Many people took to writing to express themselves during lockdown’ – author and poet Raashida Khan

By Sana Ebrahim

Johannesburg author and poet Raashida Khan says one of the positive spin offs that came out of the hard Covid-19 lockdown is that many people “who have never written before have had the time and the need to write and express themselves in this crazy time we are living in.”

“I’ve certainly appreciated the proliferation of work that is being shared on social media and other platforms,

Khan was talking to Al Qalam after she held two sessions of live readings on Facebook Live for International Literacy Day on September 8. The programme was themed: ‘Let’s make reading as natural as breathing.’ She partnered with Siyafunda Donate-a-Book (an incredible organisation that collects second-hand books in good condition and opens up libraries in rural primary schools) and assists the Schools Reading Road Show, where she can.

“I grew up in Durban, which is my favourite city, in a typical Muslim Indian family. I was blessed to have a father who loved books and learning generally, so was exposed to reading from a young age. I am the youngest child, with two older brothers, but until I was about ten years old lived in an extended family, with loads of cousins and uncles and aunts as well as my grandparents,” she reflects.

“From the time I was a little girl, I’d always said I wanted to write but only started about five years back while I was still working full-time. After years of talking and dreaming, I finally took the plunge and wrote my novel. I submitted manuscripts to many publishers but was lucky that a few of their rejections were accompanied with feedback, which I heard and incorporated as I rewrote subsequent versions. Believing that my work needed to be read, I decided to self-publish, and that exposed me to the industry first-hand.”

Khan loves observing people and life. A content creator, copywriter, editor and proofreader, she is as passionate about being an author, poet, wife, mother and friend. She facilitates workshops on writing prose and poetry and discussions around her passion projects that include current affairs, women empowerment, mental health, self-love and forgiveness.

Her first novel, ‘Mirror Cracked’ won the Minara Aziz Hassim Literary Award (Debut category, 2017), and has been serialised into a radio drama by Lotus FM. ‘Fragrance of Forgiveness’, the sequel, was launched in March 2019. She has published an anthology of poetry, ‘Happy Birthday, Raashi’, and another of short stories: ‘Your Voice, My Strength and Other Stories’.

Khan’s short story ‘Your Voice, My Strength’ was selected as the winning entry for the 2017 Irtiqa Online Magazine (South African Muslim Women’s Short Story Competition).

Khan was on the judging panel for the 2019 Irtiqa Short Story Competition. Another short story, ‘It’s not Funny’, appears in the ‘Happy Holidays’ Anthology available on Amazon.

Her contribution, ‘Hungry, darling?’ appears in ‘Saffron: A Collection of Personal Narratives by Muslim Women’ (2018). Another of her stories appears in ‘The Drumbeats for Africa’ (a literary collection project by The Durban Review). ‘Womandla’ (a collection of women’s short stories, essays and poetry), launched in Durban (2019), features her short story, ‘A Hundred Times Over’. Her new novel, ‘The Cursed Touch’ will be launched later this month.

When asked about her work-life balance, Khan says: “It’s a balance of being disciplined and going with the flow. I’ve long accepted that the best intentions are often waylaid by other considerations, so have learnt to adapt and be flexible. I do set a daily target of number of words when I’m working on a manuscript or on copy for clients, and try to maintain that. If I’m editing or working on my own personal writing, I’m a little more flexible.”

Khan is inspired by people and their journeys. “I’d be grateful and honoured if my books spark conversations on topics that are critical. Often, our conservative communities shy away from the difficult discussions.”

Commenting on the value of creative writing pursuits such as poetry and short stories during the lockdown, Khan says: “I think any change in life or challenge can inspire a person, because learning to adapt is part of human existence. Many people who have never written before have had the time and the need to write and express themselves in this crazy time we are living in. I’ve certainly appreciated the proliferation of work that is being shared on social media and other platforms. And this is not only restricted to writing groups either.”