One may now include ”novelist”  when talking about Ayad Akhtar, who is already an accomplished playwright, screenplay writer and actor.  American Dervish is Akhtar’s debut novel.  It deals with the the subject of Muslim-American identity.  Says Akhtar of his novel:

 I wanted to drop the reader into a Muslim skin and make this a unique reading experience… I think it’s a reflection on faith and the different versions of approaching Islam. But it’s also a universal story about faith that can resonate across religions.

For more on American Dervish and Ayad Akhtar read here.