enjoy #writing? Tell your story! We need diverse and unique stories. Storytelling is a privilege and a powerful tool for building better communities. So write and speak up whenever you can. #YAauthorTakeover #book pic.twitter.com/bUuiejdwWF
— WATCH 📺 LISTEN 🎧 READ 📚 (@YoungEntmag) February 25, 2021
What is most surprising about your story? #TheCatINeverNamed is filled with love & funny moments illustrating that life can be beautiful even in the most difficult times. Most readers end up falling in love with the characters! #YAauthorTakeover #book #writing pic.twitter.com/g77nswUiFs
— WATCH 📺 LISTEN 🎧 READ 📚 (@YoungEntmag) February 25, 2021
This has been awesome! Thank you YE for letting me take over. For anyone interested in reading #TheCatINeverNamed you can find it on Amazon or https://t.co/lerfdN8LSV #YAauthorTakeover #book #writing pic.twitter.com/svP3DITUdV
— WATCH 📺 LISTEN 🎧 READ 📚 (@YoungEntmag) February 25, 2021
