‘ALL my life I’ve been surrounded by literature. My parents are avid lovers of all forms of art, and they passed on their passion to us. I’ve also been fortunate that my parents have had personal relationships with powerful Urdu poets of our times — Faiz Ahmed Faiz, Kishwar Naheed, Ahmed Faraz, Fehmida Riaz and Suroor Barabankwi.

I was greatly influenced by my parents and grew to love reading at a very young age. I didn’t start writing, though, till I went to college in the States — probably because Pakistan’s still steeped in our colonial history, and during my school years, I was never exposed to English writings from our region or any other part of the world. But at college, I took world literature courses and discovered South Asian writers such as Bapsi Sidhwa, Sara Suleri, Khushwant Singh, Anita Desai to name just a few. I also began reading works by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Chinhua Achebe, Amy Tan and others. Through reading such works, I finally saw a space in which I too could write and publish.

Literature that emerges from our part of the world has a deeper connection to socio-political issues and consciousness at that level is another driving force in my writing.’

B&A: How did your novel Black Wings come about and what was the inspiration or objective behind it?

A: I began Black Wings without the intention of writing a novel. I was producing a series of short stories set in a fabricated hill station Hawagali (that were based on my memories of holidays in Nathiagali). As I wrote more stories, I realised there was a thread between the narratives, and that the two women — Laila and Yasmeen — telling the stories were evolving as characters with their own histories. And that’s how the novel was born. Once I committed to writing their stories, then I couldn’t stop because all I wanted to do was learn more about the characters and their lives.

As far as what my objective was — that’s hard to say. I don’t generally write with a purpose. Sometimes people ask me how far I plan ahead when I write a novel, and I always laugh, because when I’m writing my objective is to get to the end so I, too, can find out what happens; I always let the characters drive the narrative. I might start writing with a plan in mind but then the characters start growing and they direct the story. That’s why I’ve always loved endings because by then, most questions are answered.

B&A: What comments and reactions have you received regarding the book?

A: Overall, I’ve received positive comments and reviews. One Pakistani reader who’s currently living in Denmark emailed me telling me that the novel took her back to her ‘beloved Karachi’ and also reminded her of her childhood days in Murree. Another reader in Los Angeles emailed me telling me that she thought the novel was ‘wonderful, very deep and very beautifully written.’

Other readers have said that they enjoyed the stories that Laila and Yasmeen tell, and that they appreciated the fact that I wrote about conflicts that arise between a mother and daughter — material that’s not often developed in our part of the world.

B&A: Have you encountered any problems publishing books?

A: The publishing industry in this day and age is definitely a challenge. In the old days there were fewer writers, and editors who worked in publishing houses actually helped writers edit (all writers need good editors) but that’s no longer the case. In the West, the publishing industry is competing with the internet, television, and cinema and it’s struggling to survive. Editors no longer edit much and books are accepted not necessarily on literary merit but on marketability through literary agents. This means that many writers are writing with a market in mind, without following their hearts. It’s sad.

So, yes, I’ve had problems. Through my agent, a US editor sent me a comment saying that he liked my work, but that he wanted me to include more Musharraf and 9/11 in the narrative. On the positive side, though, I’m thrilled that there’s a rise in the publishing industries in Pakistan and India. Alhamra Publishing and its publisher Shafiq Naz offer exciting opportunities to writers and I’m glad my first novel was published in the place I consider my home.

B&A: What is a typical writing day for you?

A: When I began Black Wings, I used to write mostly at night because I was facilitating writing workshops during the day. By the time I completed the novel, though, I had quit teaching and had begun running my own non-profit organisation — which, though equally demanding, gave me a flexible schedule — and so I began writing more in the mornings. I still love mornings best. That’s when I don’t have the noise of the day in my head and I have clear space to write.

But now that I have a little girl (she’s going to be three in September) I don’t have a clear schedule. I grab the time whenever I see it. Sometimes it means that I don’t write at home and that I go to cafes. Sometimes I take my laptop to my office and find time there, or else if I have a deadline, I take a day off and then work through the night. I do my best to write every single day because writing is part of my living experience.

B&A: How did you become involved with the activist arts organisation Voices Breaking Boundaries?

A: Back in 2000, I, along with five women poets and writer friends started a grassroots group called Voices Breaking Boundaries (VBB). We were first only hosting literary readings but in 2001 after running the film festival Travelling Films South Asia, with the help of my sister Beena, and Himal (in Nepal), we went on to file for non-profit status. Now, VBB’s been in existence for over seven years, and today we tackle social justice issues through presenting performances that are multi-disciplinary (we use all artistic disciplines such as film, spoken word/ poetry, theatre, music, dance, digital art and much more). One of our recent events focused on political issues connected to Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans and the earthquake in Kashmir. In May this year, we hosted a largely attended Houston Palestine Film Festival — up until that point, no organisation in Houston had focused on Palestine in the way we had.

We also offer youth workshops to teenagers, teaching them poetry, video, music, theatre and much more. We’re particularly interested in working with immigrant communities, and at the last workshop we offered we had students from Pakistan, Afghanistan, Yemen, India, Nepal, Somalia and various other countries.

VBB’s constantly evolving so check out our website to learn more about the organisation (www.vbbarts.org). Our website was designed by Shaila Abdullah, a Karachiite who’s a talented writer and graphic design artist who’s currently based in Austin (she donated her services to us).

B&A: Have you won or been nominated for prizes and awards?

A: I don’t have time to submit for many awards etc. but over the last 10 years I’ve received three artist awards from the Houston Arts Alliance. Earlier this year, I was honoured for my work through Smart Lives, a Houston-based TV show, and a few years ago, I was an Honourary Poet for the Houston Poetry Fest. I’ve also been invited to give readings and talks all around the US at different conferences and educational institutions.

B&A: What other books and authors do you like and/or are inspired by?

A: I am a passionate reader. More than anything, I love novels and a short list of my favorite writers include Isabelle Allende, Julia Alvarez, Sandra Cisneros, Barbara Kingsolver, Hanif Kureshi, Michael Ondaatje, Rohinton Mistry, Bapsi Sidhwa… I could go on and on but for now, I’ll stop here.

B&A: You have also written poems about Karachi…

A: When the killings happened on May 12 in Karachi, I was following the news closely. I ended up writing a poem about that day… it’s especially difficult because one is so far away and one can visualise all the devastation. The good news is that satellite television and the internet have made the world smaller so one can follow news closely. But just hearing about all that happened brought back memories of the ’90s when there was so much violence in the city.

Besides writing poems that are responses to events that unfold in the city or the country, I also have a small (but growing) collection of memory poems about Karachi.

B&A: You live in Houston, but your heart seems to be in Karachi. What does it feel like to have a home in two places?

A: It’s tough to be so far from the place I call ‘home.’ I visit my parents in Karachi each year, and every time I spend time in the city and see my parents, I am torn and I want to return to live here. I’m currently looking for a way to carve out time to return for a longer period — it’s something I need to do so I can spend time with my parents as they get older and also so I can work on my new novel.

It’s a growing phenomenon of the 21^st century, I suppose, for there to be so much movement in people’s lives. My family already has a broken history since they moved from UP to Pakistan after Partition. Now I’m primarily living in the US but am moving back and forth between the US and Pakistan, and as such, my work touches on issues related to displacement and broken narratives. The characters I create also tend to travel quite a bit.

B&A: Closing comments…?

A: I think it’s exciting that there’s so much new writing coming out by Pakistani writers (both from within Pakistan and also beyond). I hope that people keep on reading so our publishing industry can grow and there can be many more opportunities for new writers.