Zoé Mahfouz’s short story collection ADHD in D Minor, published by North Meridian Press in 2026, will be placed at the Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS) in Utah, USA, where crews engaged in simulated Martian research can access it. The MDRS, operated by The Mars Society, provides an isolated habitat designed to mimic conditions on Mars, allowing crews to study the challenges of living and working far from Earth. The book’s arrival introduces a literary work into a setting focused on the human experience beyond Earth.
The placement is notable because it brings a contemporary literary voice into a research environment typically dominated by scientific and technical materials. ADHD in D Minor was nominated for the PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize for Debut Short Story Collection and is held in university library collections internationally, including at Brown University, the University of Helsinki, and University College Cork. Its addition to the MDRS library signals a recognition that literature can contribute to the psychological and cultural dimensions of space analog missions.
For Mahfouz, the news comes as an unexpected milestone. She recalled that her elementary school teachers often said she had her head in the clouds. “Turns out, dreaming big took her from the clouds all the way to Mars,” according to the announcement. The remark underscores how a literary career can take unforeseen turns, and how independent publishers can help works reach unusual audiences.
North Meridian Press, an independent humanities publishing initiative based in Northeast Alabama, released the collection. Established in 2019, the press includes The North Meridian Review, an interdisciplinary journal of culture and scholarship, and North Meridian Books, its book publishing imprint. The press describes itself as writer- and artist-led, publishing fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and translation, with a commitment to distinctive literary voices and works that might otherwise find limited opportunities in traditional publishing.
The book is available for purchase through online retailers, including https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GZH5T4N3. The MDRS placement may encourage further dialogue about the role of the arts in space exploration and the importance of cultural materials in isolated, high-stress environments. As crews at MDRS simulate life on Mars, having access to fiction like ADHD in D Minor could offer a connection to human creativity and introspection, complementing the station’s scientific objectives.
