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Wajiha Abbasi
Author of
Tell your readers a little about yourself, where you
grew up, where you live now, where you went to school etc. Let them get to know
the personal you.
My
childhood city is Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, full of memories that I hold very dear
to my heart. After spending most of my teenage years there, I shifted to the
capital city of Pakistan, Islamabad, in the year 2017. it was a very rough
journey from then onwards, but it helped me become the person I am. My school
back in Jeddah was a private one and has my fondest achievements associated
with it, while college in Islamabad is my new home and has most of the profound
experiences of college campus life. My last two years as a foreign student in
highschool were exceptionally lonely, and I hadn’t had much fun or experiences
throughout them, but books helped me in trying to anchor myself and stay
grounded. Music was and to this day is one of my escape plans, a good mystical
or poetic song is always a decent way to release stress. I’ve also grown fond
of makeup and art, even though I am probably terrible at the latter, but I can
manage a decent facial contour and winged eyeliner. One of the most important
things I have learned through my short time on Earth is the be grateful for
what you have today, be proud of what you’ve done yesterday, and strive for a
better tomorrow. To put a full stop to this context, I would like to quote the
character Bojack Horseman from the American sitcom Bojack Horseman” In this
terrifying world, all we have are the connections we make.”
What
inspired you to author this book?
I
have always been a reading fanatic; throughout my childhood, I loved reading
and have spent countless hours after bedtime trying to read in the timid lights
from my night lamp. To this day, I hold books close to me, and I still carry
them around, whether I’m traveling or riding the bus, waiting in the grocery
lines, etc. I feel like they help me connect with everything in this world that
I have yet to witness. My true inspiration for writing a book came when I moved
to Pakistan. In the lonely lunch breaks that I spent in my junior and senior
year, books were my only friend, novels became more like a safe space for me,
and I kept seeking shelter between the words. Just as other authors created my
friend, I also want to gift someone else the pleasure, or rather I should say
the comfort of being safe by being an author myself.
Where did you get the inspiration for your book’s
cover?
The
book’s cover is nothing special; it is basically metaphorical of the plot of
the book, sort of like a missing puzzle piece that helps to create a picture.
Who has been the most significant influence on you
personally and as a writer?
Personally,
I have been heavily influenced by the way my parents brought me up. love,
acceptance, and forbearance; my community and my parents both have worked hard
on engraining these moral values into my personality, and I will always be
indebted to them. The community I grew up in was always welcoming and were
wonderful hosts to everyone and anyone. I feel as though my writing has been
heavily influenced by my community. My family is accepting of every race, color,
gender, religion, caste, creed, and sexuality. All of the credits of my success
will always belong to my parents.
What
were your struggles or obstacles you had to overcome to get this book written?
I
believe one of the biggest obstacles I had to face was working on the book
cover. It was very tough deciding that one, and my editor and I went over
tonnes of rough sketches and ideas until we finally choose one. Another issue
was the language barrier between me, and the book cover designer, her patience
with me was unwavering as we kept redesigning over and over again.
Tell your readers about your book.
The
main genre of my book is fiction LGBT+ fantasy. The first pages narrate the
story of an elf frost king Sidastir, who had fought wars for 100 years and
conquered back his homeland, but the cost of such victory is being the last of
his tribe. The story really begins when Sidastir begins searching for a partner
to accompany him for his stay at Virtus Scolaris, the finest school in all of
the nine kingdoms. After rejecting most of the candidates and freezing others
for their incompetence, Sidastir meets his actual companion-to-be, Akana; a
dessert nomad who can neither feel cold nor be frozen. The chemistry is
unexplainable in words. The tale of how someone who cannot experience love can
fall into it without even trying, a world where love truly can change
everything.
Who is your target audience, and why?
My
target audience would be people with trust issues, people who have felt loss,
who could not have felt accepted, the kind of people that felt like they were
imperfections in this so-called perfect world. Anyone who had the unfortunate
luck of having to feel the absence, to feel emptiness, who had to lose control
over themselves out of fear, out of issues, out of whatsoever reasons, I want
them to know that it is going to work out in the end; anything that pains them
will be over soon enough. There is still hope, and there will always be light
at the end of the tunnel. I want them to know that the only way to go from rock
bottom is thrusting upwards.
What do you consider your greatest success in life?
I
think the greatest success in the mundane perspective is to be heard, to be
seen, to be acknowledged, and associated with kindness. The world of literature
and poetry is full of kindness. It is a beautiful place to reside in. To be
part of it is a great privilege.
What
one unique thing sets you apart from other writers in your genre?
I
feel like a lot of authors in the LGBT genre write books in terms of modern
test messages and coffee dates love. While that is a great way to portray love,
I feel as though the LGBT community should be presented in the fantasy and
fiction world as well.
