A Moment with Aliya Anjum
Wednesday, June 26, 2013 11:30
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Tell us about your most recent release.
My most recent release is a novella titled, “Natasha: A tale of revenge.” It’s the story of a 30-something Pakistani housewife living a happy married life. Her life changes when the past comes to haunt her. Used and dumped by the man she loved, she had moved on, to get married and have children with a man she comes to love. But it seems that the past never really is behind us. Natasha meets two strangers, who, respectively offer hope and revenge. Caught in the web woven by one, Natasha does the unthinkable, risking everything she holds dear.
What else do you have coming out?
I would like to keep that one a surprise.
Is there anything you want to make sure potential readers know?
Yes. My stories revolve around Muslim women, or Pakistani Muslim women protagonists. Anyone curious about the lives of educated upper middle or upper class Pakistani women, is welcome to read my books to satisfy their curiosity.
What’s the most blatant lie you’ve ever told?
On occasion I may have committed an error calculating the time elapsed between my birth and the period elapsed since then.
What is the most demeaning thing said about you as a writer?
I have a few one-star reviews of my books. Alas! I am a review orphan with no friends or family flocking to my book’s Amazon page, showering me with praise. Some of my Amazon Verified Purchases may have been people who I ignored in school and college, and now they have their revenge. Yet others are people who simply lacked the worldview needed to appreciate my writing!
How do you react to a bad review of one of your books?
I read it carefully. I then just smile and move on. Either I or the reviewer, will mature with time, that’s the only conclusion.
When are you going to write your autobiography?
I lack the requisite level of narcissism to be able to toot my own horn!
Are the names of the characters in your novels important?
Very! Infact the hardest things for me in writing a fiction piece, is to find names becoming of my characters. I struggle with that, and in some cases I have changed my characters’ names multiple times midway, causing major editorial confusion later. Ms Word’s feature Find and Replace isn’t the best solution in such cases.
What about the titles of your novels?
I write for a niche market, and my shorts and novels are picked up by their titles. So titles are extremely important. I have to slip in buzz words such as, “Arranged marriage,” “Muslim woman” etc in the title.
Are there any occupational hazards to being a novelist?
Weight gain. We sit and read or write. Chocolates are a sinful indulgence known to foster creativity.
What’s your favorite fruit?
I love almost all fruits! Hard to pick a favorite! The one that comes to mind right now would be unknown to my American/western audience. It’s called Falsa, and it’s Pakistan’s best kept secret. We fear an invasion in it’s pursuit, lest it is tasted by the outsiders.
How many people have you done away with over the course of your career?
My writing career is in it’s infancy; I still have to work to get to the point where I can display hubris. But then, pride hath a fall, so …..
However, I once did dispatch someone but it was good riddance!
Ever dispatched someone and then regretted it?
I don’t regret my choices!
Have you ever been in trouble with the police?
Yes! With the traffic police! For headlights that had stopped working! When you’re born with XX chromosomes, you can get away with stuff like that.
So when were you last involved in a real-life punch-up?
A few weeks ago! Hehe!
If you were going to commit the perfect murder, how would you go about it?
Murders are not my cup of tea, even in fantasy! I dream of good, not evil!
What do you want to be when you grow up?
I hope never to grow up! You see, growing older is mandatory, but growing up is entirely optional! Growing up entails growing past the little joys of life.
What is your favorite bedtime drink?
Herbal tea!
Do you ever wish that you had an entirely uncreative job, like data entry or working in a factory?
I don’t desire a job, where I have a boss. I drive my own chariot!
Do you believe in a deity?
There IS a God!
Do you ever write naked?
Nopes! It’s very unhygienic!
Who would play you in a film of your life?
Someone with natural grace.
What are the most important attributes to remaining sane as a writer?
Reading non-fiction on a regular basis; being close to family; caring for people; and never forgetting that there is a real world where we live, most of the times!
Have you ever read or seen yourself as a character in a book or a movie?
Scheherazade of the Arabian Nights. She epitomizes story-telling!
What is the single most powerful challenge when it comes to writing a novel?
Writing something believable; intriguing; and endearing; all at the same time!
What do you consider your biggest failure?
Too many to count. But my failures define me; I wouldn’t be who I am, if it weren’t for my failures! We learn from our mistakes and our blunders! We also get polished through them. One has never failed, has never had the courage to follow their dreams, and one who has never shown courage has not lived!
Do you research your novels?
Yes! To the minutest detail. If a character liked a movie as a kid, I will make sure the movie was released when the character was old enough to have liked it. If I write about a certain kind of restaurant, I look it up online!
How much impact does your childhood have on your writing?
Childhood is an important part of everyone’s life. It surfaces in our work, one way or another. People with a happy childhood are more secure with themselves.
What was the greatest thing you learned at school?
I suffered through eighteen years of school, always feeling that there was knowledge to be learnt outside the confines of those classrooms!
Do you laugh at your own jokes?
Sometimes!
Do you admire your own work?
Sometimes! I am also my own worst critic!
What are books for?
To intrigue, engage, inform, encourage, inspire, entertain and enthrall.
Are you fun to go on vacation with?
Depends entirely upon the company!
How do you feel about being interviewed?
I enjoy it!
Why do you think what you do matters?
It matters because it helps shed negative stereotypes, and spread the message of a universe where people everywhere are alike. People share hopes, dreams, aspirations, struggles, failures and sorrows! There is no “the other” in my work, and if I can get people to think on those lines, I think many individuals would find inner peace!
Have you ever found true love?
Love comes in many forms. Cats are thought to be selfish, but mine truly loves me!
How many times a day do you think about death?
Death is never on my mind, unless there is a reminder in the form of an event or a mention. When it comes, there is no escaping it, but why live in it’s fear?
Are you jealous of other writers?
Only of the ones famous without just cause!
What makes you cry?
I don’t like to cry!
What makes you laugh?
A whole lot of things! It doesn’t take much to make me laugh. I live life to the fullest, and derive pleasure from the little joys in life!
What are you ashamed of?
Procrastination!
What’s the loveliest thing you have ever seen?
The sun diving into the sea in Nafplio, Greece. I love sunsets by the sea!
Aliya Anjum lives in a city by the sea, by the name of Karachi in Pakistan. Aliya Anjum has donned many a persona: an international banker with a French and a British Bank, a volunteer setting up the marketing department of an NGO that builds schools for the least privileged in Pakistan, a graduate student in the US, a struggling consultant, a TV live show anchor for a brief bit, an employee of the Pakistan Government, graduate school faculty, and finally an author. All along these conflicting and challenging identities, Aliya kept up her work as a scribe. She got published in Pakistan’s major English daily at 17. Over the years, she has freelanced for major English dailies writing on almost the entire gamut of journalism from op-eds, book reviews to travelogues, economic critiques and social issues write-ups. Aliya has also won three National Book Foundation national prizes for children’s fiction, YA fiction and history. Aliya graduated from the Institute of Business Administration, Karachi with a British system based four year BBA/MBA degree She later attended Philadelphia University for an MS in Marketing.
Find my books at Amazon:
Find my work on Goodreads:
Facebook:
My Blog:
Dan O’Brien
Editor, Empirical
Author: of The End of the World Playlist, Bitten, Cerulean Dreams, and The Journey
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Source: http://thedanobrienproject.blogspot.com/2013/06/a-moment-with-aliya-anjum.html
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