Mona has almost everything: money, friends, social status… everything except for freedom. Languishing in her golden cage, she craves a sense of belonging…
Desperate for emotional release, she turns to a friend who introduces her to a world of glitter, glamour, covert affairs and drugs. There she meets Ali, a physically and emotionally wounded man, years younger than her.
Heady with love, she begins a delicate game of deceit that spirals out of control and threatens to shatter the deceptive facade of conservatism erected by Lahori society, and potentially destroy everything that Mona has ever held dear.
Q&A
***
– When and where do you prefer to write?
I have a nice desk in my room with a comfortable chair to go with it. I like to sit there to write. I usually write at night.
– Do you have a certain ritual?
I am perhaps the most disorganized writer ever. I have no ritual at all. I’d like to say that I cannot get along with coffee, but the truth is, I used to force myself to drink it just to look more ‘literary’. My writing habits don’t follow a set pattern. I have sudden bursts of inspiration with several dry spells in between.
– Is there a drink of some food that keeps you company while you write?
Not really. I find that having a drink with you distracts you from writing. At least, that’s what I think.
– What is your favourite book?
This a difficult question. I wish you’d asked me about my favourite books. May I please quote three? So, I absolutely love Harry Potter (obviously), The Secret History by Donna Tartt (I did not want that book to end!) and Gone Girl
– Do you consider writing a different genre in the future?
As a matter of fact, I am currently in the middle of writing a dystopian YA trilogy.
– Do you sometimes base your characters on people you know?
Not really. I feel that it really restrains you from fully exploring your characters. It narrows your vision. So, no, I don’t usually base my characters on people I know.
– Do you take a notebook everywhere in order to write down ideas that pop up?
I wish I did. I have tons of notebooks at home in my room and I regularly jot down ideas and plot details, but I always forget to carry around a notebook like a true writer would.
– Which genre do you not like at all?
I hope the fans of that genre won’t mind, but I don’t really like Romance. I used to once upon a time, but I think I’ve outgrown it.
– If you had the chance to co-write a book. Whom would it be with?
J.K. Rowling or James Patterson just because it would be a sure shot bestseller 😉
– If you should travel to a foreign country to do research, which one would you chose and why?
I’d LOVE to go to Iceland and write a dark, menacing thriller in a small wintry town. Greenland would do too, as would Northern Canada.
Thank you, Awais Khan and Rachel’s Random Resources.
About the author
Awais Khan is a graduate of Western University and Durham University. Having been an avid reader and writer all his life, he decided to take the plunge and study Novel Writing and Editing at Faber Academy in London. His work has appeared in the Missing Slate Magazine, Daily Times and MODE, and he has been interviewed by leading television channels like PTV, Voice of America, Samaa TV and City 42, to name a few. He is also the Founder of The Writing Institute, one of the largest institutions for Creative Writing in Pakistan. He lives in Lahore and frequently visits London for business.
Social Media Links
Instagram: @awaiskkhan @thewritinginstitute
Facebook: @thewritinginstitute
Purchase Links
AMAZON UK: https://amzn.to/2HkyWHn
THE BOOK GUILD: https://www.bookguild.co.uk/bookshop-collection/fiction/in-the-company-of-strangers/
WATERSTONES: https://www.waterstones.com/book/in-the-company-of-strangers/awais-khan/9781912881482
FOYLES: https://www.foyles.co.uk/witem/fiction-poetry/in-the-company-of-strangers,awais-khan-9781912881482
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