Cayenne Lit, musings of Shaila Abdullah

One Month, Two Great Offers

2011-07-05T07:35:00.000-07:00

If Saffron Dreams is still not on your virtual or actual bookshelf, there are two special promotions going on this month that you might want to consider:

Smashwords is selling the ebook version of Saffron Dreams for $1.25 (75% off, Regular price is $4.99) during their site-wide promotion. Use code SSW75 at checkout. Offer good through July 31, 2011. Visit site for details.
Enter to win one of five autographed copies of Saffron Dreams from Free Book Friday. Winners will be selected on Friday, July 8, 2011. Visit site for details.

Also please remember that free desk copies of the academic version of Saffron Dreams are still available to educators with an academic mailing address. Please send an email with your name, title, department name, possible course title, and institution's address to request your free copy.

The Real Hero

2011-06-05T09:48:00.000-07:00

Last weekend when we were celebrating our red, white and blue galore in the U.S., and barbecuing in the safety of our yards and communities, a country continued to bleed thousands of miles away.

It’s the one that for obvious reasons cannot stay out of news—Pakistan.

Tonight a family mourns the passing away of one of its members, murdered because he dared to state the truth. Syed Saleem Shahzad was Pakistan’s bureau chief for Asia Times Online. He left one evening to appear on a talk show and never returned. His body was found the next day—with evidence of prolonged torture.

It was obvious that the end did not come easily for that seeker of truth and justice.

The pain inflicted on Shahzad’s body was perhaps felt in the bones of many who report daily from that part of the world. And for good reason too. With the death of Shahzad, Pakistan is now the most dangerous country for journalists.

A total of 102 journalists were killed last year alone.

No longer can journalists find solace in the famous lines of the talented but naïve Pakistani poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz who once said, Bol ke Lab Azad He Tere, Speak for your tongue is free.

Mr. Faiz, 27 years after your death, our tongues might be free but our society is not.

Some would say 40-year old Shahzad led a risky life. Living in that part of the world you don’t play with fire––unless you are a moth hungry for a glimmer of light.

Shahzad had been warned countless times before to stop reporting on information considered sensitive by officials and riddled with deceit and corruption. After one such warning, he voiced concerns about his own safety but did not stop working.

A few days before his abduction, Shahzad reported on al-Qaida's infiltration of the navy at the heel of a 17-hour insurgent siege at a naval base in Pakistan.

With that story, some say, he paid for with his life.

I think of the wife who now bears the burden of telling her three children what happened to their father.

Would they ever dare to live the life he led? Would they ever choose the nerve-wracking life of a journalist?

The Center for Strategic and International Studies recently reported that Pakistan has entered the most volatile period of its history due to “unprecedented political, economic and social turmoil.” The daily lives of its citizens are punctuated by many periods that affect the normal flow of life and work—curfews, roadside bombs, insurgency, threats, robberies, kidnappings, secular violence and widespread corruption.

Some, like us, respond to all that by escaping to nations that can ensure the safety of our lives and that of our generations, rather than endure the grueling task of attempting to create it within the lands of our birth. We choose to live in a society where we don’t have to explain to our children why their progress is hindered by the acts of the very people who vow to protect it.

One wonders why the talented and able youth of Pakistan don’t come forward to take the reins of the battered country? Have we not seen in recent past what happens when a group of driven individuals take charge of a nation and in an instant alter the course of history?

The answer is simple. That is because those individuals have long fled. And those that remain have been successfully silenced.

I wonder who are the cowards in this game?

When it comes to courage, even those of us burning with the flame of reporting cannot come close to the one who lost his life in the line of duty.

Shahzad did what many of us didn’t dare do.

He chose to stay.

Why an Author Needs an Impressive Website

2011-05-22T17:08:00.000-07:00

We all understand the worth and value of first impressions.

When we prepare to attend our book signings or speaking events, we dress to impress. We enter in style and dazzle the audience. It is our moment, and we consider it our personal commitment to deliver our best. Yet, when it comes to websites, many of us choose DIY templates or hire nonprofessional relatives to create mediocre sites.

Results can be disastrous for authors seeking to make a lasting impression in the industry. Homegrown sites tend to look just that and make the visitors think you are not serious about your work to make an investment in it. If you are an author of some merit, chances are you have been Googled. So would the search findings make you proud or cringe in shame?

A website is an author's virtual home. Like it or not, you will be judged by that site. It is a vital marketing tool that will not only generate sales and leads for you but will help you create a fan base.

Hiring a professional pays in the long run. When choosing a website designer, make sure he or she has an impressive portfolio. You do not want a designer who delivers cookie-cutter solutions. The downside of using such a designer is that you will see their store-bought templates everywhere. A professional web designer provides clients with a series of questions geared to their particular genre, book, and personality before providing an estimate. I once had a client send me pictures of items that she kept on her desk to inspire her during her creative pursuit. I used elements and colors of those on her website. In the end, the client owned a site that reflected her style and personality-just like the creative environment in her own home.

So what are the elements of a striking website?

Read part 1 of my article on Funds For Writers

Triple Win for Saffron Dreams

2010-03-10T13:12:00.000-08:00

I have fantastic news to share!

In a span of just one month, Saffron Dreams has won three awards: Golden Quill Award, Reader Views Award and second place in Written Art Award.

Saffron Dreams was also adopted as a course study by UCLA and George Washington University. Responding to the needs of various educational institutions, we developed an academic edition of Saffron Dreams that includes an Instructor’s Manual containing discussion topics and questions for each chapter. Educators can use this manual in their classrooms to stimulate critical thinking, explore key themes of the novel, and brainstorm decisions and actions of the characters at various points. This edition also contains a suggested reading list, glossary, and recipes of dishes mentioned in the novel. The book is hot off the press.

A free desk copy can be requested by educators with an academic mailing address. Send in your request.

Read reviews
Read an excerpt
Watch a book video

Thank you, bloggers

2010-01-19T17:47:00.000-08:00

This is a bit late but I want to thank all the bloggers who rated Saffron Dreams as a must read book of 2009. I do appreciate the honor. Some direct links to the blog posts are below.

And here are some latest reviews for your enjoyment:

"Saffron Dreams by Shaila Abdullah is a novel that reads as if it is a genuine autobiography. You cannot help but feel that this is the story of someone genuinely caught up in 9/11, an innocent and haphazard victim. I enjoyed the way this story weaves back and forth, filling bits of the canvas until at the very end of the book you have worked through it all with Arissa, have come to terms. It also reminds us that whether moslem, christian, non-believers or whatever, all were caught up in this and there was no pity for any of the victims, whatever their religion or background story."
—51 stories

"I loved that this examined both the difficulties of being Muslim in post-9/11 America as well as the pain of losing a loved one on 9/11, and all in the guise of one character. Recommended."
—Devourer of Books

"Saffron Dreams is such a moving book. In its pages I found a character to care about, a story to enjoy, and issues to think about. Highly recommended."
—Medieval Bookworm

"Saffron Dreams is more than just an emotional journey of perseverance amid the most trying circumstances and tragic events, it is an evolution of one Muslim woman into a whole self, strong enough to stand alone and blossom." Read full review
—Savvy Verse and Wit

1 Day, 100 bloggers, 100 green books, 100 reviews

2009-11-10T05:25:00.000-08:00

On November 10, 2009, my novel Saffron Dreams was featured in Eco-Libris' 1 Day, 100 bloggers, 100 green books, 100 reviews campaign. This campaign is aimed at promoting “green books" by featuring 100 books printed on recycled paper or FSC-certified paper.

Over 100 bloggers took a stand to support books printed in an eco-friendly manner by simultaneously publishing reviews of more than 100 such books.

Book Blogger Serena M. Agusto-Cox of Savvy Verse & Wit will be reviewing Saffron Dreams on her blog today. Please visit Savvy Verse & Wit to read the review. Excerpt is below:

"Saffron Dreams is more than just an emotional journey of perseverance amid the most trying circumstances and tragic events, it is an evolution of one Muslim woman into a whole self, strong enough to stand alone and blossom." Read full review

For more information, visit the 100 green books page.

Author Interview: Sandhya Nankani

2009-09-17T09:10:00.000-07:00

Sandhya Nankani is an award-winning writer, editor, teacher, and curriculum consultant based in New York City. After editing Writing for Teens magazine, founding the teen literary blog WORD, and helping developing Expert 21, a new language arts program at Scholastic over the past five years, in 2008, she founded Literary Safari Inc., a NYC-based editorial services company. Her clients include the New York Times Learning Network, Columbia University’s Teachers College, McMillan’s Feiwel & Friends, Scholastic Education, Weekly Reader Publishing, and The Wright Group/McGraw Hill Publishing.

Born in Ghana and raised there, in India, and in the US, Sandhya is a graduate of Columbia University's undergraduate program and its School of International and Public Affairs. She is the editor of the multidisciplinary anthology Breaking the Silence: Domestic Violence in the South Asian-American Community and author of Moments with a Master: Meetings with Dada J.P. Vaswani. A regular contributor to Kahani, the South Asian literary magazine for children, she enjoys writing for children, young adults, and adults. She is the creator of the blog Literary Safari and a contributing writer for Sepia Mutiny, where she reviews adult and children’s books, interviews authors, and ruminates about all things arts, culture, lifestyle, and food related.

Author Interview
How did you choose this path?
I’ve always been the kind of person who doesn’t like to pigeon hole myself to one thing. As a college student and thereafter, I was always on the lookout for a career path that would allow me to engage my multiple interests and skills: education, writing & editing, social and international issues, managing, and entrepreneurship. After stints as a conference organizer and researcher at a university research organization, a freelance journalist, administrator of a writing and tutoring center at an undergraduate college, manager of an urban men’s clothing retail outlet, and editor at a few educational publishing houses over the past 12 years, I finally decided to venture out on my own and start my own editorial services business last summer.

My goal was two-fold: to give myself the opportunity to take on editing and writing projects in the educational, non-profit, and trade publishing realm that might not have come my way if I continued to think of myself as a language arts editor—which is what I’d been focusing on for the past five years—as well as to carve out time and space for my own creative pursuits.

I was born in Ghana to an entrepreneurial Sindhi family so the thought of venturing out on my own was not so much scary as it was inevitable, but still, this has been a big step; one that teaches me something new everyday (especially about self-discipline!).

What is it like to be a multicultural writer in the US? How do you define yourself?
I was born in Ghana and shuttled back and forth between Africa and India, where I went to school until I was twelve years old. It was in 6th grade that my family moved to the US; to a suburban town in NJ where there were only two other Indian-American kids in my class. Though I’ve lived in the US longer than I’ve lived in any other country, when people ask me where I’m from, I don’t ever feel like there’s an easy answer or definition. I’m most certainly American. I’m also Indian. And, there’s quite a bit of Ghana in me as well! I wrote an essay “Sankofa” several years ago which still epitomizes my feelings about my self-definition.

Being a “multicultural writer and editor” who has lived in different social and cultural environments has allowed me to apply my perspective in all my work, something I’ve found it especially useful in the world of educational publishing where it is more and more important to reflect the diversity of America’s social fabric and children’s experiences. So, whether I’m writing a play about immigration, helping create a reading list for middle grade students, or even, just writing a lesson plan or reading guide for a novel or non-fiction book, it helps to be able to view the world both from an insider and outsider point of view.

How did Breaking the Silence and Moments with a Master come into being? What is the inspiration behind your writing?
Both were fortunate accidents waiting to happen! In the case of Breaking the Silence, I was working at a research center at Columbia University the year after I completed graduate school. Part of my job was to organize a conference on domestic violence in the South Asian community where we brought together academics, activists, survivors, and performing artists to share their experiences and resources. This was back in 1997 when the subject of DV was even more taboo within our community than it is today so the notion of a day-long event devoted to recognizing the wonderful work that was being done to combat domestic violence was a noteworthy one.

After the conference, I started transcribing talks and began to speak to my sister, who at the time was working with Manavi, one of the oldest DV organizations in the US. It became increasingly clear to me that all the conversations and dialogue that had begun during that conference needed to be captured somehow, instead of just staying in file cabinets or on film. So, I put together a call for submissions and sat back to see what would happen. The response was overwhelming. Papers, fiction, poetry, artwork, and survivor testimonials poured in.

The logical next step was to write a proposal for a grant to fund the editing and publication and I took Mira Nair’s advice (I’d heard her give a talk about how she funded Salaam Bombay) of approaching the process from the point of view of a pizza pie—divide up the ultimate goal and seek help from as many small organizations and non-profits as possible. Enough funds came through and voila! The book was published using the print-on-demand model offered by Xlibris.com. This reduced the turnaround time of traditional publishing, as well as gave me some help with marketing and distribution (i.e. visibility on amazon.com). Today the book sustains itself. It is still available via Xlibris.com and through second party sellers on amazon, and to my surprise is used in a number of college classrooms and stocked in numerous libraries.

As for Moments with a Master, my grandmother’s guru Dada J.P. Vaswani visited her home in Ghana in 2001. During this visit, I interviewed him for an article in Hinduism Today. One thing led to another and on a subsequent visit to India, I had the opportunity to spend several afternoons with him, my notebook, and a tape recorder, working through a list of questions about life and spirituality. Soon after this visit, I was asked to write a biography of him. I began working on a book and soon found that it was impossible to write a biography without writing about my own encounter with his philosophy from the perspective of a twenty-something Indian-American. This was something that my father, an amazing writer, guided me toward when he read the drafts of my first chapters on a hospital bed at Memorial Sloan Kettering. I took my father’s advice seriously and wrote the book in the months following his passing in late 2001. The book was subsequently published in New Delhi and is now in its second edition.

What can you tell us about Literary Safari. It seems like a true labor of love. How has this blog helped the book world?
I started Literary Safari in 2006 for the simple reason that I wanted to know what it felt like to blog—to figure out how that was different than writing for magazines or on assignment. At first, it was an outlet to write about my personal observations of this and that (with a literary slant, of course), but over the past three years, it has taken on much more focus. It is a space where I review books, interview authors, and explore the literary aspects of my existence, even if it’s writing about something as simple as a cool satchel for carrying books.

I’m not sure how much it has helped the book world! But it’s certainly something that I enjoy doing, at my own pace, on my own terms. You could call me a subscriber to the slow-blogging movement, I suppose, someone who sees my blog more as a webzine than a space for multiple daily updates. That said, I see the value of Twitter (you can follow me at twitter.com/litsafari) as a viable form of microblogging for those days when I’m too harried with deadlines but do have something to say and need a space to say it.

Tell us about your regular ten-minute freewriting exercises? How does that help you as a writer?
I attended a writing workshop in Taos, New Mexico with Natalie Goldberg, author of Writing Down the Bones, several years ago. One of her main prescriptions is the ten-minute freewrite, where you just sit down with a pen, a first line, a question, an idea, or an image, and start writing, and don’t stop for ten minutes (no crossing out even!). Yes, your hand hurts, but it’s pretty incredible what comes out of the exercise, both in terms of what you put down on the paper as well as how it makes you feel. (It’s much easier to sit down and write a story, article, or play when I know I have a deadline and an editor to report to but it’s a whole other story when it comes to my own working manuscripts!) The ten-minute freewrite has turned out to be a great cure for that ailment we call writer’s block, or the lethargy that sometimes comes over me when it comes to my own creative work.

What is new and current with you and what is next?
Well, I’ve had a fun first year as an independent editor, working on a number of projects ranging from creating a curriculum guide for an oral history of NYC Muslim youth for Teachers Colllege and regular lesson plans for the New York Times Learning Network to writing reader guides for paperback middle grade novels such as Home of the Brave, by Katherine Applegate and the forthcoming Everything For a Dog, by Ann M. Martin and short stories for a third grade reading program to be published by the Wright Group.

Right now, I’m heading up the content development for the new website of Columbia University’s Teachers College’s Student Press Initiative, which should launch this fall (along with my business website). I’m also trying to catch up on some summer reading (i.e. blog more), working on a children’s book manuscript … and sharpening my pencils so that when I become a first-time mother this September, I have lots of original stories ready to tell my baby during those crucial first years!

On the path of healing

2009-09-11T14:09:00.000-07:00

So, here we are to another anniversary of a tragic day where we remember the innocent victims of September 11, 2001. Eight years later, there are few answers and more questions and yet, as I woke up to get ready for this day, I felt hopeful. We are an optimist country on the path of healing and recovery. We know where the blame lies and we are clearer on where to direct our anger. We know our friends and we know our foes. We are blessed with a leader who understands how to handle relations with the world and knows that anger or hatred is not the way. More than ever before, I am proud to be a citizen of this country. It is a place that has given me wings and allowed me to grow. It has watched and encouraged my transition from an outsider to one of its own.

On this, the eighth anniversary of 9/11, Austin-American Statesman ran an article on my work and views. See below:

Austin author attempts to convey essence of Islam, post 9/11

By Joshunda Sanders
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF

Austin author Shaila Abdullah says she knows the significance of this day — as a Muslim woman and as a writer.

Though Abdullah, who works full time as a Web site designer for an educational nonprofit, says she wasn't personally targeted after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the effects of 9/11 on her life as a Muslim woman were tangible.
Read more

Please remember that the book fundraiser ends on September 15. If you haven't already, please buy a copy of Saffron Dreams using the link below. Proceeds from the sale will go to the Aga Khan Foundation U.S.A. (AKF USA), an international development organization. The book is also offered at a discounted rate of $16.95. Feel free to buy a few copies for friends, family, and coworkers.

Support a Global Cause: Buy a Book

2009-08-08T06:59:00.000-07:00

According to the World Bank, the current global crisis has pushed 90 million people into poverty and is slated to have a disastrous impact on health and education projects in the developing world unless the rich nations begin aiding the poor. Please do your part in alleviating global poverty.

Your support can help disadvantaged people in the most resource-poor regions of the world
From now until September 15, 2009, if you buy a copy of Saffron Dreams using the link below, proceeds from the sale will go to the Aga Khan Foundation U.S.A. (AKF USA), a renowned international development organization. The book is also offered at a discounted rate of $16.95. Feel free to buy a few copies for friends, family, and coworkers.

AKF USA develops and promotes creative solutions to address problems that impede development, primarily in Asia and Africa. Under the umbrella of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), AKF works in the areas of health, education, rural development, civil society and the environment. It is presently engaged in over 100 projects in 18 countries. Learn more | View lives impacted by the work

Review and Book Giveway on At Home With Books

2009-07-15T07:34:00.000-07:00

Alyce Reese of At Home with Books graciously posted a review of Saffron Dreams on her popular blog. If you comment on her review, you will be entered to win either an autographed copy of Saffron Dreams or A Taste of Saffron, a recipe book.

Enter today. The giveaway ends on July 27.

Here is a brief excerpt of the review:

"Saffron Dreams is an emotional story about one woman's struggle to live a fulfilling life in the United States. Shaila Abdullah does a wonderful job of telling Arissa's story - weaving her past memories into her present experiences. The story is written in first person from Arissa's point of view, and really helps the reader experience what it would be like to live as a Pakistani woman in America. The writing is poetic and full of emotion." Read the complete review

Since it's been awhile, let me provide you some important links to Saffron Dreams below:

Buy the Book
About the book
Excerpt
Reviews
Contact the author

Here's a book video of Saffron Dreams

Review and Interview on Suko's Notebook

2009-06-23T18:06:00.000-07:00

Susan Ortlieb of Suko's Notebook posted this review of Saffron Dreams on her book blog this week.

"I approached this book with a touch of apprehension, although I was at the same time optimistic, having read positive reviews for Saffron Dreams beforehand. You'd think that a book about a young woman who loses her husband in that tragedy would be morose and depressing, but instead this story is engrossing and life-affirming. Once I picked it up I couldn't stop reading it. More than anything else, Saffron Dreams is a beautiful love story, a love which endures and lives on, and grows even stronger as time passes." Read full review online

An interview of mine is also posted on the blog. Happy reading and thanks, Susan.

Author Interview: Shilpa Agarwal

2009-06-08T08:59:00.000-07:00

Shilpa Agarwal is the author of Haunting Bombay, a literary ghost story set in 1960’s India that was awarded a First Words Literary Prize for South Asian Writers and published this April by Soho Press. It will be published internationally later this year. Shilpa's writing is informed by glimpses into moments of alienation and awakening, especially during geographic and metaphoric crossings: east meets west, centers meet the peripheries, the living meet the dead. She writes to call up the haunting utterances of the excluded, to excavate fragmentary memories that edge consciousness, and to imagine a more nuanced narrative of history itself.

Author Interview
There has always been an interest in multicultural writing in the US, particularly Indian writing. What do you feel is the strength of your first book and what sets it apart?
Haunting Bombay is a literary ghost story unlike any other in the genre of the Indian novel. When I was researching ghost stories, I discovered fairy legends, mystical traditions, references to ghosts in the ancient religious texts, and a 115-year old English translation of Sanskrit Vampire stories which I’ve woven into my novel. There is such a rich tradition of the supernatural in India yet I didn’t find any other English-language Indian authors who were writing about it. Readers instead have connected my writing to the mystical and magical literary traditions of South American writers Isabelle Allende and Gabriel García Márquez, and the literary ghost story Beloved by Toni Morrison.

Tell us about your experience as an Indian-American in the United States? How did you find your voice as a writer? What compelled you to write in this genre?
I grew up in a suburb of Pittsburgh at a time when diversity was not celebrated as it is now. I had thought I was going to become a doctor like many of the adults in my community, and it wasn’t until college that I discovered books by international authors, many of them women, and fell in love with literature.

I have always been intrigued by stories that have been passed down through generations and which aspects are told, and which are deliberately forgotten. In Haunting Bombay, I tell the story of three generations of the wealthy Mittal family who have buried a tragic history and the ghosts of the past who ultimately rise up to haunt them.

I didn’t set out to write a ghost story but as I delved into the narrative, I wanted to hear the voices that had been lost or silenced through the chaos of loss, betrayal, and time. What if I could hear them whispering their version of the truth? So the ghosts became metaphors for the dispossessed, those who have little or no voice or power in a family, community, or nation.

How was the path to publishing for you? Can you give the readers a brief overview of your journey?
It took more than six years of writing and revisions to complete a solid first draft which I submitted to literary agencies in New York. I had a lot of interest and flew out there to meet with several agents. I underwent another round of revisions with my agent who gave me some insightful feedback then we submitted to publishing houses. Soho Press was a fantastic home for my book because they publish great literary fiction and an award-winning line of mystery/crime, and Haunting Bombay is a melding of these genres.

Tell us something about the character of Pinky in Haunting Bombay?
Haunting Bombay opens on the day a child drowns in the Mittal family but as it unfolds and the ghost of this dead child begins to haunt the household, the family’s tangled memories of that drowning day – of where and what they were doing when the child died – are revealed. The family and the servants all have secret desires and motivations, including my protagonist Pinky who is in love with the dashing, seventeen-year-old Nimish – her cousin-brother who lives in the same household. Pinky is the first to become haunted by the ghost and she is the one who is compelled to find out what happened that drowning day, despite all efforts to suppress and dismiss her investigations. Her journey is one of finding the truth but also finding the courage to face that truth because oftentimes truth itself can be terrifying.

What are you future plans?
I am currently working on my second book which is also set in India and weaves in mystical and magical elements. I am also considering writing a screenplay for Haunting Bombay.

Links
Author Website
Book Name: HAUNTING BOMBAY
ISBN: 978-1-56947-558-4
Buy Haunting Bombay

Recognition for Saffron Dreams

2009-05-31T08:09:00.000-07:00

Saffron Dreams was declared a finalist in the multicultural category by the 2009 Indie Book Awards. The Indie Book Awards were established to recognize and honor the top independently published books of the year. IBPPG was formed in 2005 to provide support and recognition for the independent book publishing profession.

Kamila Shamsie: Born into a family of writers

2009-05-29T12:10:00.000-07:00

Kamila Shamsie is the author of five novels, including Kartography, Broken Verses and Burnt Shadows, which have publishers in 19 countries. Three of her novels have received awards from the Pakistan Academy of Letters and she has been shortlisted for the Liberaturpreis (Germany), twice for the John Llewellyn Rhys award (U.K). She has written for various publications including The Guardian, Prospect, New Statesman, TLS, The Telegraph (all U.K), DAWN and Newsline (Pakistan), The Daily Star (Bangladesh) and the New York Times (U.S), and is on the editorial board of the Index on Censorship. She has been a judge for the Orange Award for New Writing, the Guardian First Book Award, the Geoffrey Faber Memorial Award and the Australia-Asia Literature Award. She grew up in Karachi, went to university in America and now lives in London. Burnt Shadows is shortlisted for the 2009 Orange Prize for Fiction.

Author Interview

You have been writing for a long time. How would you describe the evolution of your style? What benefit did you get from being around a family of writers? Of all of your works, which one is the dearest to your heart?
I'm the last person you should ask about the evolution of my style - aren't writers notoriously poor at analysing their own work? For me each novel brings its particular set of stylistic demands - with Burnt Shadows' for instance, because I was going to cover 60 years and 5 countries I knew I needed a more pared down style than in my earlier works.

Being around a family of writers means that I grew up encouraged to read, and surrounded by the notion that books mattered and should be taken seriously. And also, of course, that I had the idea that writing was simply something that people DID....so it never felt unusual that I was writing fiction in my free time all the way through my adolescence. I've always found that the novel I'm writing or have just finished is the one dearest to my heart, because that's the one I feel most engaged with. So right now it's Burnt Shadows. As soon as I get to work on the next novel, that will change.

What do you make of the rising interest in Pakistani writing in English today?
I'm primarily interested in the writing itself, rather than the interest in it - and I think the work is wonderful. Nadeem Aslam, Uzma Aslam Khan, Aamer Hussein, Mohammad Hanif, Mohsin Hamid and Daniyal Mueenuddin : that's an extraordinary group of writers. So it is a very exciting moment for Pakistani writing in English. But the interest in it is unfortunately tied up in the world's terror about what's going on in Pakistan politically - and, of course, I wish that we didn't have that situation.

Being on the shortlist for the Orange Fiction Prize is a great honor. How would you rate the competition?
I haven't yet read the other books on the shortlist - but to think of someone like Marilynne Robinson as 'competition' is ludicrous. Her first novel Housekeeping is one of the finest novels of the 20th century. So I'm just enjoying the fact that I get to be in her company on this list.

Describe a day in the life of Kamila Shamsie. What is next for you?
Well, it depends on whether I'm writing or not. When I'm writing a typical day is - wake up, read the newspaper while have a morning cup of tea/coffee, then sit at my desk and start writing. Afternoons my brain shuts off so I might meet a friend for lunch, or go to the gym or read or waste time surfing the web...in the evenings, on a good day, I'll do another 2-3 hours of work. And then I'll often go out in the evenings with friends, though some days I just stay in, watch tv, read some more....and so the day goes.

The last few months I've been caught up in doing publicity for the book - it started in Pakistan in February, and I've just finished a US/Canada tour and have a two month break before going to Ireland and Australia in August, followed by Germany in September and so on.... so there's no proper routine these days.

What advice do you have for aspiring authors, especially Pakistani writers?
Write.
That sounds facetious, I know, but it's amazing to me how many people say they'll write a novel 'one day,' or who get caught up in wanting to know about agents and publishers before they've written a book. Anyone who is serious about writing needs to make time to write - now, not in some abstract future. And just concentrate on writing the best book you can before worrying about how to get it published, or how it'll be reviewed etc.

Links
Read an excerpt of Burnt Shadows
Buy Burnt Shadows
About the author

Muneeza Shamsie: An inspiring mother

2009-05-29T10:22:00.000-07:00

Muneeza Shamsie is a Pakistani critic, bibliographer, short story writer and the editor of three pioneering anthologies A Dragonfly In the Sun: An Anthology of Pakistani Writing in English (Oxford University Press, Karachi 1997) a retrospective of poetry, fiction and drama, Leaving Home: Towards A New Millenium: A Collection of English Prose by Pakistani Writers (Oxford University Press, Karachi, 2001) about migration; And The World Changed: Contemporary Stories by Pakistani Women (Women Unlimited, New Delhi 2005; Feminist Press, New York 2008). She was educated in England, has lived in Karachi and given much thought to issues of colonialism, culture, language and gender which she has addressed through her writing. She has spoken at many literary forums in Pakistan, Britain and India and written essays on literature for many publications such as The Oxford Companion of Pakistan History edited by Ayesha Jalal (forthcoming) the online Blackwell Encyclopedia of Twentieth Century World Fiction edited by John Ball (forthcoming). Interpreting Homes in South Asian Literature edited by Malashri Lal and Sukrita Paul Kumar (2007) The Encyclopedia of Pakistan edited by Hafeez Malik (2006) and South Asian Century edited by Zubeida Mustafa (2001) among others. She contributes to Dawn, Newsline, The Journal of Commonwealth Literature and the online Literary Encyclopedia. From 1973-82, she taught, as a volunteer, music and mime at a special education school run by ACELP and is a founder member of the Karachi hospital, The Kidney Centre.

Author Interview

As a literary critic and writer, your focus has always been on Pakistani writers and Pakistani writing in English. What do you attribute to the rising interest of such literature in the West? Do you think that it is a phase that will eventually lose its spark?
I think the reason for the rising interest in Pakistani English fiction today is perfectly straightforward: that it has become increasingly accomplished and Pakistani English writers today are really good. This was not so in the earlier decades of Pakistan and, with the exception Ahmed Ali whose major novel was pre-Partition, it was really Zulfikar Ghose and Bapsi Sidhwa who changed that. This coincided with new literary discourse in western academia and the realization that some of the finest English Literature was coming from migrant communities in the west and Britain’s erstwhile colonies.

There is a great international awareness of Pakistan today because of political events and that too has generated an interest in writing from this country, but I don’t believe this would be of much worth, if it was not met by real talent. There are wonderful Pakistani English writers emerging daily – and many more waiting in the wings. To some extent it is a snowball effect. The success of fellow-compatriats encourages others in Pakistan. These established writers are invited to school and colleges in Pakistan; some have conducted creative writing workshops too.

Tell us about your experience as a writer, critic and journalist? How did you choose that path? What was your proudest moment?
My sister and I had a rather unusual upbringing for Pakistani girls because we were sent away to boarding school in England when we were very young - as my father and his brothers had been – when I was nine, my sister was eight. I came back home to Pakistan at nineteen.

I had always loved reading and writing, but it was merely something that people in my family just did. I never thought of it as a career. I had wanted to be a scientist, but I discovered there were no openings for women scientists in Pakistan. So there followed a long period of confusion and cultural conflict.

I was married at 24, of my own choice. I was encouraged to write by my husband, Saleem and my two best friends, although I kept it a secret from everyone else: it was years before I mustered up the courage to offer anything for publication. The next thing I knew, I was asked by Dawn to contribute features to its newly vamped Sunday Magazine. This was in 1982.

I loved journalism. I loved the new horizons it opened out for me (and it enabled me to work from home, because my two daughters, Saman and Kamila, were very young). I wrote on all sorts of things from art and archeology, to development and education. All the while the most important part of it, for me, was the engagement with literature which has always been my great passion. I interviewed and reviewed many contemporary writers, including Pakistanis. As a result I had a lot of material to draw on when Oxford University Press asked me to put together my first anthology A Dragonfly In The Sun a compilation of 50 years of Pakistani English writing for Pakistan’s Golden Jubilee.

Shortly after the anthology was published, the British Council sent me to the 10-day Cambridge Seminar which was a wonderfully stimulating experience for me. The following summer I gave a talk on Pakistani English Literature at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London and in Pakistan, I was invited to speak on the subject too.

Gradually my work became more and more focused. I did two more anthologies including And The World Changed: Contemporary Stories by Pakistani Women, which was recently reprinted in the US. I wrote a new introduction for US audiences, where I traced the acquisition of English by Muslim women, right back to the nineteenth century which proved to be a fascinating journey of discovery for me.

Nowadays I concentrate entirely on literary criticism. I also write the yearly bibliography of Pakistani English books for The Journal of Commonwealth Literature.

My proudest moment? I suppose when my first article appeared in print – and I discovered that a whole lot of people had actually read it and liked it too!

There is a strong feminist tone in your anthologies. Is that a subject dear to your heart? What’s next for you?
I was always conscious of gender issues even as a child. I just remember finding it quite illogical and annoying that some friend of mine, or cousin, could behave in a particular way or go somewhere because he was boy and I could not, because I was a mere girl.

In my teens, I continued to be rather bookish which was not particularly admired, outside school, in society either Pakistani or British. This was before the feminist revolution and intellectual women were regarded with deep suspicion as unmanageable and unmarriageable.

Also, I had a strong feminist tradition in my family. Both my paternal grandmother and my aunt, Tazeen Faridi have worked tirelessly for women’s welfare and women’s rights.

These days I am working on a critical book on the development of Pakistani English literature and I am Managing Editor of The Oxford Companion to the Literatures of Pakistan, which is still being compiled but it will cover the major language of Pakistan and there are editors who are specialists in these languages working with me.

You belong to a family of famous writers. Do you see a glimpse of your mother Jahanara Habibullah’s work in yours and how much of your own style do you see in your daughter, Kamila Shamsie's work?
I think it would be more accurate to say that both Kamila and I have been greatly influenced by the awareness of the women writers in our family, which includes my paternal grandmother – Kamila has just written an article “A Loving Literary Line” in The Guardian about this. This consciousness emerges not so much in terms of style or structure or content, but sometimes in the ideas that we engage in, or the imagery that seeps in. This is particularly true of Kamila’s second novel Salt and Saffron where she has mentioned my mother’s book in her acknowledgements.

My mother was over 80 when she began her first book, a memoir. She wrote it in Urdu and was 84 when it was published which is quite remarkable and which is why I have dedicated And The World Changed to her.

What is the one subject that you feel has not been given its due attention in Pakistani writing?
I think good literature should be defined by the quality and integrity of the work and not its subject-matter. But I rather wish that more people were aware of Pakistani English poetry. There has been some really good work published in Pakistan since the 1960’s beginning with Taufiq Rafat and Maki Kureishi. In Britain, Moniza Alvi has brought out five critically acclaimed poetry volumes in recent years and is an important mainstream British poet.

Links
Buy A Dragonfly In the Sun: An Anthology of Pakistani Writing in English
Buy And The World Changed: Contemporary Stories by Pakistani Women

Photo courtesy of Ayesha Vellani

Author Interview: Bapsi Sidhwa

2009-05-17T18:18:00.000-07:00

Distinguished international writer Bapsi Sidhwa lives in Houston Texas. Her novels: An American Brat, Cracking India, The Pakistani Bride, The Crow Eaters and Water have been published in several European and Asian languages. She has also compiled and edited Beloved City: Writings on Lahore [titled City of Sin and Splendor in India]. Among her many honors Sidhwa received the Bunting Fellowship at Radcliffe/Harvard, the Lila Wallace-Reader's Digest Writer's Award, the Sitara-i-Imtiaz, Pakistan's highest national honor in the arts, and most recently the Italian Premio Mondello 2007 and the 2008 South Asian Excellence Award for Literature. Sidhwa, who was on the advisory committee to Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto on Women's Development has taught at Columbia U, Mount Holyoke College, Brandeis, and Southampton University in England. Cracking India (a New York Times Notable Book of the Year and a Quality Paperback Book Club selection), was made into the film Earth by Canadian director Deepa Mehta. Her latest novel Water is based on Metha’s film of the same name. Her hugely successful play, An American Brat had a long run at Stages Repertory Theater in Houston last year.

Author Interview

1. You are a prolific and renowned writer, having authored 5 books. How do you stay disciplined and what is your writing routine like?
Unfortunately I am not a disciplined writer and I don't have a routine. I write when I have a chunk of time and I'm in the mood. Both are difficult to come by these days - too much in my life appears to interfere with the writing. When I'm working on a novel, and in its grip, I may write for hours at a stretch and not notice the time. I can stop writing for months when family needs require me to or or blithely give up when travel and holidays intervene; fortunately I can pick it up where I left off. Everything in my life - children, husband's obligations, health matters – seems to have precedence over my writing. I find I can’t write in isolation – I need to have life around me – I think every author needs the sense of involvement.

2. The theme of partition strings together most of your work? Why is that subject so close to your heart? What is your own memory of the time?
The Partition of India was a defining moment in our history and it affected millions of lives for years in its aftermath - mine included. The Partition is central to the narrative in my third novel Cracking India. It makes a brief appearance in Pakistani Bride, and is barely mentioned in Crow Eaters. The roar of the mobs appeared to be a constant in my life; even as a 7 year old I knew it was an evil that threatened our lives. I couldn't make out the words although I vaguely realized they were shouting religious slogans as they set fire to houses and harmed people. The memory of smoke and fire and fear and the sudden appearance of hoards of bedraggled refugees in my neighborhood are still vivid.

3. What has been the enjoyable part of your writing career? The awards, the fan base, and the people you have met along the way or something else?
The act of writing, of being immersed in a novel and knowing intuitively that it is unfolding as it should, this shifts me into a dimension of sustained transport, a high; it is like being in a constant state of meditation. Of course the awards are a much needed validation, and nothing validates an authors endeavors like the revelation of a fan-base. My readers and their remarks energize me. When they talk about my books I feel an intimacy, a very satisfying feeling of having shared myself with friends. I have met some wonderful writers along the way and made lasting friendships that I cherish.

4. Your path to publishing was not easy and riddled with hurdles. What advice would you give to a new writer?
You have to keep writing and trying to get published. It is a very frustrating process as I discovered. In Pakistan I self published The Crow Eaters before it was picked up by Jonathan Cape in England. If along the way you discover you are not a good writer, shift gears and go into a field which will give you more satisfaction.

5. What’s next for you? Are you working on a project that you would like to talk about?
I have a collection of essays almost readied and a collection of short stories that requires a spurt of physical and creative energy and creative.

Link to the author
Website

Mother's Day Free Gift: A Taste of Saffron

2009-05-05T02:13:00.000-07:00

This mother's day, pay your mother a loving tribute by giving her a gift of another mother's ultimate love for her child. Saffron Dreams chronicles the journey of a dedicated mother and her everlasting bond with her special needs child. If you haven't already, please get your copy of Saffron Dreams today. If you read the book and liked it, please drop me a line. I love hearing from readers.

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FREE GIFT:
A Taste of Saffron is a collection of recipes of dishes mentioned in Saffron Dreams. To get the cookbook, simply send me an email with your favorite quote or scene from Saffron Dreams and I will send you the e-book absolutely free.

Author Interview: Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

2009-05-04T09:34:00.000-07:00

Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni is an award-winning author and poet. Her themes include women, immigration, the South Asian experience, history, myth, magic and celebrating diversity. She writes both for adults and children. Her books have been translated into 20 languages, including Dutch, Hebrew, Russian and Japanese. Two novels, The Mistress of Spices and Sister of My Heart, have been made into films. Her short stories, Arranged Marriage, won an American Book Award. She teaches Creative Writing at the University of Houston. For more information, check www.chitradivakaruni.com

Author Interview

In your writing, folklore, ancient traditions, culture, cuisine, political conflict, and religious beliefs are weaved into delicate language that explores the immigrant experience. Did you always know what focus your writing was going to take or was it a natural occurrence? Also do you have a personal favorite piece of work?
The focus of my work changes a little from book to book. When I started writing, I wasn't sure what I would write about, apart from the immigrant experience, which has always fascinated me. My work in the area of domestic violence led me to focus on strong women characters. I am getting more and more interested in depicting the spiritual search, as in The Palace of Illusions, my latest novel, and my current favorite.

How was your own immigrant experience like and how much of that do we see in your writing? When did you move to US? In your opinion, what are some of the challenges facing the immigrant Indian community in the US? In your writing, is you intent to solve or bring awareness to some of those issues?
My work is not very biographical (my life is intentionally fairly quiet). I moved to the US for graduate studies when I was quite young. A couple of challenges are: when we move, it shakes up our sense of self and family--and sometimes this leads to conflicts within the family, and often inter-generational communication break down. Also, when you are a visual minority, you can become the target of racist attacks. Yes, in my novels such as Mistress of Spices and my stories Arranged Marriage, I try to bring awareness to these issues.

You have ventured into writing for children lately. How has that experience been so far? Tell us a bit about Shadowland.
I love writing for children. On my blog, Amazing Things, I've written the whole story of how I came to write Shadowland. See the entry. My three children's novels––The Conch Bearer, The Mirror of Fire and Deaming, and Shadowland––are all magical adventures set in India, with Indian characters. Here's a synopsis of Shadowland:

In Shadowland, the hero of the Brotherhood of the Conch series, now fifteen, is settling back into his life as an apprentice in the lush Silver Valley, nestled high in the Himalayas. There he continues to learn the secret arts of the Brotherhood. But suddenly his adopted home is reduced to a barren wasteland when his beloved conch, the valley’s source of magical energy, is stolen by an unknown force. Together with his friend Nisha, Anand embarks on what may be his most dangerous mission—traveling to the cold and forbidding world of Shadowland in his attempt to restore the conch to its rightful place, and his home to its original splendor.

What is your writing routine? Tell us about a day in the life of Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni. You have recently started experimenting with social networking and using Facebook and your blog to connect with your fan base. How has the response been so far?
As I said, my life is rather quiet and simple. I take the children to school, meditate, and either go to teach at the University of Houston, or go to my writing desk to write. I like taking my dog on long walks. I cook for my family. I read as much as I can. I love fantasy and Sci fi movies. I have a Facebook author page that gives me an opportunity to meet many readers and answer their questions. I enjoy my blog, too--it's a fun way to write about different things that interest me, and it's very relaxing.

What's next for you? Where do you see yourself ten years from now? What do you hope to have accomplished?
I'm working on my new novel, One Amazing Thing, about a group of people trapped in an Indian visa office in CA by an earthquake. 10 years later, I hope to be doing much of the same thing (because I love what I do)--writing, teaching, connecting with family, meditating, doing some social activism, going for long nature walks--except that I hope to do them more wisely!

Thanks Shaila for having me on your blog. Great success to you!

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Orange Prize Shortlist: Burnt Shadows in the mix

2009-04-21T12:10:00.000-07:00

Great news shared by Muneeza Shamsie this morning. Kamila Shamsie's novel Burnt Shadows is shortlisted in the Orange Prize for Fiction. Congratulations, Kamila!

Bloomsbury is offering a 24-hour free download offering of Shamsie's novel, starting April 22 at 12 noon. Visit the site to download the book.

Here is the complete shortlist:
Burnt Shadows, Kamila Shamsie
Scottsboro, by Ellen Feldman
The Wilderness, Samantha Harvey
The Invention of Everything Else, by Samantha Hunt
Molly Fox's Birthday, Deirdre Madden
Home, by Marilynne Robinson

Read about Kamila Shamsie's tribute to the three generations of women writers in her family.

Author Interview: Farzana Doctor

2009-04-14T12:14:00.000-07:00

Farzana Doctor is a Toronto-based author and social worker. Her family immigrated to Canada from India via Zambia, where they lived for five years and where she was born. Her novel, Stealing Nasreen (Inanna, 2007) has received critical acclaim from the Globe and Mail, Quill and Quire, and NOW Magazine. She has had her poetry, reviews, short stories and creative non-fiction published in a variety of publications. She has also co-written a manual for therapists and was part of the video collective that produced the documentary, “Rewriting the Script”. She is completing revisions on her second novel, New Skin (working title). Find out more about her at www.farzanadoctor.com.

How did you find your voice as a writer? How has the journey been for your from a a social worker to a writer?
I started writing when I was a young child, and then I stopped some time in high school. In university, I studied social work and wrote a little as a hobby. However, it wasn’t until I was in my late twenties that I began to write in a disciplined way. This happened after I took a course called “Writing the Novel”, which I took as a hobby course—I never imagined I’d complete a novel. During that course I wrote the first draft of Stealing Nasreen’s first chapter and then I didn’t stop. The characters and story pulled me in until I realized I actually had written a novel! That’s when I began to call myself a writer. I’m still a social worker—I do that half-time and I write the rest of the time. The social work part of me provides me with contact with the world (my writing self is very solitary), an income, and allows me to do meaningful work in a way different from writing. Maintaining this half and half work life (and not allowing my social work life to crowd my writing life) is always a challenge.

Tell us about your experience as an immigrant in Canada? What do you think is the biggest issue facing the immigrant community in the West today?
My family came to Canada in the early 70’s, when “Skilled Immigrants” were in demand. Nearly everyone in my family found work in their fields soon after arriving and with little difficulty. At the same time, it was the era of “Paki Bashing” in Canada, a time of intense racism against all South Asians. We moved to a small, suburban town where for a long time, we were the only Indian family at our school. For me, the biggest issues were racism and the experience of identity confusion and alienation. It was only when I became a young adult that I was interested in claiming my South Asian and Muslim identities.

Today, racism takes some different forms. One issue of great importance for new immigrants is difficulty finding work. Canadian employers continue to value “Canadian experience” over job experience from other countries and so many new immigrants, including professionally trained people, are not getting their qualifications recognized. Many Toronto taxi drivers were surgeons, engineers, and professors in their home countries. This problem, and questions about how people cope with it, lingered in my mind and inspired the characters Shaffiq and Salma, who are underemployed new immigrants living in Toronto.

How was the path to publishing for you? Can you give the readers a brief overview of your journey?
It took about two and half years to find a publisher for Stealing Nasreen, which was a discouraging process. This is often the case for writers of first novels. Prior to this, I had poems, short stories, book reviews and academic articles published, which offered me a sense of validation of my skills and allowed my work to get out into the world. I’m now looking for an agent and hoping this process will be much faster! Over the past couple of years, I’ve learned a great deal about the publishing business and how to promote my work.

What compelled you to write a story about Nasreen Bastawala in Stealing Nasreen?
Writing Nasreen came out of my desire to see more South Asian lesbians in contemporary fiction. When I was first coming out as queer about 15 years ago, I sought information and reflection of my identity through books, especially fiction, and found little. Since Stealing Nasreen has come out, I’ve received many e-mails from young queer people who tell me how important it was to see themselves in the novel, and that feedback is very gratifying. I also wanted to write about the communities in which I live and derive much inspiration, and that needed to include queer South Asians.

How has your work been received so far?
I’m pleased to say that I’ve received several positive reviews from wonderful publications like Quill & Quire, The Globe and Mail, Herizons and NOW Magazine. Many readers have contacted me to let me know that they enjoyed the book and I’ve saved all these e-mails and notes in a folder that I peruse every so often when I need a boost. Readership has been varied—queer people, non-queer people, South Asians, non-South Asians, young people and older people.

What's next for you?
I’ve recently completed my second novel, New Skin, which is about a middle-aged South Asian man who made the worst mistake of his life twenty years ago. The novel picks up in the present and is about his survival, redemption and a love affair he has with his Portuguese widow neighbour. As I mentioned before, I’m looking for a literary agent to help me sell this book. Meanwhile, I’ve started some embryonic work on a third novel.

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Author Interview: Minal Hajratwala

2009-04-07T06:51:00.000-07:00

Minal Hajratwala is a writer, performer, poet, and queer activist based in San Francisco, where she was born before being whisked off to be raised in New Zealand and suburban Michigan. She is the author of Leaving India: My Family’s Journey From Five Villages to Five Continents (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, March 2009). She spent seven years researching and writing the book, traveling the world to interview more than seventy-five members of her extended family. Her creative work has appeared in numerous journals, anthologies, and theater spaces, and has received recognition and support from the Sundance Institute, the Hedgebrook writing retreat for women, the Jon Sims Center for the Arts, and the SerpentSource Foundation. Her one-woman show, “Avatars: Gods for a New Millennium,” was commissioned by the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco in 1999. She was an editor and reporter for eight years at the San Jose Mercury News, and was a National Arts Journalism Program fellow at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism in 2000-01. She is a graduate of Stanford University.

What compelled you to write a story about your own family in Leaving India?
In our families, migration stories are often told as very personal: “Your great-grandfather wanted to go to Fiji, so he went.” “Your father decided to come here to study.” But of course there must be huge social and economic and political factors at work, to make people suddenly uproot themselves and migrate. There are reasons that certain borders were open or closed to Indians at different periods in history. So I set out to understand how these larger forces of history intersected with individual lives. I wanted to understand not only why my family was in the United States, but also why I have thirty-six first cousins who live all over the world, why my grandparents and great-parents left India, and how our diaspora grew – from fewer than 400,000 people living outside India a century ago, to an estimated 19 million to 30 million people living in diaspora today. All of those questions are connected, and in the answers are connected too.

Tell us about your experience as an Indian-American in the United States?
I grew up in a very white community in suburban Michigan, and when we said we were “Indian,” people asked us, “What tribe?” Really. And if you saw me, you’d know I don’t look Native American at all, but that was the level at which they could relate to that word “Indian.” As a result, I grew up feeling sort of isolated and alienated from my ethnic identity.

Today you see Bollywood and yoga and meditation everywhere, and large South Asian communities all over the country. Obviously something had happened to cause this population surge, and in writing the book I wanted to learn about that demographic shift, not just on a historical level, but what that means in our actual lives.

How did you find your voice as a writer? How has the journey been for you from an editor, performer, activist, to an author? How do all those roles translate into your writing?
I was lucky to have a lot of support and sense of community as a writer, although it took me a while to realize that I needed it. When I was able to work at my best, it was through learning about my own habits and learning when to ask for help. Probably the most important thing that I did in my “journey” was that I created “retreats” for myself, weeks at a time where I did not answer the phone, look at email, or socialize very much. Overall I became very intimate with my own ways of distracting myself, and then I worked to eliminate those distractions. I did not read newspapers, I did not have a television, and I even had a period of two or three years where I got rid of my home internet service; I went to a cybercafé once a week to check my email, which was much more efficient.

At the same time I did not let myself feel isolated. I was able to find and be part of an amazing writing community: I had people to write with, a group to share work in progress with, a series of excellent writing coaches, a somatic bodyworker, a couple of meditation groups, a very supportive partner – all kinds of help. I did yoga and took walks. I worked very hard on the “inner critic” voices that tended to slow me down. I also got a cat, who was great company and also tried to help out by typing. (Unfortunately he’s not very good at it.)

Everything that I had learned about myself and my writing, as a poet, editor, performer, activist, lover, meditation student—that is, every aspect of my life thus far—fed into the book in someway and has been incredibly useful, and continues to help me even now in the process of putting the book out into the world.

How was the path to publishing for you? Can you give the readers a brief overview of your journey?
I had been a journalist for eight years, then I wrote a book proposal in a seminar I took while I was a fellow at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism in early 2001. I submitted the proposal to a few agents, then signed with my agent, who sold the book to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

What do you think is the biggest issue facing the American-Indian community in the United States today?
I think it is very important for Indo-Americans to realize that there is tremendous diversity within our community and to act, vote, work, and build social relationships in solidarity with other people of color of all social classes in the United States.

In the United States there’s this common idea that Indians are smart, good at math, wealthy, engineers or doctors, professionally successful and hard-working, etc.—that we are somehow “better” than other people who have come to the United States But of course, that’s based on a very particular slice of Indians who were allowed to immigrate to the United States right after 1965 precisely because they fit certain educational and professional qualifications. That was my parents’ generation, the so-called “brain drain” group. If you look at a bigger selection of Indians, either over time or globally, it’s obvious that there is nothing genetic about it, and we’re everything: smart and foolish, rich and poor, hard-working and slackers, practicing every profession under the sun and then some. How much more wonderful and liberating it is to have the full range of human experience available to us. A lot of Indo-Americans buy into the “model minority” stereotype, because who wouldn’t want to be smarter and savvier than everyone else? But I feel just as allied with the contract laborer in Kuwait or the cousin who can’t get a visa to leave India, as well as the Mexican American farmworker, as with the Silicon Valley internet millionaire.

Would you continue to write nonfiction or do you have other plans in mind?
I have several project ideas in various genres, so we’ll see which one comes to fruition first.

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Author Interview: Sefi Atta

2009-04-06T10:23:00.000-07:00

Sefi Atta was born in Lagos, Nigeria. She trained as an accountant in London and began to write while working in New York. Her works have won prizes from Zoetrope, Red Hen Press, the BBC and PEN International. In 2006 she was short listed for the Caine Prize for African Literature and her debut novel, Everything Good Will Come was awarded the Wole Soyinka Prize for Literature in Africa. It is published and forthcoming in twelve countries to date. Her second novel Swallow and short story collection Lawless were published in Nigeria in 2008. Lawless is forthcoming in the U.K. as News From Home.

1. What do you think is the future of Nigerian literature in English in the United States?
Nigerian literature in the United States has for the most part substantiated the impressions Americans already have about Africa. We have had stories about political instability, war, poverty and disease. They are necessary stories, but they are not the only stories of Africa. I think we will see more and more literature that challenges the restricted American view of Africa from now on—hopefully, without aiming to.

2. Tell us about your experience as a Nigerian-American in the United States? How did you find your voice as a writer? What converted you from a CPA to an author?
My experience has shown me that the literary marketplace in the United States is not yet mature enough to accommodate African writers in general without trying to limit our expression, and this has an impact on the stories we choose to tell and how we tell them.

There is a lot of patronizing going on, with people expecting you to fulfill their fantasies of Africa. Sometimes they even expect you to live up to their expectations of what an African writer should be like and they can turn on you in these so-called liberal literary circles. They might think you’re uppity if you’re not willing to be patronized, so I don’t blame African writers who play the game. This is a tough business to be in and even when African writers make staggering progress, we only get so far. In the United States, the most popular stories set in Africa are The No.1 Ladies Detective series by Alexander McCall-Smith.

I was lucky to find an independent publisher who never interfered with my voice. After my first novel, Everything Good, I experimented with voices. I wrote my second novel Swallow in the voices of a Nigerian woman who speaks English as a second language and her mother, who does not speak English at all. My third book Lawless is a collection of short stories. I wrote them in so many different voices, including male and children’s voices.

Experimenting with voices restricted me sometimes and other times it was freeing, but it was important for me to challenge myself that way. Now, I write in the voice I am most comfortable with, that of an educated Nigerian woman.

I moved to the United States in 1994 with my husband, who trained as a doctor in Nigeria. I met him in Nigeria and we lived in England for a while. I was educated in England and trained as a chartered accountant there. I was not interested in numbers, but it was the only way I could get a work permit. I started writing in the United States while I was working as a CPA. In 1997, we moved from New Jersey to Mississippi and I was no longer allowed to work under the terms of my husband’s work permit. We had a three year old daughter and everyone kept telling me to use the opportunity to have more children, but I wrote a novel and went back to school to get myself an MFA.

3. How was the path to publishing for you? Can you give the readers a brief overview of your journey?
It was hard. I was lucky to find an agent the day before we moved from New Jersey to Mississippi, July 1, 1997. I had a reading at a Barnes and Noble bookstore in New York and she just walked up to me. I started writing Everything Good the next day. We had no furniture, but I plugged in my computer and wrote the first line, which I subsequently changed. Seven years later, the novel was published and it had been through several title changes. My editor came up with the final title. I just could not name that novel.

4. How do you think readers would relate to the character of Enitan Taiwo in Everything Good will Come? Give us a glimpse of the enduring friendship of Enitan and Sheri? What message are you wanting to convey through these characters’ lives?
When the book first came out in Nigeria, readers related to both characters so much that a few disapproved of Enitan as if she were a real person. They were my harshest and loudest critics, especially the goons who got on the Internet to abuse her, the book and me. They put me off reading reviews, but it is just as well. For me, it is important that Nigerian readers especially relate to my characters, but I don’t find it useful to monitor their censure or praise, especially while I am writing.

Sheri and Enitan are just two Nigerian women who are trying to find ways to navigate the society they are in. Enitan is clumsily confrontational and in some ways more vulnerable. Sheri is more shrewd and manipulative. When one is weak, the other is strong. I’m not sure what message I wanted to convey, but they are based on Nigerian women I know. That’s basically what I do: I take real life experiences and put them together in a way that resembles fiction.

5. What is next for you? Are there more books in you?
I have been writing for twelve years now. I have published three books and I have three more in the pipeline. I have drafted them to a point that I can confidently say yes, there is a story in here, but I have a lot of revision to do. The Age of Widows is a thoroughly modern Nigerian story. The Bead Collector I have never spoken about. It is controversial and has a strong political content. The Far Removed is my American book and the one that needs the most revision, apparently. But revision is the stage of writing I love most. Writing the first draft is dreadful and I have to isolate myself to get through it. I ignored everything else to get all three drafts out of the way. It took me years and I won’t recommend that to any writer, but I am embarrassingly pragmatic. I knew I had to write the books and figured I should get the unpleasant work out of the way before my daughter starts high school next year, when I have to be more vigilant and patient. I also want to spend more time with my husband and enjoy his company—now that our daughter has less time for us and we’re still able to rock. You know, we women writers have to be creative with our families as well.

I tell my family I will stop writing after I have published these books and they laugh because they don’t believe me. I mean it though. I am very thankful to have had the opportunity to write for so long, but I want to channel all that energy I have in another direction. I was not interested in numbers and I became an accountant. I had no idea if I would be any good with words and now I’m a published writer. So who knows where my next phase in life will lead me? Perhaps I will end up doing something that allows me to combine my business and writing experiences. We’ll see.

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Midnight's Stepchild- A review of Pakistani Writing in English (PWE)-Part 2

2009-04-06T06:43:00.000-07:00

Freelance writer, Donald Hubbard is a guest blogger today on Cayenne Lit with his insightful look into the great phenomenon that is Pakistani Writing in English (PWE). Here is his second post on the subject:

Reading the fiction of Pakistan is akin to coming up on an accident and we can’t avert our gaze––we must know what’s happened and who’s involved and what will happen next . . . are there any survivors? Pakistan is a riveting spectacle that demands our attention, with the always looming possibility of becoming a tragedy of Shakespearean proportions. Yet, we can’t look away. We must know why, we must look. We’re compelled to analyze the causes and search for meaning as we crane our neck to catch a glimpse of the carnage. It’s exciting and dangerous and we’re always glad it’s not us.

Today, as I write this, a mosque explodes along the fabled Khyber pass. How is a writer to respond to this level of tragedy? I begin to despair that maybe nothing will ever change. That this is Pakistan. I’m suddenly confronted with images of survivors clawing through the rubble, over and through the still warm bloody aftermath, weeping, wondering, looking about as if in a dream – questioning. The mosque leader exulting “God is Great” suddenly realizes: This is the end of everything. Within the crumbling walls of that small mosque we get a microcosmic view of Pakistan’s troubled relationship with the rest of the world. The women anxiously waiting for news of loved ones. The hauled out bodies covered in dust and blood. That only these will be the unbearable realities we write about.

But there are other stories to tell, because Pakistan is not merely militants and exploded mosques. The best of the PWE urgently implores us to witness another side of the story. Yes, there are widows who sift through the rubble for a piece of the past to hold onto, but ultimately they endure – they prevail. There are the survivors who experience loss but still move inexorably forward, day by day, from event to response, dust to dust. There are victims of all types, from the suicide bomber and those he kills, to the deranged general and those he oppresses, to the venal politicians and those that suffer hunger and thirst, to the very land that trembles with bomb blasts and marching armies.

So if we are to truly understand Pakistan, it will be explained to us best through its fiction. By the startling range and depth of the novels of Shamsie, Hamid and Hanif. By encountering moments of perfection in Daniyal Mueenuddin’s brilliant book of short stories In Other Rooms, Other Wonders. And we begin to sense that there is indeed more to Pakistan than what we see in the news footage and videos of burning buildings and obscene rubble, beyond the carnage and destruction and grief and sadness and loss. There is something deeper, profound. There is a yearning for validation and a desire to simply exist in peace. That even in the midst of this existential state of impending peril can be found stories filled with wonder, beauty, and humour.

There are stories of the sameness that link us with common bonds of humanity that stretch across time and continents and cultures; the same genetic hardwiring that produces such shared realities as karma and martyrdom and grace and redemption. These stories, the story of Pakistan, are worth telling. They must be told. Like Arissa Illahi, the heroine in Shaila Abdullah’s exquisite short novel Saffron Dreams, the time has come to throw off the veil, real and metaphorical, let it drift down on the winds of change and be swept away in the currents of history. The time is now to finally awaken, to reinvent.

The time has come for Pakistan and its people, whether inside its chaotic borders or in the diaspora, to be treated as more than just 1947 and Partition and a derogatory definition of midnight’s stepchild. And the time has come, finally, to celebrate its burgeoning fictional landscape, the beginning of a new love affair – mature and thriving – that’s writing itself out from the shadow of the mighty Rushdie and has thrown down the gauntlet to a new generation of Indian Writers in English. The writers of PWE can no longer be treated as literary stepchildren – they have found, through vision heart and sheer talent, a unique and beautiful voice of their own.

About Donald Hubbard
Donald Hubbard has always been fascinated with other cultures, places and peoples. A well-read student of U.S. foreign policy with an area of expertise in South Asia, his natural curiosity and research led him to a specific interest in the troubled country of Kashmir, which was introduced to him in the 1980s after reading Salman Rushdie’s Midnight’s Children. Since that time his love affair and particular affinity for the land and its people has become something of a curious obsession. He is currently at work on a novel set in Kashmir. As a book collector, autodidact and avid reader, his personal library has grown over the past twenty-five years and is now approaching 1800 volumes of modern literary fiction, nonfiction (especially current events and world politics/history), Kashmir history and fiction, religious history, science, and world literature with an emphasis on post-colonial Indian literature.

Midnight's Stepchild- A review of Pakistani Writing in English (PWE)-Part 1

2009-04-03T09:09:00.000-07:00

Freelance writer, Donald Hubbard is a guest blogger today on Cayenne Lit with his insightful look into the great phenomenon that is Pakistani Writing in English (PWE). Here is the first of his two posts on the subject:

Pakistani Writing in English (PWE) has been shaped by two seminal mirroring events of the real and metaphorical midnights of Partition from India in 1947 and the publication of Salman Rushdie’s Midnight’s Children in the 1980s. The former event left Pakistan, its land and its people, a geographic stepchild, seen in largely derogatory terms; a country that has been maligned, misunderstood and seemingly broken. In Bapsi Sidhwa’s Cracking India, even the title suggests a splitting apart – like a wishbone – only with Pakistan left holding the ugly, stubbed bone of Partition.

The latter event put postcolonial Indian literature on the map, made its author a literary superstar, while Pakistani writers remained largely speechless – stifled and suppressed – the literary stepchildren of both midnights, overshadowed by the rich storytelling and infinite fecundity of Rushdie’s India. Haunted by stigma, PWE has struggled to find a unique voice, forever waiting for its own “Midnight’s Children moment.” But perhaps what the critics fail to realize is that we may be witnessing that moment now.

And in this moment we have watched as the barren artistic scene in Pakistan suddenly blossomed with some truly high quality fiction. Unquestionably one of the most thought-provoking and accomplished novels of 2007 was Moshin Hamid’s The Reluctant Fundamentalist. For the first time, the Booker shortlist considered a Pakistani writer, and as a result of this recognition, coupled with a liberalization of political policies on censorship, came an exuberant awakening of Pakistan’s literary soul.

In the compressed space of a few years came Mohammed Hanif’s bold debut novel A Case of Exploding Mangoes, which made the 2008 Booker shortlist, the remarkable Nadeem Aslam’s The Wasted Vigil and Uzma Aslam Khan’s Trespassing, and Kamila Shamsie’s forthcoming Burnt Shadows, an ambitious narrative that may be competing for a spot on the Booker list with the youthful Ali Sethi’s debut novel, The Wish Maker (June 2009). These original new voices have begun a trend that effectively ends the years of literary inequality and drought.

But the trajectory of PWE is closely linked with that of Pakistan’s future. In a country thought of as nothing more than bloodthirsty jihadis, military dictatorships and oppressed women, fiction may well be the only way the West is likely to gain insightful exposure to Pakistan. A country where the future is so uncertain the ordinary citizen may wonder if there will ever be any lasting peace, or will the country dissolve completely into a failed state, spilling out an army of militant Muslims and nuclear weapons in all directions? Yet, it’s in the midst of that turmoil, the tension and uncertainty, that great literature is born. That is where PWE will forge its own identity, its own defining moment. Where it will meet and depart from Rushdie and company and become its own unique experience.

To be continued...

About Donald Hubbard
Donald Hubbard has always been fascinated with other cultures, places and peoples. A well-read student of U.S. foreign policy with an area of expertise in South Asia, his natural curiosity and research led him to a specific interest in the troubled country of Kashmir, which was introduced to him in the 1980s after reading Salman Rushdie’s Midnight’s Children. Since that time his love affair and particular affinity for the land and its people has become something of a curious obsession. He is currently at work on a novel set in Kashmir. As a book collector, autodidact and avid reader, his personal library has grown over the past twenty-five years and is now approaching 1800 volumes of modern literary fiction, nonfiction (especially current events and world politics/history), Kashmir history and fiction, religious history, science, and world literature with an emphasis on post-colonial Indian literature.

Author Interview: Sheba Karim

2009-04-01T14:49:00.000-07:00

Sheba Karim was born and raised in Catskill, NY. She is a graduate of the New York University School of Law and the Iowa Writers Workshop. Her fiction has appeared or is forthcoming in 580 Split, Asia Literary Review, Barn Owl Review, DesiLit, EGO, Kartika Review, and Shenandoah. One of her short stories was recently nominated for a Pushcart Prize. Her young adult novel, Skunk Girl (ISBN: 978-0374370114), was published in 2009. She currently lives in New York City with her husband, and is the co-founder of a graduate school review site.

1. There has been a rising interest in Pakistani Writing in English (PWE) lately? What is the focus and strength of your writing?
There definitely has been a lot more interest in Pakistani writing in English in recent years, which is probably due to there being more Pakistani writing than ever before. The rising global interest in Pakistan may also play a role in the fact that more books about Pakistan/Pakistanis are being published. My main focus has been writing about Pakistanis living in the United States. I think it is often a strength to write about something which you’ve experienced yourself, something about which both your mind and your heart can speak to, but I also think it’s nice to sometimes step away from the very familiar, so my current project has nothing to do with Pakistanis in the States.

2. Tell us about your experience as a Pakistani-American in the United States? How did you find your voice as a writer? What compelled you to write for the young adult market?
I was raised in a small town with very few other desis, a setting similar to the one in Skunk Girl. Being Pakistani made me separate, different, and often annoyed, because of the restrictions placed on me as a teenager. I think your culture is often something you grow into. I also think as wonderful as being a “hyphen” is, it can also be very difficult, particularly for women from Muslim backgrounds. Things are different now than when I grew up. In those days, people didn’t pay too much attention to Islam and Pakistan, but the generation growing up post 9/11 has had to deal with an often hostile public perception and a lot of negative media. Often, if you are being attacked, it brings you closer to your religion and your culture.

In terms to writing, I started writing at a young age, but stopped when I left for college. I became a lawyer and realized that I was unhappy, that I had always wanted to be a writer and if I didn’t at least try I’d forever regret it, so I began writing again. Skunk Girl was inspired by a monologue I wrote for Yoni ki Baat, a South Asian version of The Vagina Monologues. I realized there were very few books out there about what it’s like to grow up Pakistani in this country, and that I really wanted to write one.

3. How was the path to publishing for you? Can you give the readers a brief overview of your journey?
As I mentioned before, I began writing again when I started practicing law. I took classes at night and applied for MFA writing programs two years later. I was accepted by the Iowa Writers Workshop and was able to pursue writing there full time. Literary agents often visit Iowa to meet with the students, and that’s how I met my agent, Ayesha Pande. I showed her some of Skunk Girl and she was very excited about it and encouraged me to keep at it, which of course I did.

4. How do you think the young readers would relate to the character of Nina Khan in Skunk Girl? The reviews have been great but in your opinion, what make her so unforgettable?
What I love most about Nina is her sense of humor. No matter how awful or unattractive or pitiful she feels, she is always able to laugh about it. I think the ability to laugh at yourself is often what gets you through.

5. Would you continue to write for the young adult market or you would like to venture in other areas in the future? What are you future plans?
It would be great to write more young adult in the future, but right now I’m working on a historical fiction novel set in medieval India, something very different than Skunk Girl!

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An Open Letter to the President

2009-03-31T08:01:00.000-07:00

I found this to be an interesting approach. A group of like-minded community leaders proactively submitted the resumes of 45 of the nation's most qualified Muslim-Americans to the White House in an effort to get Washington to hire more Muslims, according to the LA Times. There are an estimated 8 million Muslims in America, but none have been appointed to key positions in the administration so far. The group believes that having Muslims in key positions would give the community a chance to show their patriotism, support, and give them recognition as citizens who care about this country.

It brought to mind an iReport I had submitted a few weeks ago to CNN. Read An Open Letter to the President below:

"Dear Mr. President

While you have taken remarkable steps to address the global tension between US and the Muslim world why is it that the Muslim-Americans have not heard from you?

We are the silent majority who lead the great American lives. We rarely appear in the media because we power no conflict and raise no red flags, hence we are essentially non-newsworthy to the media. We are law-abiding citizens of this land and have whole-heartedly adopted the laws of this land, while contributing much to the development of this country by working in fields of importance such as communications, technology, and education. We pay our taxes regularly and participate in the celebrations of this land just as we hold dear the culture of the land we left behind. We raise wholesome children––multilingual and multicultural with pluralistic hearts. We build bridges with other communities and have a diverse circle of friends. We put up lights around Christmas time and celebrate the traditions of the land we live in. We take the best of both worlds and shape our lives and future. At least, we try.

For many of us, our parents or grandparents came from distant lands to settle here in search of better lives, where their children could be freer and lead their lives without fear. I remember as a child growing up in Karachi, having our mother whisper to us at night time, “if you hear the sound of gunshot, don’t go near the window,” and I reflect on those words as I put my own five year-old to bed in a much safer Austin, Texas, where it is so quiet that even fireworks on fourth of July startle my young daughter. How different her life is and how much we cherish the safety of our generation, the opportunities that this land gives to them and us, and the remarkable ways in which this country comes together always after a tragedy––more united, more coherent, and more accepting.

Should we not expect our leader to embrace us like the rest of America does? What I as a Muslim-American would like to see is for you to have regular meetings and dialogs with members of our community. Appoint Muslim-Americans to high-profile positions and seek our suggestions. Make us an equal contributor in lifting this nation out of its present crisis. We have ideas; we might just have the solutions. Make us visible and that fact alone will help in significantly improving the relationship of US and the Muslim world. Reach out and you will find that our hands have been unclenched and waiting for a really long time.

We are here and we are for you. We are for this country because for many, many years we have been loyal citizens of this land."

Thank you, dear readers

2009-03-30T08:19:00.001-07:00

Thank you to all those who came in large numbers to attend my two book readings this past week at Barnes and Noble and Book Woman. I enjoyed the discussions that followed and was humbled by your presence. You are the reason we authors become prolific writers. Please keep up the support.

In the coming weeks, I aim to introduce a 5-Question Author Interview series to offer you a quick glance into the works of some multicultural authors. If you have a favorite author you would like to see featured on this blog, please drop me a line.

Book Woman Reading/Signing Tonight

2009-03-28T10:10:00.000-07:00

Those who live in and around Austin, please join me at Book Woman tonight, Saturday, March 28, at 7:00 p.m. I will read passages from Saffron Dreams, answer your questions, and sign books. Please bring along friends, family, and colleagues.

Support your indie book store. The address is below:

Book Woman
5501 N Lamar Blvd # A105
Austin, TX 78751 US

Blog Tour Stop 21: Another day of reviews

2009-03-28T07:18:00.000-07:00

I celebrate the last day of my book tour with two reviews of Saffron Dreams that have arrived in the past few days. 2 Kids and Tired book blog offered this review of the novel.

"Fascinating. A fictionalized story, written as a memoir. Arissa's story is told first-person through flashbacks and present day. A beautifully descriptive novel: full of color and flavor. A fascinating tale of love and loss, tragedy and triumph, and following your dreams even when they take you on an unexpected journey."
Read full review online

Another one is from the Review From Here book blog:

"I had a hard time putting this book down. Shaila Abdullah’s “Saffron Dreams” is a book that will tug at your heartstrings and won’t let go. This is one of the most poignant books that I have read."
Read full review online

And now a word of thanks to all the individuals who followed me on this month-long tour and provided comments, feedback, tips, and messages. It is because of all of you that time and again, I feel compelled to pick up my pen and do what I do. I am deeply grateful to the wonderful network of book bloggers who hosted me on their blogs this month. You are doing a great service to authors. Please keep it up.

Enter to win a signed copy of Saffron Dreams

2009-03-27T05:58:00.000-07:00

S. Krishna Books is holding a giveaway of a signed copy of Saffron Dreams. Swapna offered a great review of the novel yesterday. Read the review.

To enter the giveaway, all you have to do is comment on her post by following the link below. This contest is open until Saturday, April 4. She will announce the winner on Sunday, April 5.

Enter now

Blog Tour Stop 20: Fiction Scribe and Book Tiger

2009-03-27T05:47:00.000-07:00

Take a few minutes to read my interview at Fiction Scribe.

Nancy Williams of Book Tiger book blogger offered this review of Saffron Dreams:

"Saffron Dreams is a wonderfully uplifting story of struggle and survival, and yet another necessary work of fiction. It is one of the reasons that fiction is so powerful."

Blog Tour Stop 19: S. Krishna Books and Book Publishing Secrets

2009-03-26T07:12:00.000-07:00

It is official.

Swapna Krishna of S. Krishna Books is the well-kept secret of the book review world. I was blown away by her review of Saffron Dreams and the depth of her plot and character analysis. When I read her review, I experienced one of those "Aha" moments that is every author's dream. It's when a reader truly get the book.

I didn't want to pick and choose an excerpt, so I am including it here in its entirety.

"When I first heard about Saffron Dreams, I was really intrigued. The story of a Muslim woman who lost her husband in the World Trade Center attacks seemed compelling and timely. Indeed, after reading the book, I am moved at how beautifully and tenderly Ms. Abdullah handled a controversial subject and made the book about our common humanity, rather than about the differences that divide us.

What really struck me about Saffron Dreams is that the 9/11 attacks aren't the only serious subject addressed in this small novel. Abdullah manages to talk about racism, fundamentalism, widowhood, culture clashes, and the challenges of raising a child with disabilities within its pages. With all those weighty topics, you would think the book would be a heavy read, but surprisingly, it isn't. Instead, it's an honest look at the life of a woman trying to live a normal life while chaos is reigning around her.

Despite the seeming lack of hope in Saffron Dreams' premise, the book is full of wonder. The novel is never depressing; even in the darkest times, Arissa never seems to lose that hope that the future will be a brighter, happier place. That feeling permeates the novel, leaving the reader with a sense of optimism after the last pages are turned.

Abdullah's writing is crisp, sharp and clear. She does not mince words; her writing is very precise, each word chosen carefully. Her words have a way of conveying raw emotion; because they are so stark, the feelings are so much more clear and powerful on the page. It's a wonderful writing style for a novel such as this.

In the end, the message I took away from the novel is that what we, as citizens of this earth, have in common is much greater than all those differences than set us apart from one another. We must look to our common humanity to bring us together. This is a message full of hope and love, much like Saffron Dreams itself.

I thoroughly enjoyed Saffron Dreams and recommend it to anyone interested in multicultural fiction – it's a great read and you won't be disappointed. I am eager to pick up Shaila Abdullah's book of short stories, Beyond the Cayenne Wall."
Read online

I also shared some publishing secrets with Book Publication Secrets of Authors. Take a look.

Blog Tour Stop 18: Marta's Meanderings and The Epic Rat

2009-03-25T05:21:00.000-07:00

A fabulous, in-depth review of Saffron Dreams from Marta of Marta's Meanderings has come in. Once again, I am amazed by how closely readers and reviewers identify with the characters and their struggles when reading the book. Here's an excerpt from the review:

"This book is simply stunning. I don't think I've ever read a book with the depth and eloquency of Saffron Dreams. Shaila Abdullah spins a story so beautifully that each sentence is like the richest of desserts. I couldn't put this book down because I was mesmerized by a side of the 9/11 story I'd never heard before. Excellent writing pulls you into the life of Arissa, making you feel like you are right next to her, experiencing what she is experiencing. Shaila Abdullah's storytelling skills are unsurpassed and I can't wait to see what she writes next. In case you haven't figured it out, I'd recommend this book in a heartbeat to everyone!"
Read the full review online

Cecilia of the Epic Rat who in the past days has been promoting Saffron Dreams rigorously on her site by posting a teaser, giveaway, and review of the novel has now posted an interview.
Read the interview online.

Blog Tour Stop 17: Marta's Meanderings and The Epic Rat

2009-03-24T05:37:00.000-07:00

Come view my guest post at Marta's Meandering about the importance of a good cover.

"It’s All in the Design

I have said it once and I will say it again: the worth and value of a book is in its stickiness.

So how do you create that stickiness? That human emotion that connects you to a book, it’s plot, the characters, and makes you recall the book over and over again long after you are done reading. Think of it much like a human being. The design is the body of the book; its soul is the actual content. There are many functions of a book cover: engage a possible buyer, convey something about the story, and leave the viewer wanting more. Authors, especially if they are new, tend to distance themselves from discussions about the cover of their books. Most believe that since they are not artistic, they should not get involved. Some are simply overwhelmed. The thing to remember is that you don’t have to be creatively inclined to have an opinion about a book cover. It is your product. If you created the content, you have a say on the cover. You will be surprised to find how willing publishers are to hear your side. Be explicit in your suggestions: start with images, elements, colors, and go all the way to typography. Bring in examples of styles that resonate with you. You’re not asking the designer to copy the idea; just to get a sense of what works for you. Don’t wait for that first draft to come in before you offer your suggestions. Being a designer, I know how frustrating it is when new ideas are brought forth at the time of design approval.

No one understands the importance of the right cover better than children's author Cynthia Leitich Smith. According to her if your book is for teaching purpose, an accurate/plausible cover is key to the school-library market. “My first three books were related to my Indian (Mvskoke-Cherokee) heritage, and so the publisher consulted with me,” she says. Renowned young adult author Lila Guzman has always been consulted on the cover of her books. “My publisher sends the cover art to me probably because they are concerned about getting the Revolutionary War setting correct,” she says. “For Turncoat, they had my character in a Continental Army uniform when he was in the Spanish Army. It was easy to flip the blue and white, but I cringe to think of the reviews we might have received had they had the wrong uniform colors.”

The visual connection readers make with the book is much like a guy meeting a girl for the first time. It could be a lasting relationship or a fleeting one. I designed the cover of both of my books but I had the backing of 15 years of design experience to venture in that area. For those with small publishers or self-publishing their book, make that wise investment and get a professional to design your cover. After all it is the face of your work. Remember, a book is judged by its cover, no matter what anyone says."

Also the Epic Rat is giving away Saffron Dreams and Cecilia, the blog owner, has posted several excerpts of the novel to engage the readers. Take a look at the review. If you would like to participate in the giveaway, enter your comments here. So far 39 people are competing for the book. Last day to enter is March 31. Good luck!

Comprehensive List of Pakistani Writers

2009-03-23T06:36:00.000-07:00

Lately, there has been a rising interest in Pakistani literature, especially Pakistani Writing in English (PWE) or Pakistani Anglophone Writing (PAW). I am compiling a list of Pakistani Writers (of English and other languages) and will update this list periodically with appropriate links. If you see an error in names or linkages, please email me:

Aamina Ahmad
Aamer Hussein
Ahmad Ali
Ahmad Nadeem Qasimi | Wiki
Ahmed Faraz | Wiki
Ahmed Hamaish
Alamgir Hashmi
Alauddin Masood
Ali Sethi
Altaf Fatima
Altaf Gauhar
Amar Jaleel
Amar Sindhu
Anwar Enayatullah
Dr. Anwar Sadeed
Dr. Aasif Farrukhi
Dr. Anwar Naseem
Badshah Munir Bukhari
Bapsi Sidhwa
Bina Shah
Bushra Rehman
Daniyal Mueenuddin
Daud Kamal
Fahmida Riaz | Wiki
Faiz Ahmed Faiz
Faryal Gohar
Fawzia Afzal Khan
Hakim Said
Hima Raza (deceased) | Remembering Hima
Humera Afridi
Dr. Jameel Jalbi
Iftikhar Aarif
Ihsan Danish
Ismail Ahmedani
Junus Said
Kamila Shamsie
Kishwar Naheed | Wiki
Mazhar Hussain Rehmani
Maniza Naqvi
Mohammad Tanzeel-ul-siddiqi al-husaini
Mohsin Hamid
Muhammad Munawwar Mirza
Mohammed Hanif
Mumtaz Mufti
Muneeza Shamsie
Muniruddin Ahmed
Mazhar-ul-Islam
Mansha Yaad
Mirza Hamid Baig
Dr. Naseer Ahmad Nasir
Naseer Ahmed Nasir
Noon Meem Rashid
Nasir Kazmi
Nasir Baghdadi
Nasir Zaidi (deceased) | Wiki
Nayyara Rahman
Nisar Farooqi
Partawi Shah
Perveen Shakir (deceased) | Wiki
Qaisra Shahraz
Qudrat Ullah Shahab
Rasheed Ahmed Siddique
Dr. Rasheed Amjad
Riaz Ahmed Gohar Shahi
Roshni Rustomji
Saadat Hasan Manto
Dr. Saleem Akhtar
Sehba Sarwar
Saeed Rashid
Sabyn Javeri Jillani
Sara Suleri Goodyear
Sarfraz Manzoor
Shaikh Ayaz | Wiki
Shaila Abdullah
Shahrukh Husain
Shahzad Ahmed
Shandana Minhas
Sheba Karim
Shuja Nawaz
S. M. Ayub
Sonia Kamal
Sorayya Khan
Syed Kashif Raza
Tahir Alauddin
Tahir Aslam Gora
Tahira Naqvi | SAWNET
Tajammul Hussain
Talat Abbasi
Tariq Ali
Taufiq Rafat
Tehmina Durrani
Umaira Ahmed | Wiki
Uzma Aslam Khan
Wasif Ali Wasif
Dr. Wazir Agha
Yousaf Saleem Chishti
Zaib-un-nissa Hamidullah
Zahir Faruqu
Zulfikar Ghose

Other Resources

Wikipedia List

Amazon List of Pakistani Authors

Goodreads Notable List of Pakistani Authors

References

Pakistani Literature: The Contemporary English Writers edited by Alamgir Hashmi (New York: World University Service, 1978; Islamabad: Gulmohar Press, 1987) (2nd ed.). ISBN 000500408X (OCLC # 19328427; LC Card # 87931006)
A Dragonfly in the Sun: An Anthology of Pakistani Writing in English edited by Muneeza Shamsie (Karachi: Oxford University Press, 1997). ISBN 0195777840
Leaving Home: Towards a New Millennium: A Collection of English Prose by Pakistani Writers edited by Muneeza Shamsie (Karachi: Oxford University Press, 2001). ISBN 0195795296
Post Independence Voices in South Asian Writings edited by Alamgir Hashmi, Malashri Lal and Victor Ramraj (Islamabad: Alhamra, 2001). ISBN 969-516-093-X

Blog Tour Stop 16: Marta's Meanderings

2009-03-22T20:06:00.000-07:00

I will be a guest of Marta's Meanderings for the next three days. Marta, who runs a popular book blog, sent me this nice note after she was done reading Saffron Dreams:

"I've just finished your book and can't wait for your stop at my blog Marta's Meanderings. Your book is stunning! I don't know any other way to describe it. I think you've explored an entire side of the 9/11 events that most people have never looked at."

Thanks, Marta. Read my interview on Marta's Meanderings

Blog Tour Stop 15: The Book Connection and Paperback Writer

2009-03-20T06:30:00.000-07:00

Today is a busy day for online publicity. Cheryl Malandrinos of the famous book blog, The Book Connection, posted this fantastic review of Saffron Dreams:

"If ever there was a book more eloquently written than Saffron Dreams, I would like to see it. The words simply fly off the page and float into your consciousness; their power touching you in a way like no other book might ever touch you again. The struggles of being a 9/11 widow and a Muslim, come together in a moving story that will find you filled with every emotion ever experienced by a human being. Abdullah's masterful storytelling draws you in from the very first moment and does not release you until you've turned the very last page. Anyone who has ever loved and lost will be touched by this heartrending, yet triumphant story of one woman's difficult journey to pick up the pieces of her shattered life in a country that has suddenly put her and an entire race under a microscope in order to make sense of a monumental tragedy. The descriptions and details put you right alongside Arissa so that you are totally captivated by her world, her dreams, her struggles, and her triumphs."
Read the complete review online

Rebecca Camarena of Paperback Writer interviewed me and we discussed the making of Saffron Dreams and the message behind the novel. Here is an excerpt:

What do you want readers to remember and carry with them after reading your novel?
SA: I want the readers to discover that the best way to avert discrimination is to look it straight in the eye and do something about it. Remember to take the outstretched hand of those who want to help when life throws you off balance. Only then will you find your equilibrium. Know that certain choices we make in our lives are driven by our own individual circumstances; therefore, there is no point in defending them to the rest of the world. Don’t rush to condemn a community because of the acts of a few misguided souls. Last, but not the least, know that happiness comes in unexpected forms, sometimes not packaged to our specification but ultimately containing the perfect ingredients to make life worth living.
Read the entire interview online

Blog Tour Stop 14: Divine Caroline

2009-03-19T08:16:00.000-07:00

Join me for an interview with JM of Divine Caroline today, where we discuss Saffron Dreams, its characters, the story, and the inspiration behind it. Don't forget to leave comments.

View now.

Blog Tour Stop 13: The Writer's Life

2009-03-18T04:53:00.000-07:00

Read my in-depth interview with The Writer's Life. We talked about my new novel Saffron Dreams, the joys and perils of publishing, writing habits, etc.

Remember, at every blog tour stop there are prizes. For those with comments and questions, I can be reached at shailaabdullah@gmail.com. If you mention The Writers Life interview, you will receive a free e-book called A Taste of Saffron, containing recipes of dishes mentioned in Saffron Dreams.

Blog Tour Stop 12: The Writer's Life

2009-03-17T04:44:00.000-07:00

This was another fun piece to do.

Read the 10 Things People Don’t Know About Shaila Abdullah

Blog Tour Stop 11: Literary Safari

2009-03-16T05:35:00.000-07:00

An interview and a heart-warming review by Sandhya Nankani of Literary Safari. An excerpt is below with a link to the full posting:

"We have read numerous stories in the mainstream media about the widows of 9/11. Not so many about the Muslim victims. In her novel Saffron Dreams, Austin-based Pakistani-American author Shaila Abdullah fills a void in that literature by providing the perspective of a pregnant Pakistani woman, Arissa, who loses her husband–a writer with a masters in literature who worked as a waiter in the Windows on the World restaurant–on September 11.

I read this novel just after I’d wrapped my writing of a curriculum guide for an oral history of Muslim youth in New York City, This Is Where I Need To Be, which was published by Teachers College’s Student Press Initiative. It would make a wonderful read for both a young adult and adult audience interested in further exploring the ways in which America’s Muslim population experienced 9/11. Intertwined with flashbacks to Arissa’s childhood in Pakistan, this novel provides a valuable insight into secular, upper middle class Pakistani society. A much-needed perspective in the void of the American Muslim experience, it is an unflinching and moving look at the societal pressures of widowhood, the role that art can play in the healing process, and the impact of media bias and stereotyping on the Muslim American community in the aftermath of the 2001 terrorist attacks."
Read the full review and the interview

Library Journal declares Saffron Dreams as a forthcoming first novel

2009-03-15T11:45:00.000-07:00

A nice plug from Library Journal again, this time with a starred list. Look online to get your "2009 books to read" list

A Lush Spring
By Barbara Hoffert -- Library Journal, 3/15/2009

Thousands of novels are published each year, some of them debuts that promise to be fresh, fun, and maybe even the work of our next John Grisham or Marcel Proust. That's why LJ lists a wide-ranging selection of forthcoming first novels each season. This season, we are doing something different. While for programming purposes we will continue listing an author's state or country, we are grouping the books as a whole by type. Where available, we are quoting from the LJ review and indicating books starred in the magazine.

LITERARY
Shaila Abdullah. Saffron Dreams. Modern History. Feb. (Texas) “A remarkable, inevitably hopeful glimpse into the daily life of Muslim [women] living in America.” (LJ 2/1/09)
Read complete entry

Blog Tour Stop 10: A Day of Reviews

2009-03-13T07:20:00.000-07:00

Two fabulous reviews from two great reviewers. Please visit the sites below and post comments.

A Garden Carried in Your Pocket (Review Excerpt)
by Jenclair

This is a quiet book about loss and grief, about hope and commitment, about cultural differences, and about our common humanity. It is, above all, a success story in the sense that living, in spite of all its difficulties, is a worthy challenge.

Saffron Dreams addresses many serious problems (death of a loved one, prejudice, cultural differences, caring for a child with disabilities, and more), but in such a manner that allows us to see the ways human beings triumph over circumstances wrenched from their control and gradually find ways to re-adjust their dreams and move forward.

A beautifully written narrative that looks at the aftermath of Sept. 11 with a slightly different perspective, the book unfolds and blossoms with an unexpected tenderness while never denying the the myriad effects of tragedy.
(Full review)

Reader Views (Review Excerpt)
by Olivera Baumgartner-Jackson

There are books that are beautiful simply because they are so positive and pleasant. And there are those that manage to be beautiful in spite of the pain and the suffering and the heartbreak contained within. Shaila Abdullah’s “Saffron Dreams” is both. Her writing is mesmerizing. On one hand it feels like a classically cut diamond – precise, sparkling, blindingly beautiful, but also incredibly sharp. On the other hand her writing reminds me of a dish I’ve often had traveling in India – a thali. Yes, I am very well aware of the fact that the author is Pakistani and not Indian, but many of the foods she mentioned in the book reminded me a lot of India, and that is probably why I thought of thali. Thali is usually a round metal tray with many compartments, each containing a different item, such as rice, dhal, different vegetables and curries, chutney, yoghurt and something sweet to finish. Each of those items complements or contrasts the others to perfection, and together they are some of the best food I’ve ever tasted. This is the way I feel about “Saffron Dreams.” It was comforting, it was funny, it was spicy; and then heartbreaking, full of despair, filled with hope, amazingly fresh and vibrant and satisfying. Following Arissa’s story makes the reader realize how little most of us know and understand the world of Muslims, and how incredibly wrong so many of our perceptions are.
(Full review)

Publishers Weekly Blog Anniversary Celebration with Barbara Vey

2009-03-12T21:00:00.000-07:00

Barbara Vey of Beyond Her Book--A Publishers Weekly Blog-is celebrating her 2nd anniversary writing that blog. For the March 13 giveaway, I have offered a signed copy of Saffron Dreams along with a downloadable recipe book, A Taste of Saffron and excerpt of my 2005 collection of short stories, Beyond the Cayenne Wall.

Please send out a message to your loops, blogs and Twitter to let everyone know about the chance to win something. There are many prizes for just commenting. Visit
http://www.publishersweekly.com/blog/880000288/post/1340041734.html

Blog Tour Stop 9: RebeccasReads

2009-03-12T08:41:00.000-07:00

In the book review world, who hasn't heard of RebeccasReads? They provide a wonderful environment in which book lovers can learn about new and exciting books. Sandie Kirkland of RebeccasReads reviewed Saffron Dreams and offered her thoughts. Here is an excerpt with link to full posting:

"Saffron Dreams is a compelling look into another culture and into how we each can build the life we were meant to live. The writing is lyrical and pulls the reader along quickly. One focus I found interesting was looking at the tragedy of 9-11 through the eyes of an American immigrant. The thread of Muslim beliefs in a modern world, and how women especially balance ancient and modern traditions, is a fresh, different viewpoint. Finally, the self-affirmation that we can handle whatever life throws at us is valuable. I enjoyed this book and will recommend it to others."
Full posting

Blog Tour Stop 8: Book Stacks

2009-03-11T05:29:00.000-07:00

This one was a fun piece to do. I was asked to guest post at Book Stacks about books, writing and life. Here's a short excerpt of that posting with link to full text:

I am a fool, a heartbroken lover, a goddess of inner beauty and outer glow. I am balanced, I am tipsy. I am and then I am not.

On paper and in my mind’s eye, I am this and much more.

I am inside the plot. It thickens and thins out. It pulsates, it throbs. It weakens, it strengthens.

My fingers have a life of their own as they type. I am amazed at what appears on the screen in front of me. I am giddy with the power that words give me.

I seek refuge in the magic of the written word. I type with two fingers because I never learned to type. For the initial twenty-three years of my life in Karachi, computers and typewriters had no presence. I can still type with a certain speed, my gaze fixed not on the screen but on the keyboard. In the early part of my writing career, I went through draft after draft written in long hand. When inspiration hit, I hid in a corner and wrote furiously. I was fourteen then.
Full posting

Blog Tour Seventh Stop: RebeccasReads and Inside Scoop Live!

2009-03-10T05:29:00.000-07:00

Join me today and view an author spotlight at RebeccasReads book review site. Also, enjoy my audio interview with Juanita Watson of Inside Scoop Live!

Blog Tour Sixth Stop: As the Page Turn

2009-03-09T07:03:00.000-07:00

I am on Saffron Dreams book blog tour stop #6 today where I participate in a book trivia by As the Page Turn. What an unusual way to talk about one's book. The questions are hilarious.

Here's the link for laughs: http://tinyurl.com/bxlc5y

Interview in Dawn

2009-03-09T05:28:00.000-07:00

Sehba Sarwar interviewed me in the leading newspaper of Pakistan called Dawn. Among other things, we talked about the innovative launch of Saffron Dreams, the perils of publishing, and my future goals. The interview appeared in the Sunday section of Books and Authors on March 8, 2009. Thanks, Sehba!

Read the interview

Blog Tour Fifth Stop: Book Connection

2009-03-06T05:08:00.000-08:00

See my guest post at Book Connection as I talk about the impact of 9/11 on the lives of the ordinary Muslims.

There was a time before September 10, 2001, when I could jaywalk down 6th street in downtown Austin and blend in with the locals. I was colorless, stripped of ethnicity, even faceless at times. After all, diversity is what added to the flavor of the city––that and a certain cross dressing gentleman in thongs who once ran for the city mayor.

That was before some of the locals exchanged their world vision glasses with compromised ones and took a serious look around. What they saw terrified them. They were in a minority in their own land with a group of people they knew little or nothing about. It scared them that the color of their skin matched the ones who took the towers down. After all, didn’t all Muslims prostrate in the same manner as the attackers? Did they not worship at mosques as well? Then came the lumping-of-all-potatoes-in-one-sack epiphany. If all Muslims prayed the same way, surely they must share the same ideology as the terrorists. As the overly-corrected vision of the locals turned blurry from the daily input they received from the media and those around them, they learned to live in fear. With every change in color in the national security threat level, their hearts sank even more. Could they trust the friendly Muslim neighbor across the street, the one who greeted them every morning but sported a beard and whose wife wore a headscarf? The day after 9/11, Muslim-Americans woke up to a new America––the one where they were no longer regarded as locals but outsiders and lumped together with the fundamentalists. They struggled to know themselves, only to lose themselves in the interpretation of others.
Read the whole post

Blog Tour Fourth Stop: Home Sweet Home

2009-03-05T10:18:00.000-08:00

Come see me play the Home Sweet Home Writing Challenge for Authors! You can purchase a copy of my new book, leave a comment, send an email and even earn prizes.

Visit now

Pakistani Writing in English Gains Momentum

2009-03-05T06:34:00.000-08:00

There is growing literary landscape of Pakistani Writing in English (PWE) that has found its way into the reader's hearts. It is the whole idea of literature opening gateways to out-of-reach destinations. Jai Arjun Singh of Business Standard explores the new interest. See below:

Pakistani writing in English is finding new and dynamic ways to chronicle the many different realities of the country.

“Good literature tells you so many things about other lives,” says Nadeem Aslam in his characteristic soft tone. We’re sitting on the lawns of Jaipur’s Diggi Palace, where the annual literature festival is being held, and the eloquent Pakistani author is talking about how his relationship with Latin America began when he read Marquez for the first time — and how “the 400 pages of One Hundred Years of Solitude made me deeply interested in the lives of millions of people in countries I had never visited”

Aslam himself is part of a growing literary landscape —that of Pakistani Writing in English (PWE) — and the idea of literature opening gateways to other worlds and other people (or, equally importantly, showing that the “other” isn’t so unlike us) has become increasingly relevant here. While Pakistani Anglophone writers like Aamer Hussain, Kamila Shamsie, Uzma Aslam Khan and Mohsin Hamid have been around for a while, the publishing world is seeing the advent of exciting new names such as Daniyal Mueenuddin, Mohammed Hanif and Ali Sethi. In different ways, the work of all these writers reveals the heterogeneity of Pakistan, a country that is frequently stereotyped and tarred with a single brush by the international community. It also suggests that literature’s ability to help us understand and empathise is of vital importance at the present moment.
Read the full article.

Blog Tour Third Stop: Blog Critics

2009-03-04T05:18:00.000-08:00

Read an interview of mine with Dorothy Thompson and don't forget to leave your comments.

http://blogcritics.org/archives/2009/03/01/173941.php

Blogcritics is an online magazine for a community of writers and readers from around the globe.

Blog Tour Second Stop: The Plot

2009-03-03T05:12:00.001-08:00

Check out the character interview with Arissa, the protagonist of Saffron Dreams on the Plot today. It's a fun read. See:
http://theplotline.wordpress.com/2009/03/03/interview-with-arissa-from-saffron-dreams-by-shaila-abdullah/

Don't forget to leave a comment.

Blog Tour for Saffron Dreams: First Stop | The Plot

2009-03-02T07:25:00.000-08:00

Celebrate Women’s History Month by accompanying me on a Blog Tour for Saffron Dreams throughout the month of March. Please participate by visiting and posting comments. Some blogs carry prizes and giveaways. Please spread the word.

Here is a complete schedule
http://www.shailaabdullah.com/SD-blogtour.html

First stop today and tomorrow is The Plot. Stop by and post comments.

My entry in the International Museum of Women Exhibit

2009-02-24T10:40:00.000-08:00

I am pleased to let you know that my short story "Amulet for the Caged Dove" has been accepted in Exhibiting You, an online project of the International Museum of Women (I.M.O.W.).

Please view my entry and add your comments
View a complete list of exhibits

The mission of I.M.O.W. is to value the lives of women around the world. It is a groundbreaking social change museum that inspires global action, connects people across borders and transforms hearts and minds by amplifying the voices of women worldwide through global online exhibitions, history, the arts and cultural programs that educate, create dialogue and build community.

Please do your part in spreading the word.

Huffington Post and Library Journal applaud Saffron Dreams

2009-02-05T08:56:00.000-08:00

Pleasant surprise yesterday. Received a raving review from Library Journal for Saffron Dreams:

"In this insightful, intimate narrative, Pakistani-born Arissa Illahi moves to New York City to be with her husband, who had taken a job at the World Trade Center's Windows on the World restaurant to allow time for completing his novel. He perishes when the towers collapse, and Arissa nearly crumples herself as she struggles with tremendous grief, a troublesome pregnancy, and the various trials she faces as a Muslim when others ignorantly associate her with the terrorists. Abdullah excels at examining the complexity of moving on after this historical event, especially from Arissa's unique perspective as a writer and artist struggling to rear a child with special needs. But this debut novel deals with more than just survival in the aftermath of 9/11, also examining the nature of motherhood by juxtaposing Arissa's supportive mother-in-law and less than maternal mother. Like Abdullah's story collection, Beyond the Cayenne Wall, this work provides a remarkable, inevitably hopeful glimpse into the daily life of Muslim woman living in America. Highly recommended."
—Faye A. Chadwell, Library Journal

Also a great plug from Huffington Post. Read
Muslim-American Novelist Examines Social Rift in the Aftermath of 9/11

Online Book Launch for Saffron Dreams Today

2009-02-03T00:45:00.000-08:00

On Tuesday, February 3, your purchase of Saffron Dreams will come with bonuses and prizes!

Buy Saffron Dreams at a discount today and receive many exciting gifts, such as exclusive excerpts of Bapsi Sidhwa’s An American Brat and my own Beyond the Cayenne Wall as well as other book freebies such as a cookbook (containing recipes of dishes mentioned in the novel), a screensaver and an unpublished chapter of Saffron Dreams. Nearly 51 giveaways including books of acclaimed authors like Sidhwa, Mohsin Hamid, Kamila Shamsie, and Nadeem Aslam will be given away as drawing prizes. View a full list of gifts. Remember the offer for bonuses and prizes is good for only February 3. Spread the word around and don't miss out.

BUY SAFFRON DREAMS NOW

Description | Excerpt | Reviews | Book Video

Saffron Dreams Online Book Launch On February 3, 2009

2009-01-13T20:22:00.000-08:00

For one day only, Saffron Dreams will be available for purchase on Amazon at a discounted rate. The book will come bearing exciting gifts, such as exclusive excerpts of Bapsi Sidhwa’s American Brat and my own Beyond the Cayenne Wall as well as a Recipe Book, a Screensaver and an unpublished chapter of Saffron Dreams. Autographed copies of Sidhwa’s books, as well as books of other acclaimed authors such as Mohsin Hamid and Nadeem Aslam will be given away as drawing prizes. Details to follow. Sign up to be on my mailing list and get notified of this event.

2008-10-27T06:56:00.000-07:00

Here's a book video of Saffron Dreams

Enjoy!

Saffron Dreams due to be released

2008-09-09T12:16:00.000-07:00

I am happy to announce that, Saffron Dreams, my new novel is due to be released in February of 2009 by Modern History Press. View the website for more details.

Here is a brief description of Saffron Dreams.

You don't know you're a misfit until you are marked as an outcast.
From the darkest hour of American history emerges a mesmerizing tale of tender love, a life interrupted, and faith recovered. Arissa Illahi, a Muslim artist and writer, discovers in a single moment that no matter how carefully you map your life, it is life itself that chooses your destiny. After her husband's death in the collapse of the World Trade Center, the discovery of his manuscript marks Arissa's reconnection to life. Her unborn son and the unfinished novel fuse in her mind into one life-defining project that becomes, at once, the struggle for her emotional survival and the redemption of her race. Saffron Dreams is a novel about our ever evolving identities and the events and places that shape them. It reminds us that in the midst of tragedy, our dreams can become a lasting legacy.

Read an excerpt
Advance praise

Reading Rockets Teacher Appreciation Award

2007-05-02T07:22:00.000-07:00

Teacher Appreciation Week is celebrated during the first full week in May, with Teacher Appreciation Day falling on Tuesday, May 8, 2007. In honor of Teacher Appreciation Week, Reading Rockets asked the online community to write in and tell them about the teachers who make a difference in their lives.

I nominated Jessica Fiedler, a teacher from my daughter, Aanyah's preschool for that award. I was informed today that she was chosen to be the award recipient. Jessica is one of those rare individuals who has the unique talent to spark young preschoolers' imaginations and help them develop creative thinking. She makes every child feel special and empowered. She helps children think of how best to resolve disputes amongst themselves and it amazes the young ones when they are able to come up with a solution. She has an amazing drive and a deep-rooted ethical sense.

Reading Rockets is an award winning site that offers effective teaching strategies and promotes reading comprehension, language arts, literacy, fluency, phonics and phonemic awareness in children.

Congratulations, Jessica!

Read the news

Pamela Filip Makes a Debut

2007-05-02T07:15:00.000-07:00

Writer, author, speaker and singer Pamela Filip has just finished writing her book, More Serotonin, Please! With Lots Of Lithium And A Twist Of Prozac On The Side. Lord! I’m Black And Bipolar! A Journey Through the Raging Highs and the Blue Lows of Mental Illness.

Check out her website that I designed for her.

Digital Photography for Busy Women

2007-04-11T06:48:00.000-07:00

It's launched, it's launched.

Months of hard work has paid off. Laura Oles' Digital Photography for Busy Women website that I designed is now live. Take a peek. Laura is a very resourceful and informative woman in the field of digital photography with hundreds of articles to her name.

Take a look
http://www.gotdigitalpictures.com/

Nirali Magazine Features Beyond the Cayenne Wall

2007-04-11T06:21:00.001-07:00

Nirali Magazine, an online magazine that reflects the identity and interests of South Asian women all over North America, featured me in their April Issue. Staff writer, Nakasha Ahmad examined the stories in Beyond the Cayenne Wall and attempted to integrate it with my life as an immigrant, a woman, a wife, and a mother. According to reviewer Khotan Shahbazi-Harmon, "Shaila's book has pulled back the 'exotic' cultural curtain aside for a brief moment and directed the Western gaze on the unexamined life of South Asian women." See: If These Walls Could Talk: Shaila Abdullah’s debut book opens a window on life as a Pakistani woman.

Silent Auction of Beyond the Cayenne Wall

2007-02-07T10:42:00.000-08:00

Julie Hamsa is organizing a silent auction for a nonprofit called Nothing But Nets and will auction off signed copies of Beyond the Cayenne Wall.

Nothing But Nets is a foundation started by sports columnist Rick Riley and partnered with the UN, which buys bed nets to prevent the spread of malaria in Africa. Malaria is the leading cause of death of children in Africa, 3000 kids die each day. However, a mere $10 buys a bed net for a family, which can be used for 4 years! Using bed nets cuts malaria transmission 90%! All money raised goes directly to the foundation, so each $10 buys one bed net.

15th Annual Austin Chronicle Short Story Contest

2007-02-02T07:56:00.000-08:00

When: Wednesday, February 7
Where: BookPeople, Austin

BookPeople will host a party honoring the finalists of the 15th Annual Austin Chronicle Short Story Contest. Join us for free food and drinks while winners read their short stories. My story "Sins of Monsoons" excerpted from my new novel Saffron Dreams is one of the finalists. Come celebrate with us.

New look for Writers' League of Texas

2007-02-01T08:14:00.000-08:00

I finished developing the new site for the Writers' League of Texas and launched it last week. Check it out at http://www.writersleague.org/

VOA Interview

2005-12-05T07:22:00.000-08:00

2005-11-30T07:22:00.000-08:00