Storyteller: Ashley Franklin

Ashley Franklin is a writer, mother, and adjunct college professor. She received her M.A. from the University of Delaware and B.A. from Albright College, both in English Literature. Ashley is the author of NOT QUITE SNOW WHITE (2019), “Creative Fixes” from the anthology ONCE UPON AN EID (2020), “Situationally Broke” from the anthology WHAT WE DIDN’T EXPECT (2020), and BETTER TOGETHER, CINDERELLA (2021). She’s also had several pieces published on popular online platforms such as Romper, Complex, About Islam, Medium, and more. Ashley grew up in Maryland, but she has also called Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Louisiana home. She currently resides in Arkansas with her family.

How will Muslim children see themselves in your stories?

“I don’t believe that all Muslim children will connect with my stories, but I do believe that all Muslim children will be able to find a bit of themselves in my stories. After all, we are not a monolith. I want to write Muslim characters who are proud, anxious, depressed, joyous, and more. I envision Muslim children to be able to take any one of my characters and recognize that they may have felt like that character at one time or another. They will see themselves as complex and relatable.”