Malaka Gharib is a writer, journalist, and cartoonist whose work spans memoir, reporting, and illustration. She is the author of I Was Their American Dream: A Graphic Memoir, winner of an Arab American Book Award and named one of the best books of the year by NPR, The Washington Post, Kirkus Reviews, and the New York Public Library. Her second book, It Won’t Always Be Like This, explores her summers with her father and stepmother in the Middle East. Gharib’s comics, zines, and writing have appeared in outlets such as NPR, The Believer, The Nib, Catapult, and The New Yorker. She lives in Nashville with her husband, Darren, and their dog, Sheeboo.

At NPR, Gharib serves as the digital editor of the podcast Life Kit. Previously, she was deputy editor and digital strategist on NPR’s global health and development team, where she covered issues including the refugee crisis, gender equality, and women’s health. Her reporting has earned recognition with two Gracie Awards: in 2019 for How To Raise A Human, a series on global parenting, and in 2015 for #15Girls, which profiled teenage girls around the world. By day, she continues to work on NPR’s science desk, focusing on global health and development.

Before joining NPR in 2015, Gharib worked at the Malala Fund, the global education charity founded by Malala Yousafzai, and at the ONE Campaign, an anti‑poverty advocacy group founded by Bono. She is a graduate of Syracuse University, where she earned a dual degree in journalism and marketing. Through her multifaceted career, Gharib has become known for blending storytelling, advocacy, and art to illuminate the experiences of diverse communities and to make complex global issues accessible.