DEBUT JOURNEYS Farrah Riaz
There are many routes to publication and Debut Journeys aims to celebrate them all. This month Mario Ambrosi talks to Farrah Riaz whose The Twirly Wiggly Dance is illustrated by Navya Raju and is published on 1 August by Oxford University Press.
Where
are you now and where did you write your book?
As in physical spaces?! Right now, I am
at home in my pseudo-makeshift office. I am using an actual desk (which is an
upgrade).
I wrote my story in my bedroom, on a
vanity/mini desk, which wasn’t the greatest for posture.
What’s it all about? (Your book, that is!)
My picture book is about a little girl
called Intisar who is asked to be a part of the group performance dance at her
Auntie Mahira’s wedding. She is super excited at first, practising away, and
when she can’t do a complicated dance move, she makes up her own- The Twirly
Wiggly Dance. But very soon, her perfect-moves older cousin, Isla, squishes her
enthusiasm by saying Intisar isn’t doing the dance routine perfectly. The
family rallies around as Intisar’s anxiety rises, and the spreads follow her
through the wedding day events, ending on the final party, which is the day of
the dance. The story is about joy, excitement, compassion, empathy and being
brave.
Tell us about your route to publication:
I started seriously writing in 2019. I
queried too early (also in 2019) and got a range of responses, from R&R to
some hope then rejected, outright rejected, and silent nothing rejections. In
2020 + Lockdown years- I worked on editing the story some more and working on
other stories in the background. In 2021, I did the Winchester Writing Festival
online and met my agent. We clicked immediately, and she offered me
representation soon after. We went on submission in September 2021- and got a
few offers in Feb/March 2022, and that’s when we decided to go with Oxford
University Press. Traditional publishing often takes two years to publication,
so here I am, finally debuting in August 2024.
What do you do when you’re not writing?
Watching a tonne of TV. Reading also a
tonne. Both TBW/TBR piles are beyond toppling. Virtual and otherwise. But I do
love it.
What was the biggest bump in the road when it
came to getting your book out into the world and how did you overcome it?
Many small bumps can make you doubt
yourself, and you have to push through it and find the joy in writing again, in
whatever form you can.
There are bumps beyond your control even
when you are on the route to publication, and you need the support of your
agent, publisher, and writing friends to get you through.
Overall, so far, the biggest ‘bump’ for
me has been TIME. You must be prepared for A LOT of waiting if you are publishing
traditionally. I have kept busy by writing other stories, hanging out with my
writer friends, doing courses, and brushing up on technique. All things that
fill your creative well. Debut year- 6 months before publication- it all kicks
off in a big way. Now, I’m super busy and the time is flying!! Go figure.
Any tips for budding writers hoping to follow
in your footsteps?
Making time to write. Seems SO obvious-
but you need to be selfish and carve time out to learn and write.
I benefitted loads from being a part of
critique groups. You can learn so much that way. Share your stories and
understand how to take and give feedback.
And best of all, finding wonderful
supportive writer friends who stand by you through the ups AND the downs. Genuine
writer friends will be happy for you when celebrating and sympathetic when
things are low. Embrace them. They will be your tribe.
What’s next for
you?
More picture books, for sure! And I’m
also working on longer length stories…so let’s see…eeek.
Farrah Riaz is a London-based author from a
Hindustani background. She has always been a storyteller, first as a child
playing with Barbies, then as an adult with The Sims. Creating characters in
all sorts of narratives brings her a lot of joy. When she isn’t living in
fantastical worlds or spending time with her loved ones, she works in Higher
Education.
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