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The F Team

368 pages
Paperback, 21 x 14.8 cm
Published September 2020
ISBN 9781925818543
Epub ISBN 9781925818550
Epdf ISBN 9781925818567

The F Team

Rawah Arja

Meet Tariq Nader, leader of ‘The Wolf Pack’ at Punchbowl High, who has been commanded by the new principal to join a football competition with his mates in order to rehabilitate the public image of their school. When the team is formed, Tariq learns there’s a major catch – half of the team is made up of white boys from Cronulla, aka enemy territory – and he must compete with their strongest player for captaincy of the team.

At school Tariq thinks he has life all figured out until he falls for a new girl called Jamila, who challenges everything he thought he knew. At home, his outspoken ways have brought him into conflict with his family. Now, with complications on all fronts, he has to dig deep to control his anger, and find what it takes to be a leader.

In confronting and often hilarious situations, Tariq’s relationships with his extended Lebanese family and his friends are tested like never before, and he comes to learn that his choices can have serious consequences.

A great novel. The dialogue jumps off the page. Funny and authentic and full of characters I loved.Melina Marchetta

Rawah Arja has written one of the best Australian novels I have ever read…not just because the writing sparkles even as it packs a punch, but because this is the kind of novel that shows us what Australia really is.Randa Abdel-Fattah

Rawah Arja’s work explores what it means to grow up in Australia today. It is full of big-hearted young people facing the complexities of race, culture and place with a great sense of humour, mateship and a few footballs. Arja is an astounding new talent whose work will speak to young people everywhere. The F Team is a fresh, surprising work that is set to become a young adult classic.Felicity Castagna

About the Author

Rawah Arja

Rawah Arja is a writer and teacher from Western Sydney. Her first book, The F Team, was published by Giramondo in 2020. Her writing has featured in Second City: Essays From Western Sydney (2021), Arab, Australian, Other (2019), SBS Voices and at the Sydney Writer’s Festival. She has received a fellowship from WestWords Varuna Emerging Writers’ Residential Program, is a member of the Finishing School collective of women writers, and teaches creative writing at schools and workshops.

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Reviews

A glorious, uproariously funny debut brimming with the idioms, rhythms and realities of Australian teenagers today… With compassion and delicacy, Rawah Arja crafts a nuanced interrogation of masculinity


VPLA Judges’ report

Awards

Shortlisted, 2021 Prime Minister’s Literary Awards, Young Adult Literature.

Highly Commended, 2021 Australian Book Design Awards, Best Designed Young Adult Cover.

Shortlisted, 2021 New South Wales Premier’s Literary Awards, Ethel Turner Prize for Young People’s Literature.

Shortlisted, 2021 New South Wales Premier’s Literary Awards, Multicultural NSW Award.

Shortlisted, 2021 Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards, Writing for Young Adults.

Shortlisted, 2021 Russell Prize for Humour Writing.

Shortlisted, 2021 Readings Young Adult Prize.

Longlisted, 2021 Australian Book Industry Awards, Book of the Year for Older Children (13+).

Notable, 2021 Children’s Book Council of Australia Book of the Year Award for Older Readers.

Features

Sydney Morning Herald ‘The Australian TikTok star trying to get young people to read’

Mirage News ‘Western Sydney authors shortlisted for NSW Premier’s Literary Awards’

SBS ‘Rawah couldn’t find any novels representing her community, so she wrote her own’

Interviews

Readings, A spotlight on The F Team by Rawah Arja

Radio Adelaide, Rawah Arja’s Debut

2ser, Book Club

The Wheeler Centre, Take Home Reading

Kill Your Darlings, KYD First Book Club

For Teachers

Download teaching guide (PDF)

YA Book Stack: In this podcast produced by the Victorian Association for the Teaching of English, Rawah reveals her motivations, inspirations and impetus for writing this narrative and shares her key messages and takeaways for young adult readers.

 

Related News

Ben Juers highly commended in the ABDAs for Best Designed Young Adult Cover

Ben Juers was highly commended in the Best Designed Young Adult Cover award, with the judges commenting: ‘Innovation is always bound to impress, with The F Team featuring a bold illustration that evokes drama and interesting typographic treatment [which] combine to create an eye-catching cover which breaks the mould of young adult covers.’

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Rawah Arja: a note on The F Team

Imagine living in a world where mirrors didn’t exist. You never saw yourself and you never knew what you looked like. That was my experience throughout high school as well as university – not only was a Muslim woman rare to find in print, people like me were demonised and our stories hijacked.

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