Hanadi Falki
Book Title : Women Around Us
Have you ever paused to appreciate the women around you? Your friend, sister, daughter, aunt, grandmother or even your boss, the maid, the receptionist or the tutor? Have you ever wondered about the story behind those determined eyes and smiling faces? Whether it is Minal who confronts her stalker, or Purnima who helps her maid Chutki fight for her right to education, Fatima who stands up against her bullies at school, or Amara who takes a tough decision at her wedding, Janvi who refuses to give up her dream of having children, or Prerna who makes everyone look beyond conventional notions of beauty, each of these characters represent the qualities present in the women around you. These are women of indomitable will. They are soft, yet powerful. Tender, yet fierce. They fell, and then rose up even stronger because they were warriors, not victims of the social injustice. They refused to back down and suffer silently. They refused to lie damaged and scarred for life. They survived through the worst and emerged stronger than ever before. Their determination to live with dignity gives hope to those who are still struggling. This book is a tribute to such women. Nandita Das, Actor, Director and Human Rights Activist, said, "We need a diversity of storytellers telling the stories that shed light on the deep and abiding prejudices of our society... I hope that efforts by people like Hanadi Falki will take us one step closer to achieving a more equal, just and inclusive society."
“Sometimes, we do not get a chance to thank each one who has helped us in our Journey.” Let the readers get a chance to know about all the important people who have played a part in this Author Journey of yours.
Every author is a writer long before they get published. And it is then that they need encouragement to fulfill their dream of writing something worthy of publishing. My family and friends (most of them were my beta readers) have always been my pillars of support. My mentors and readers have played an important role in this journey because without them I wouldn’t be where I am today. I am also grateful to my reviewers for their valuable and honest critiques. They have made me work harder and write better. (I can’t take names here because then the answer would be several pages long as I have been blessed with supportive people all my life!)
When and how did the idea of writing a book come to you? Can you tell a bit about the books you have written and share a few lines from any of them?
My debut novel, ‘The Price of Our Silence’ is a fictionalized critique of the global companies entering India and the struggles the young Indians go through, both professionally and personally. Having worked in the Indian 3D Stereoscopic Production Industry for two years, I wanted to expose the reality of such a workplace that hadn’t been talked about at all in the Indian literary circle, and also depict the increasing capitalist nature of contemporary Indian society. Along with this, I’ve depicted the the various issues faced by the youngsters today ranging from simple struggles of youthful attraction and jealousy to more serious ones like abortion, marriage and career choices, from the joy of the first kiss to the shock of fatal illness, from silly pranks and antics to serious life changing steps of life.
One of the quotes from ‘The Price of Our Silence’ that has gained some popularity is “India has many customs and rituals that may seem bizarre to anyone not used to its distinctive culture. It is a strange combination of being a young nation as well as an ancient country.”
With the success of my debut novel, I was commissioned to write the biographies on Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw and Jack Ma, the inspirational Chinese business tycoon. One can learn a lot from their lives.
Next was ‘Women Around Us’, a collection of short stories based on contemporary women issues like the right to education, body shaming, women safety, domestic violence, dowry demands, infertility stigma and colour discrimination.
Who is the favorite character from your book and why?
That’s a tough question to answer. It’s like asking a mother to choose a favourite child. I love something in all my characters. But if I had to choose, I would choose Zuby from ‘The Price of Our Silence’ for her strength and patience, and Minal from ‘Women Around Us’ for her courage and refusal to accept injustice.
Are you working on anything at the present you would like to share with your readers about?
I am working on two novels and a collection of short stories right now. The first novel traces the life of two women from different parts of the world who had to come and live in Saudi Arabia for similar reasons. The contrast in their way of dealing with such an environment forms the crux of this novel.
The other novel that I am working on right now is based in rural India and is a coming of age story of two young people living in a village that becomes the subject of nationwide debate. I wish to highlight the power of our choices through this novel.
I am also trying to raise awareness on social issues through a series titled ‘Life Around Us’, of which I have already published the first book, ‘Women Around Us’.
According to you which are the 5 books everyone should read and also who are your top 3 Authors?
I believe we can learn something from the writing style of every author, and my top three are Khaled Hosseini, Paulo Coelho and J.K Rowling.
And here are the top 5 books that everyone should read according to me:
‘A Thousand Splendid Suns’ by Khaled Hosseini
‘The Alchemist’ by Paulo Coelho
‘The God of Small Things’ by Arundhati Roy
‘The Diary Of A Young Girl’ by Anne Frank
‘The Secret’ by Rhonda Byrne
Tell us a bit about your family, likes and dislikes as a person.
I have been born and brought up in Saudi Arabia in a close knit family of 6. They believe in me more than I do myself, and reassure me that hope and faith can move mountains. And now I have a loving husband and a baby boy to make my life even more colourful. I like golgappas and bringing a smile on others’ faces. I dislike prejudice and discrimination, and wish that everyone would let others live in peace.
Could you share a few tips for Young Authors?
Hone your reading and writing skills first. Get active on Writers groups on social media. Test the waters. Start networking. Take part in different contests. Learn from your mistakes and polish your writing style before penning down your manuscripts. Be patient. Keep on editing until it is truly ready to be published. It takes practice and time to produce something that you will be proud of. Hire a professional editor because first impressions matter and getting a good traditional publisher is not that easy. Let the search begin. Stay positive. And never forget the real reason you wanted to become a writer. My best wishes are with you all.
You have worked in organizations for eradication of poverty and also polio. What kind of insight did you receive while working for such causes at the ground level? How did it affect your writings?
Working for such causes made me humble and appreciative of what all I am blessed with. It made me work harder to improve the lives of people around me. The different people I met and the problems they were facing became a part of my stories and I could write about these tough subjects with ease.
At Sharing Stories, we have an ongoing campaign ‘Empowering Our Kids’ where we are trying to encourage and inculcate reading habit from a young age. We are trying to pick up 20 to 30 must read books for children and try and make them available at our library in Jaipur, also take this initiative across the globe. Please suggest some books which you think every child should read before the age of 15 (mostly the character defining age).
What a great initiative! I wish you good luck for that. On my website (hanadifalki.com), I have recommended books for different age groups along with the reason for choosing that book.
Here are spoke of my all time favourites:
‘Little Women’ by Louisa May Alcott
Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling
‘A Wrinkle in Time’ by Madeleine L’Engle
‘The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy‘ by Douglas Adams
‘Oliver Twist’, ‘David Copperfield’ and ‘A Tale of Two Cities’ by Charles Dickens
‘The Adventures of Tom Sawyer’ by Mark Twain
‘Robinson Crusoe’ by Daniel Defoe
‘Charlotte’s Web’ and ‘Stuart Little’ by E.B. White
‘The Jungle Book’ by Rudyard Kipling
‘Heidi’ by Johanna Spyri
‘Alice’s Adventure in Wonderland’ by Lewis Carroll
‘Dear Mr. Henshaw’ by Beverly Cleary
‘A Journey to the Center of the Earth’ by Jules Verne
‘Gulliver’s Travels’ by Washington Irving
Rapid Fire Round
Favorite Place, Person, Food, beverage– New Zealand, Mother Teresa, Street food, Mint Cooler
Your other Talents- Sketching and avoiding gym
Your First Love- Self love
Favorite Quote- “The best way to cheer yourself up is to try to cheer somebody else up.” —Mark Twain
Favorite Character from a book- Josephine “Jo” March from ‘The Little Women’ by Louisa May Alcott because she loves reading, writing and composing plays for her sisters to perform just like I did for my siblings.
What if Round
What if you had to live with only three things all your life, what would the three things be?
Love, Compassion and Gratitude
What if you were given the power to change one thing from this world, what would you change?
I would change the mindset of every person who is self-centered, and make them more compassionate. Imagine what a wonderful world it would be if everyone strived to do good for others.
What if you had all the money in this world, what would you do first?
I would go on a world tour, make friends from every part of the world and soak in the different cultures. That would give me so much to write about!
