​​​BRAMPTON, ON (February 19, 2019) – The City of Brampton and the Festival of Literary Diversity (FOLD) present An Evening with Zarqa Nawaz on Friday, March 22, 2019. In celebration of Nawaz’s work, the event will include an evening of storytelling and intimate conversation hosted by Jael Richardson, Artistic Director of the FOLD, followed by Nawaz’s induction into the Brampton Arts Walk of Fame.

Nawaz is best known as the creator of CBC’s Little Mosque on the Prairie, the world’s first sitcom about a Muslim community living in the west. The hit show ended in 2012 after six successful seasons and is now broadcast in over 60 countries. She is also a best-selling author for her comedic memoir Laughing All the Way to the Mosque, on growing up as a Canadian of Muslim faith. Nawaz is a frequent public speaker on Islam, comedy, gender, faith, multiculturalism and plurality. She currently hosts CBC News Saskatchewan.

Born in Liverpool, England, Nawaz’s family moved to Brampton in the 1980s, where she attended Fallingdale Elementary School and Chinguacousy Secondary School. In her memoir, Nawaz explores the struggles of fitting in with her classmates as a child of immigrants, and being “the only brown girl in [her] class.”

An Evening with Zarqa Nawaz will take place at the Rose Studio II at 7:30 pm. The event includes a screening of Nawaz’s hit show, a reading from her memoir, a Q&A and her Arts Walk of Fame Induction Ceremony and reception. Tickets are $20 and are available now at www.rosetheatre.ca.

“Brampton’s Arts Walk of Fame puts the spotlight on some of the outstanding talent that has emerged from our diverse community,” said Mayor Patrick Brown. “We’re pleased to welcome Zarqa Nawaz back to Brampton to celebrate her contributions to the arts in Canada.”

Brampton’s Arts Walk of Fame is one of the City of Brampton’s key recognition programs, celebrating and building connections with the incredible artistic and creative talent emerging from Brampton, while inspiring the next generation of artists and creators in Brampton to follow in their footsteps. Hailing from Brampton or having spent their formative years there, inductees are selected for achieving excellence in the arts and entertainment industry, for building pride in the Brampton community, and inspiring emerging artists and creators.