Author interview
Author’s Background: Author Aleena Noor-ul-Ain, A 15-year-old girl residing at Delina, Baramulla, Kashmir is a dedicated ninth-grade student of S.R.M. Welkin Higher Secondary School, Sopore. Aleena finds joy in reading, sketching, journaling, painting, singing and writing. Writing has been a longstanding passion for her, with attempts to write novels dating back to the age of 10, although those stories remained unfinished. At 14, she started working on a new novel titled “Hepta” alongside two other works. Resolving to complete “Hepta” by the first Monday after December 6, 2022, Aleena successfully achieved her goal.
Questionnaires:
Neel Preet: Firstly, Congratulations on your book, “Hepta!” Well, can you please share your experience about making your work come in the form of book!
Aleena Noor-ul-Ain: Thank-you very much. Well, it was a wonderful experience. Honestly, I enjoyed writing it and got frequently enthused about the unfolding storyline. I was, on one hand deciding the fate of the characters and on the other hand enjoying the outcome as a reader.
Neel Preet: What inspired you to write this book? What was the impetus behind this work of yours?
Aleena Noor-ul-Ain: In my childhood, I got to read some books available in my home. This ignited a passion for reading which led me to read more and more books. On the flip side I started getting ideas of stories. I originally wanted to write short stories, but the stories I started kept getting longer, until they could no longer be called ‘short stories.’ So, I thought it would be better if I settled on writing novels instead. And my first attempt was when I was 10. I tried many times over, but these attempts could not be brought to the conclusion. I was very desperate. So, I seized every opportunity I got. And to make sure I don’t quit at ‘Hepta’, I told everyone I knew that I would write a book before new-year. Those included my classmates, friends, teachers, and family. This way, I was forced to continue no matter what.
Neel Preet: Your book title, ‘Hepta’ is definitely a catchy one! So, can you please explain the reasons for going with this book title!
Aleena Noor-ul-Ain: In the beginning, I started writing the novel without giving it a name. I still have the original version of ‘Hepta’ saved on my laptop as ‘New.’ I was completely clueless on what I wanted the title to be. But I just proceeded with the story, hoping to get any idea. I only had a vague intention of naming the book after the name of the friend group. Some of the names I came up before ‘Hepta’ were ‘VIBGYOR’, ‘The 7 ups’ etc. But none of them were as appealing. And I wanted my book to be like one I would choose to buy. If I saw the book I’m working on in the market or library, I should be intrigued. That is why I chose Hepta, because it is definitely something I would want to try out.
Neel Preet: Well, can you please explain that how is this book different from the other books of the same genre?
Aleena Noor-ul-Ain: This book is cosmopolitan. The characters do not belong to any region, religion, caste or creed. I have not even created imaginary names to denote their country. That is something that makes ‘Hepta’ stand out as most of the other books are country based. Moreover, the characters are living a real life enjoying social interactions and outdoors which is in sharp contrast to the current life of young people addicted to gadgets and social media.
Neel Preet: Apart from the literary fiction genre, in which other genres would you like to make your contributions?
Aleena Noor-ul-Ain: Currently, I am overwhelmed by the number of ideas of fictional stories. And would like to continue developing those. Maybe in the future I might explore more genres.
Neel Preet: After reading this book, I’m greatly impressed & I want you to explain to us, in your version, that how this book will appeal the readers of the present day!
Aleena Noor-ul-Ain: What I wrote is something that would intrigue me as a reader. It is something I would love to try out. When I see it as a reader, it really captivates me. And something that would get me interested in a book are conversations. I tried my best to put more conversations than trying to explain through paragraphs. We figure out about what the scene is along with the characters. As they talk their way into it. And also, I have explained the situations thoroughly, leaving no room for confusion.
Neel Preet: Next, I want you to tell us about some of those writers, who had inspired you!
Aleena Noor-ul-Ain: There’s a lot of authors that have inspired me to write more and more or encouraged me. Like the book titled ‘The boy who dared’ by Susan Campbell Bartoletti remains my favourite because the way it has been articulated is just brilliant. The same goes for ‘Allies’ and other books by Alan Gratz. These authors made me want to write so much, not to mention their way of portraying things. Also, one writer who got me into writing anything in the first place is my mother. She is a brilliant writer and a wonderful poet. For as long as I can remember, her poems, short stories or anything else she wrote, made me feel drawn toward it. She is the reason I started writing.
Neel Preet: Is there any message that you would like to convey to your readers? Or any piece of advice, which you would like to give to the readers out there!
Aleena Noor-ul-Ain: Not particularly to my readers, but yes, there is something I would like to say to the teenagers of this generation. And I will continue to say so until it gets through to them. Be grateful. You cannot always complain about things. You might compare yourself with others saying, ‘Oh, they have that, and I don’t.’ But look at how much you have. There are more like you out there, complaining about how they wish they were you. Learn to be grateful. You have a life. You have a roof above your head. If you are reading this, you have a pair of healthy eyes, capable of seeing. Just be grateful, it really helps out.
Neel Preet: Are there any other books being worked by you? Please let us know about your future projects.
Aleena Noor-ul-Ain: Yes, there are a few books that I am working on. I started two of those around the same time as ‘Hepta.’ One of those happens to be a science fiction and the other fantasy. Also, I got loads of Ideas along the way, I wrote their outlines and they are on standby. I am trying to focus on the science fiction novel as of now.
Neel Preet: Thank you so much for answering all my questions. All the very best to you for future and your book too!
Aleena Noor-ul-Ain: Thank you
