Book after Book

By Uzma Jalaluddin Published by Corvus Synopsis: Ayesha Shamsi has a lot going on. Her dreams of being a poet have been overtaken by a demanding teaching job. Her boisterous Muslim family, and numerous (interfering) aunties, are professional naggers. And her flighty young cousin, about to reject her one hundredth marriage proposal, is a constant reminder that Ayesha is still single. Ayesha might be a little lonely, but the one thing she doesn't want is an arranged marriage. And then she meets Khalid... How could a man so conservative and judgmental (and, yes, smart and annoyingly handsome) have wormed his way into her thoughts so quickly? As for Khalid, he's happy the way he is; his mother will find him a suitable bride. But why can't he get the captivating, outspoken Ayesha out of his mind? They're far too different to be a good match, surely… How did this book end up in my hands? I read this as part of a serialisation by The Pigeonhole . W...

Hi Uzma ! First of all, I would like to congratulate you on the publication of Ayesha At Last ! Can you please briefly tell us what it is about? A : Thanks Silvia! My novel has been described as a Pride and Prejudice remix set in a close-knit Toronto Muslim, South Asian community. My Mr. Darcy character is Khalid Mirza, a straight-laced, conservative young Muslim man who dresses in long white robes and sports a full beard. He looks like a walking caricature, but he’s actually gentle and kind and looking for love. My Elizabeth Bennett is portrayed as a fiery spoken word artist turned substitute teacher, Ayesha Shamsi, the daughter of immigrants from India, who is navigating her role in her family, and in her city. There are also lots of funny side characters because I enjoy writing large ensemble casts, as well as plenty of Shakespearean plot points on top of the Austen references!  Did you have the plot entirely figured out when you started writing the book or did it take an...