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from C. J. Biggin

A primary school in the UK sent through a stack of completed "Create Your Own Koa-Kua" pages — and the results are wonderful. From bold, colorful designs to quietly detailed character studies, every student took the free IYANWA & FAHLI classroom activity somewhere completely different. Here's a look at what happens when kids get a blank character sheet and full creative freedom.

In IYANWA, every soul begins its journey before the world even knows their name. And in FAHLI, the adventure continues — deeper, stranger, and more wondrous than before. These are stories about the courage it takes to arrive, the bonds that carry us through the unknown, and the quiet heroism of simply being here. Because according to IYANWA, you have already completed life's grandest adventure. You have already proved your wonder.

The editorial assessment for FAHLI just landed in my inbox. I won't share everything my editor said — but the phrase I'll be carrying with me for a long time is: "Wow. Wow. Wow." June 23rd is looking good.

When writing these books, I wanted the understanding of the world to broaden. To give the reader far more depth and context to each of the decisions.

After many versions, and ideas, I'm ready to share: This is the front cover for FAHLI — the prequel to IYANWA. FAHLI front cover, illustrated by C.J. Biggin I got some time to myself out in Joshua Tree over winter, and I went out with a simple, single plan: write and draw. Write as much as I could, and when I was done writing - draw. Stop for nothing but rest, air, and tea. I'd been carrying ideas around for the FAHLI cover for a while, I had even gotten a good distance into

Day 2 of my Joshua Tree writing retreat brought deep rewrites, breakthroughs, endless tea, and finishing(!) Fahli, the prequel to Iyanwa.

Some moments felt expansive and clear. Others felt uncomfortable, even confronting. But that’s often where the best writing lives—past the point of convenience, in the spaces where you can’t easily look away.