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In the 'Author's Corner' series we shine the spotlight on promising first-time female novelists. Hope you enjoy reading some fun facts about them!
In the ‘Author’s Corner’ series we shine the spotlight on promising first-time female authors. Hope you enjoy reading some fun facts about them!
Meet Ameera Al Hakawati, author of Desperate In Dubai; a book that started off as a blog initially but ended up as a much-talked about novel based on the life and times of four women in glitzy and glamorous Dubai.
If you had not become a writer, what would you have been?
An actress! It’s another form of storytelling and expressing oneself and I (like to) think I’d be good at it.
What is the best thing about being a published author?
Knowing that I’ve fulfilled my childhood dream. Not many people get to say that they’ve done that – especially if their dreams were things like becoming a tooth fairy or a superhero!
What is the hardest thing about writing a book?
Letting others read it. It’s like wearing your heart on your sleeve and putting yourself out there on a huge scale. Writing is so personal and now suddenly thousands of people have had the chance to peek into my mind and my soul – as corny as it sounds!
If you were a man, would there be anything different about your book?
My protagonists would probably be all male and it would have been called Dudes in Dubai. Now that’s a thought!
Who was the first to read your book? What was their first reaction?
The first person who read the whole thing was my editor – and she loved every page.
One book you would love to have written?
Room by Emma Donoghue. I think it’s a modern masterpiece.
Future literary plans?
I’ve started researching my second book so hopefully that will see the light. Would love to be able to write books for a living and never have to endure an office job again!
Thanks Ameera! All the best for your wishes to come true!
Previous Interviews in Author’s Corner:
Judy Balan
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UP Boards Topper Prachi Nigam was trolled on social media for her facial hair; our obsession with appearance is harsh on young minds.
Prachi Nigam’s photo has been doing the rounds on social media for the right reasons. Well, scratch that- I wish the above statement were true. This 15-year-old girl should ideally be revelling in her spectacular achievement of scoring a whopping 98.05% and topping her tenth-grade boards. But oddly enough, along with her marks, it’s something else that garners more attention – her facial hair.
While the trolls are driving themselves giddy by mocking this girl who hasn’t even completed her school yet, the ones who are taking her side are going one step ahead – they are sharing her photoshopped pictures, sans the facial hair, looking nothing less than a celebrity with captions saying – “Prachi Nigam, ten years later”.
Doctors have already diagnosed her with PCOD in their comments, based on photographic evidence. While we have names for people shamed for their weight – body shaming, for their skin colour- racism, for their age- age shaming, for being a female- sexism, this category of shaming where one faces criticism for their appearance has no name. With that, it also has zero shame attached to it.
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