“Ignited by the word terrorist in the opening poem ‘Chai,’ this powerful collection boils with intensity. A raw and real portrait of what it’s like to feel othered and alienated by daily doses of hate, this work stands out for its tenderness and throat-grabbing use of imagery. Islamophobia is a landscape of quicksand skin, snatched hijabs, and bomber jackets that can’t be worn because they are called bomber jackets. Slurs, epithets and stereotypes, mistaken identity and gun violence woven across themes of friendship, kinship and ancestry, these poems employ a wide range of voices and tones to convey a nuanced spectrum of emotions and a laser sharp critique of Canada’s blatant and covert systemic racism. A tight collection, no soft landings.” –Jury panel, 2022 RBC/PEN Canada New Voices Award

“Malik’s candid poems unflinchingly investigate what is most problematic and upsetting in society while insisting that joy exists under all conditions.” —Publishers Weekly

“Streams That Lead Somewhere is a rich and generous consideration of place, of home, of pushing beyond survival and into a joyful thriving. Fareh Malik is a poet who builds upon what already exists, so thoughtfully, each poem is its own utopia I did not want to exit.” –Hanif Abdurraqib, author of They Can’t Kill Us Until They Kill Us

“Fareh Malik’s joyous, hopeful and poignant collection of poetry touches on topics ranging from love to drinking chai to Islamophobia. A truly heartwarming and eclectic collection.” –Zarqa Nawaz, creator of Little Mosque on the Prairie, author of Laughing All the Way to the Mosque and Jameela Green Ruins Everything

“Poems that make the political personal with ever expanding lyricism and grit. This is a collection as evocative and lingering as it is profound. An unforgettable debut.” –Ausma Zehanat Khan, author of Blackwater Falls

“Softly defiant and sparkling with vulnerability, Malik’s collection approaches racism, othering and Islamophobia with literary and emotional rigour. Across varied forms and approaches, Malik’s poetic voice reverberates: ‘Trust me on this,’ he writes, and we do. These direct and unflinching poems will grip you.” –Jaclyn Desforges, author of Danger Flower