Salaams! to Muslim readers as Sweet Cherry Publishing launches imprint
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Sweet Cherry Publishing has spent more than a decade building a reputation for doing what others said could not be done: breaking glass ceilings in a relatively conservative industry. Its principal commitment to access and inclusion birthed Every Cherry, the world’s first and only Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)-first imprint. To celebrate the National Year of Reading, Sweet Cherry Publishing is boldly returning to its roots to launch Salaam Cherry, a new imprint dedicated to Muslim stories, Muslim readers and Muslim talent.
Salaam Cherry exists because for too long, Muslim children have grown up not seeing themselves reflected in the books they read. If and when they do, it is usually through heavy issue stories instead of normal, joyful, everyday life. That gap matters, because books teach children what is normal and who belongs.
The UK has one of the largest and youngest Muslim populations in Europe; Muslim families buy books, yet the catalogue they shop from is still thin and often skewed. Islam is the world’s second-largest faith, yet Muslim creators still fight for shelf space and fair commissioning. A Muslim imprint is needed to provide cultural fluency so it can publish stories that treat prayer, Ramadan, names, clothing and family traditions as ordinary rather than something strange. Salaam Cherry’s ambition is to normalise Muslim presence on the children’s shelf in the same way Every Cherry helped to normalise SEND-centred publishing.
Salaam Cherry aims to publish ordinary, joyful, funny, sporty, dreamy, imperfectly human Muslim stories that can be enjoyed by any child. The stories are not different in purpose, but they respect the norms of the readers they serve. One example is how many Muslim homes avoid books that depict faces. Salaam Cherry chose to design beautiful books without facial features being seen, to remove that barrier. It is a tiny change for others yet a decisive one for those who need it and the books remain fully enjoyable to everyone else. A small act of respect can unlock access without taking anything away.
When Muslim stories do get published, key choices about art, tone and printing are usually made by people with no lived experiences of the cultures being represented. Salaam Cherry is challenging that by building a comprehensive portfolio of Muslim authors, illustrators, designers and even printing houses, so cultural nuances stay inside the community without compromising on quality.
Our fabulous list of titles includes Super Fun Niqabi Mum!, A Case of Sunnahs and The Body Book for Muslim Girls, with our first title, Too Soon for the Moon!, launching in January 2026.
Sweet Cherry’s success with Every Cherry proved that when you shine the spotlight on readers who are generally overlooked, the market responds. Salaam Cherry is the next step in that same logic; a focused, Muslim-led, globally minded imprint, because every child deserves to grow up with stories that feel like home.
To support this new imprint, or for more information about Salaam Cherry’s wonderful books and to receive advance copies and previews, please contact kelly@sweetcherrypublishing.com
