Fariha Róisín


Fariha Róisín is an Australian-Canadian writer. She released her debut poetry collection How to Cure a Ghost in 2019 and her debut novel Like a Bird in 2020. Her first work of non-fiction was written in 2022, ''Who is Wellness For: An Examination of Wellness Culture and Who it Leaves Behind.''
𝕏 fariharoisin

Early life

Róisín was raised in a Muslim family to Bangladeshi immigrant parents in Sydney, Australia. Her father is a university lecturer and academic, and her mother is an artist. Róisín's maternal grandfather was Mohammad Abdul Haque, a socialist former member of Parliament in Bangladesh.
Róisín moved to the United States at age 19 to study law at university, but dropped out to pursue a writing career.

Career

Róisín has been a freelance writer since 2010 and has written for publications including: IndieWire, HuffPost, Filmmaker, The New York Times, Bon Appetit and The Hairpin. She began her writing career in 2010 via an internship at the fashion blog StyleLikeU, and then participated in a program at the Critics Academy to learn how to be a film critic. Many of her written pieces are film criticism, cultural criticism and/or first-person personal essays. She also frequently writes about self-care, mental illness, spirituality and socio-political issues. From 2012 to 2017 she co-hosted the pop culture analysis podcast Two Brown Girls with friend and fellow writer Zeba Blay. Róisín appeared in Jidenna's 2019 music video for the song "Sufi Woman".
Róisín debut poetry collection How to Cure a Ghost was published in 2019 by Abrams Image. She describes the collection as relating to "traumas she's experienced as a queer Muslim woman," and it explores topics including islamophobia, the experience of sexual assault, and white supremacy. The collection was written over five years.
Róisín's first novel Like A Bird was published in 2020 by Unnamed Press.

Personal life

Róisín is Muslim and queer. She has previously lived in Montreal and New York City, and currently resides in Los Angeles. She is a survivor of child sexual abuse. During adolescence she engaged in self-harm and experienced suicidal ideation, and attempted suicide at age 25.

Works

  • 2019. How to Cure a Ghost. Abrams Image. 2019.
  • 2020. Like a Bird. Unnamed Press. 2020.
  • 2022. Who Is Wellness For?: An Examination of Wellness Culture and Who It Leaves Behind. HarperWave. 2022.
  • 2023. Survival Takes a Wild Imagination. 2023.