Aya Ghanameh is a Palestinian illustrator, writer, and designer from Amman, Jordan based in New York City. Her work moves away from state-centric ways of thinking to center the voices of ordinary people in historical and political narratives. Her debut children's picture book, THESE OLIVE TREES (Viking Books, 2023), is inspired by the experiences of her family who cultivated her love of the earth throughout her upbringing in exile. She is also the illustrator of DEAR MUSLIM CHILD by Rahma Roodah (Balzer + Bray, 2024), and EVERYTHING GROWS IN JIDDO'S GARDEN by Jenan A. Matari (Interlink Publishing, 2025).
Aya graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design with a BFA in Illustration and a minor in Literary Arts & Studies. Previously a Children's Books & Gifts Design Fellow at Chronicle Books, she is now a Designer at Penguin Workshop (Penguin Random House).
For all publishing inquiries, please contact Anjali Singh at the Anjali Singh Literary Agency at anjali@anjalisinghagency.com.
For all other inquiries, including author visits or commission illustration and design work, please contcat Aya at aya@ayaghanameh.com.
Clients Include:
Penguin Random House, HarperCollinsPublishers, Interlink Publishing, Awesome Socks, Good Store, Vestal Review, Khoreo Magazine, Strange Horizons.
Features:
"April 2025 ECO Bookworm" American Public Health Association selection, April 2025
"Celebrating Arab American Heritage Month Through Picture Books" New York Public Library, April 2025
"A Palestinian writer’s love letter to her late grandmother" Middle East Monitor, February 5, 2024
"Best Books for Kids 2023" New York Public Library, 2024
"These Olive Trees: A stunning children's book about land and loss in Palestine" Middle East Eye, September 12, 2023
"Author Chat With Aya Ghanameh (THESE OLIVE TREES)" YA and Kids! Books Central, August 24, 2023
"THESE OLIVE TREES" Kirkus Review, August 22, 2023
"Meet the Author: Aya Ghanameh" BookPage, August 22, 2023
