THE ALIGNIST ON OPRAH’S GRATITUDE-O-METER
O MAGAZINE

“Want to get to know other countries? The Alignist, The UN of subscription services, sends a different country-themed box every [three] months containing a novel and fair-trade sourced goods representing far-flung, oft-misunderstood places.”

THIS MONTLY SUBSCRIPTION SENDS YOU NOVELS FROM AROUND THE WORLD
FAST COMPANY

"In a new monthly subscription box called The Alignist, [Beenish] Ahmed offers a different novel from a different country [every three months]. 'I had, and still have, this sense that it’s sort of hard to get people to feel deeply connected to international stories, to have a reason to click on those stories . . . The idea behind it is to give people an in to care, and a point of connection, which I think novels offer,' she says."

INTRODUCING THE BOOK CLUB THAT BRINGS THE WORLD RIGHT RO YOUR DOOR
DEPARTURES MAGAZINE

"The novels selected for The Alignist are not necessarily this year’s bestsellers or last year’s Pulitzer winners. Besides being rich, captivating books, The Alignist selections seek to explore the real circumstances of a specific corner of the world. " 

ALIGNING LITERATURE AND THE NEWS
Poets & Writers Magazine

"An avid reader, journalist, and creative writer, [Beenish] Ahmed turned to literature for an answer. She started the Alignist, a bimonthly book subscription service she hopes will provide a different way for readers to understand sociopolitical issues and engage with other cultures." 

THE ALIGNIST BOX SEEKS TO BRIDGE DIVIDES THROUGH EMPATHY AND READING.
Amy Poehler's Smart Girls

"Literature has this magical ability to make you understand what life is like for someone completely different than you. A good book gives you an in to another world. You start to care about its characters — and then maybe you think about people they represent differently.

HOW ONE FREELANCER IS MAKING THE JUMP TO MEDIA ENTREPRENEURSHIP
INTERNATIONAL JOURNALISTS' NETWORK

"The idea for her startup came as she realized her frustration with the somewhat superficiality of international news reporting. [Beenish Ahmed] said the coverage sometimes goes from 'headline to headline without getting that deeper understanding” about the cultural aspects of a country or the day-to-day struggle and concerns of its citizens.'"