Author interview #1: Shubnum Khan
The author of 'The Lost Love of Akbar Manzil' on fighting distraction and the creative power of reading
When I was a features editor at Oprah Magazine in South Africa, I’d receive submissions from writers all the time. Oh, the joy when the writing was good! That was the case with Shubnum Khan. Her writing arrived in my inbox fully formed, a shiny gem of a piece that went straight into the magazine.
I’m so grateful to Shubnum, both for sending me those gems and making my editor’s life a breeze for a moment or two, as well as for being the inaugural author interviewee for my newsletter, And then.
Shubnum’s latest book, The Lost Love of Akbar Manzil is a gothic mystery set in the coastal town of Durban in South Africa. It’s a magical, dreamy read and I encourage you to buy and devour it like I did.
Shubnum gave a talk at The Book Lounge in Cape Town recently where she said something which really resonated with me:
”I changed while writing,” she said. “The book took me so long, I was quite depressed and not able to write. And so the book changed with me.”
That spoke to me. I feel that way with my own novel which I’ve been writing for a number of years now. It deals with themes of motherhood - of both being a mother and of not being one. As I get older alongside my book, and my feelings about not having a child shift and solidify, melt and morph, so the book changes too.
And then there’s the fact that The Lost Love of Akbar Manzil took Shubnum eight years to write. It reminds me that there’s no rush and gives me hope that perhaps my novel too might one day see the light.
Right, let’s get to the interview part. Shubnum sent her answers through via voice note and I transcribed them. I hope you find inspiration in her words as I did.
Is there a particular place you like to write?
I write in various places. I try to have one place like a desk that’s organised. I can’t really work in busy places like in coffee shops. I’ve done quite a few residencies in other countries, so I’ll just arrange my dedicated writing spot. I’m usually at a desk with a bottle of water nearby, maybe some books that I want to read but generally not in busy places.
When do you tend to write?
I try to write in the mornings when the day is still fresh and my head is not full of information, questions and talking with people.
What challenges have you faced cultivating a regular writing practice and how have you overcome them?
I have faced being distracted. I don’t know if I can say I’ve overcome it as it’s an ongoing struggle but I do try to put steps into place to avoid being distracted, like taking social media off my phone. There are some apps like ‘Freedom’ where you can remove the internet from your phone for a while, but I kind of need my phone because I run quite a few things. It’s a constant struggle.
What tactics or tools do you use to write when you’re stuck or simply don’t feel like writing?
This is hard because I’m struggling to make time for the new writing that I’m doing. Ideally I try to wake up early so I have to get it done and try to make a to-do list. I’m still struggling.
Could you describe your writing process?
My first two novels I winged it! I love writing characters and my novels are very character driven so I see where they take the story. But I see in retrospect, as I’m evolving as a writer, that I need to take other steps because it’s a long process - it takes a long time to do it that way and I don’t have the time! So now I’m going to work with having an outline, a sketch, a detailed plot and character biographies before I get going. So that I can get moving with the story faster. That’s the step for my next book.
Could you provide practical tips to help someone struggling to get started on their novel?
Just read as much as possible. Whenever I’m feeling stuck with my stories, reading something completely different to what I’m writing (or even something similar), and thinking about character and plot devices, really helps me get out of the rut. It’s important to keep a notebook and to record things you see in your everyday life. When people talk for example, to be observant about the way they use language and expression.
We all know the power of the opening line of a novel. Could you share the story behind how you settled on the opening line of your debut novel?
After the prologue there’s an opening about summer in Durban: “No one in Durban remembers a Christmas as hot as this.”
It was important to me to make it clear that we are in the south. Christmas is a very hot time for us. So much of the literature I had growing up was about December being in winter, snow in winter, very white literature from Western countries. It was important for me to show that in the whole Global South, Christmas falls during the hottest part of the year. It’s very evocative and I wanted to try to capture that with the opening. To make it clear this is not a Western book - it’s in South Africa.
Do you recall those first moments of writing your novel?
The ideas were forming in my head back in Feburary 2012 and I had some vague notes. I actually don’t remember writing those notes! Honestly, it’s a shock to me when I found it and I’m so glad I did because I didn’t know I had such a clear idea back then. I thought the idea for the dual timeline came to me in 2016/17 - it shocked me how clear I was about the story so early back. So I’m glad for the notes. As I say, always have a notebook with you to write down your ideas and observations. Make notes!
How similar (or not) was your first draft to your last draft?
Oh, it’s really different! You have to work so many times on that draft. Really, that’s one thing I want to emphasise - you think you write something the first, second or third time and that’s how it’s going to be. It’s not. Especially when you’re working over a long period of time. And it should change, because you’re learning, you’re open to new ways of things, you’re having new experiences as you get older. You’re meeting people and learning from them. You’re getting people to read your work. Your last draft is going to be so different to your first draft. The main ideas may be there but your style will evolve. And the editing takes so much time - two years of people editing. It’s a constantly changing process.
Any other advice for writers who don’t want to write?
I’m in a very similar position so it’s a hard one to answer! If you’re a writer, you should be constantly thinking about writing even when you’re reading or observing. If you’re not writing you should at least be reading - that’s the only way your work is going to get done.
Thank you for writing this Karen (and Shubnum!)... such perfect timing as this is the week in which I sit down (again) to begin work (again) on the novel that's been growing with me since, I really don't know when. Looking forward to getting hold of Shubnum's book, and to hearing her speak in a few weeks time at the Midlands Literary Festival (which is being held on my neighbour's property).