Amra Sabic-El-Rayess

PROFESSOR, RESEARCHER, STORYTELLER

About Amra Sabic-El-Rayess

Dr. Sabic-El-Rayess first became a teacher as a young teen during the Bosnian Genocide. In a letter written by President Joe Biden himself, he wrote: “I am inspired by the bravery and strength you have shown in the face of heartbreaking tragedy and persecution.” Reflecting on Dr. Amra Sabic-El-Rayess’ award-winning memoir The Cat I Never Named (Bloomsbury, 2020), the President described her as “the very idea of America” itself. As a Bosniak (Bosnian Muslim) woman and survivor of the Bosnian Genocide, who immigrated to America, Dr. Sabic-El-Rayess has transformed from being an object of hate-fueled violence to a renowned scholar, author, activist, and storyteller who is an exemplar of resilience in the face of hate and extremism. Today, Dr. Sabic-El-Rayess is a professor and researcher at Teachers College, Columbia University. She has taught, researched, and published on a range of issues in education, including Educational Displacement, hate prevention, and storytelling. Dr. Sabic-El-Rayess engages regularly with diverse audiences around the world.

Amra’s Experiences

Dr. Sabic-El-Rayess has worked in various capacities for Columbia University, Goldman Sachs, Deutsche Bank, UNDP, IFES, IMC, OSCE, UNICEF and other globally renowned institutions.

Columbia University, Teachers College

Associate Professor of Practice

Harriman Institute

Affiliated Faculty Member

  • “To us, American values seem universal and unimpeachable: democracy, fair play, and hard work. We wonder how anyone cannot hungrily embrace such obvious virtues. But to a poor, forgotten person in a ravaged country, the simple helping hand and moral guidance of a caring mentor can prove far more persuasive.”

    — AMRA, HUFFPOST

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Amra’s Books

A True Story of Love, War and Survival. Selected as the Junior Library Gold Standard. Amra was awarded a 2021 Finalist Medal for Excellence in Young Adult Nonfiction by the American Library Association and Best Book recognition by School Library Journal, Malala Fund, Capitol Choices, and Children’s Center for Literature for her biographical exploration of resilience to targeted violence and hate. The Cat I Never Named has been integrated into the K-12 curricula and higher education courses throughout the United States as one the defining texts on resilience to hate, empowerment through education, and a Muslim experience in the context of the Bosnian war. Click the book cover image below to purchase.

THE CAT I NEVER NAMED

THREE SUMMERS

A Memoir of Sisterhood, Summer Crushes, and Growing Up on the Eve of the Bosnian Genocide. Amra’s next nonfiction contribution, Three Summers (Macmillan Publishers-FSG, 2024), is a story of sisterhood and resilience in the three years leading up to the Bosnian Genocide. Three Summers is the story of five young cousins who grow closer than sisters as ethnic tensions escalate over three summers in 1980s Bosnia. They navigate the joys and pitfalls of adolescence on their family’s little island in the middle of the Una River. When finally confronted with the harsh truths of the adult world around them, their bond gives them the resilience to discover and hold fast to their true selves. In bookstores, April 2024! Click the book cover image below to purchase and watch the trailer here.

Contact Dr. Sabic-El-Rayess