1--What is the title of your latest release?
SORRY FOR THE INCONVENIENCE, inspired by the feeling of being apologetic for anything and everything (i.e. existing).
2--What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?
A memoir, covering the span of over thirteen years, about impossible loss and finding love where you’d least expect.
3--How did you decide where your book was going to take place?
Since it was a memoir, the decision was made for me! Most of my life has taken place in the Philadelphia area, but there are also a few portions that take place in New York City and Portland, Oregon.
4--Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life?
I love this question because there is no protagonist–it’s just me. But yes, I think hanging out with myself could be a very interesting experience (most days). At the very least, we could pull off some excellent pranks–and perhaps I could convince her to write my books for me.
5--What are three words that describe your protagonist?
Chaotic, sensitive, silly
6--What’s something you learned while writing this book?
Your life is made of the people you keep.
7--Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done?
I highly recommend waiting to edit until the draft is complete–otherwise, you’ll drive yourself mad. You’ll feel nothing is right and constantly second-guess yourself, and this will only slow you down. Do I take my own advice? No.
8--What’s your favorite foodie indulgence?
A moist chocolate cake. One of these days, I’ll eat one with my hands like Bruce from Matilda.
9--Describe your writing space/office!
I am very much in love with my office, designed by Michelle Gage Interiors. The wallpaper is an obnoxiously bright pink filled with leaves and bananas. Everything else is a cheerful green, including the in-built bookshelves. I also have my voiceover booth in here, where I record audiobooks and video games, and I also use to scream in when I’m stressed (it’s sound proof).
10--Who is an author you admire?
Tamora Pierce, because her books practically raised me, and Jonathan Stroud, for being both brilliant and incredibly kind.
11--Is there a book that changed your life?
All About Love by bell hooks. I learned a lot about myself and my personal philosophy about relationships by reading this book.
12--Tell us about when you got “the call.” (when you found out your book was going to be published)/Or, for indie authors, when you decided to self-publish.
Oh gosh, it feels like a hundred years ago. If I remember correctly, I had gotten the call while I was working as an editorial assistant at one of the major publishing companies. When I’d been told HarperCollins would be publishing my debut young adult novel, I nearly fainted on the spot. I quickly gathered myself as best I could, and continued work as usual–but I remember feeling like I was walking on sunshine, like the entire world had become brighter somehow.
13--What’s your favorite genre to read?
The first stories I ever read were fairy tales; I consider fantasy my favorite genre because fantasy novels are where my love of reading began. But I also adore romcoms and science fiction.
14--What’s your favorite movie?
It’s a tie between V for Vendetta and Pride & Prejudice (2005). Two very different movies, but both are brilliant. Perfect, even. No notes.
15--What is your favorite season?
Autumn! I love sweater weather, the crisp leaves, the clear air.
16--How do you like to celebrate your birthday?
In pajamas, with cake.
17--What’s a recent tv show/movie/book/podcast you highly recommend?
I’m reading Robin Hobb’s The Farseer Trilogy, which are brilliantly written books and a masterclass in fantasy (but I would only recommend them if you want to feel pain–those books are emotionally hard).
18--What’s your favorite type of cuisine?
Pakistani food! In my mind, nothing beats biryani and curry.
19--What do you do when you have free time?
Play far too many video games. Lately though, I’ve been gardening and playing with our newest foster kitten.
20--What can readers expect from you next?
Another young adult romcom novel with a touch of fairy magic, and an adult contemporary novel about the (dysfunctional) children of cockatoo breeders.
From a Pakistani American author comes a bracing memoir about tradition, upending expectations, and the volatility of family, friendship, and, inevitably, love.
Pakistani American Farah Naz Rishi’s first year of college was perfectly, thankfully, uneventful. After all, she was in college to learn and forge a path of self-sufficiency, especially after her last relationship fell apart—dashing her mother’s aspirations for an early marriage. What could Farah expect, anyway? For the ideal guy to just conveniently waltz into her life? Life isn’t a love story.
Enter Stephen, a Jamaican student with an open smile and a disarmingly laid-back attitude. It’s not love at first sight. And there’s no way Farah’s mother would approve of him as marriage material. But they have something better: an inexplicable connection. Through a series of impossible tragedies, grief, and trying to find her place in the world, Stephen is always there as Farah’s confidant, champion, and, most of all, best friend. Anything more could ruin a perfectly good thing…Right?
Spanning thirteen years of complex family dynamics and a surprising kinship, Farah Naz Rishi’s story explores the unpredictability of love—familial, platonic, and romantic, but never truly instant.
Non-Fiction Memoir | Multicultural [Mindy's Book Studio, On Sale: July 1, 2024, Paperback / e-Book, ISBN: 9781662520976 / ]
Farah Naz Rishi is a Pakistani-American Muslim writer and voice actor, but in another life, she’s worked stints as a lawyer, a video game journalist, and an editorial assistant. She received her B.A. in English from Bryn Mawr College, her J.D. from Lewis & Clark Law School, and her love of weaving stories from the Odyssey Writing Workshop. When she’s not writing, she’s probably hanging out with video game characters.
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