I’m twenty-four and live in a multi-generational household in south-west London. I was a law student who wrote stories for my own enjoyment, and always dreamed of being a writer, but never really saw it as something I could pursue. When the pandemic hit in my last year of university. I used money I had saved up from a legal essay prize to join an online creative writing course, and from there wrote my first book: The Kingdom over the Sea.
Meet Zohra Nabi
Questions on Writing
What is the hardest part of your writing experience?
I think the hardest part is that ultimately, everything’s on you. I’m very lucky to have a brilliant agent and publishing team behind Kingdom who always have such great vision for my work – and I have friends I can write and worry with – but at the end of the day you’re the one who decides where the story goes, and how the sentences sound, and it’s a part of you that you’re putting out into the world. Most of the time that feels exciting, to have that much creative freedom, but sometimes it’s lonely and overwhelming too.
What have you learnt about yourself when writing?
That no-one should ever tell me that I’m ahead of schedule, or that a deadline is flexible, because my work will grind to a complete halt.
Do you make yourself write everyday/regularly, or only when inspiration strikes?
It depends! I really enjoy writing, so I do write regularly anyway. And I do know that you definitely can’t wait for inspiration to strike – you have to be looking for it all the time. I try and think about the story I’m writing even if I’m not working on it. But I think productivity for productivity’s sake can be the enemy of good writing. I would rather do nothing on the story for days at a time and then write in a way that feels flowing and natural than force words. But sometimes you don’t have a choice, when a deadline is looming. And sometimes forcing yourself to sit down produces something that you surprise yourself with.
What does literary success look like to you?
I think there’s no one definition of literary success – I feel successful when I feel like an author, because that’s what I always wanted to be. So, when I work on a manuscript with my editors, and we’re teasing out the story together, I really do feel successful. And meeting readers, and feeling like your book has been able to say something to people, that’s definitely success. But there’s also a daydream version of literary success that I have, where I have lots of books behind me, and a loyal readership, and have a beautiful study to write in.
How much planning/world building do you do before writing, and how much comes along as you write?
I do a lot of planning and world building before I write. I like to have a lot of resources to draw from when I am writing – the aim being that there’s lots of texture, but the description doesn’t feel forced. For my first two books, I’ve read history books, and medieval encyclopaedias, and collections of fairy tales. It’s something I really love doing. At the same time, even though I always start with an outline of the story, I do love the feeling of thinking of new ways to do things as you’re writing.
What was it that attracted you to fantasy, and children/YA fantasy in particular?
They’re the stories I love the most – I read every kind of fantasy I could find as a child, and I reread them when I was studying law and needed an escape. There’s so much scope for epic storytelling and rich description, but also so much invitation to play and have fun with the world. I love writing with a proper authorial voice too, and I think children’s fantasy lends itself brilliantly to that.
How do you celebrate when a book is published?
Going out for a meal with my family.
Questions on Books and About You
Firstly, the most important question, what books are currently ‘on your bedside table’?
Little Women, the third Pages & Co, and After Sappho.
What children’s book would you suggest every adult read?
I really thought about this, and I think a children’s book which shows off writing for and about children at its most clever and brilliant and effective – which for me is When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit by Judith Kerr.
What does your writing space look like?
Cluttered! It’s the desk where I did all my homework as a teenager, and it is currently littered with hair products, some half-burned scented candles, a highlighter shaped like a flower, and several mugs I need to take downstairs.
How many books do you think you own?
It must be in the mid-hundreds.
Who is your literary icon?
Eva Ibbotson. She writes beautifully, and is a wonderful storyteller, and so funny – but she also made me want to love the places and things that she loved too. Her books are filled with brilliant insights about opera and cooking and early twentieth century politics. But also Kelly Barnhill, because I would also love to write literary social justice novels that are simultaneously wonderful magical adventures.
If you could own one rare/1st edition copy of a book, which would it be?
I would love to own a first edition of The Tiger Who Came to Tea – I really treasure the book I have signed by Judith Kerr. When Kingdom was released, my writing partner gave me a beautiful early edition of Ballet Shoes, and my aunt gave me one of The Ogre Downstairs.
Is there an author who you always read?
I would read Frances Hardinge’s shopping lists. Everything she thinks of is fascinating – I normally don’t read hardbacks but I can never wait to get my hands on her books. And of course, I seek out Kiran Millwood-Hargrave and Katherine Rundell, who are two of the most brilliant middle-grade authors writing today. There are a few older children’s authors where I’ve read their entire bibliography too: Joan Aiken, Diana Wynne Jones, Eva Ibbotson, Susan Cooper, Noel Streatfield…
And finally, are there any plans for any new books? If so, what teasers can you give us?
I’ve just handed in the latest draft of the sequel to The Kingdom Over the Sea! It’s called The City Beyond the Stars, and you can expect family secrets, mysterious new magic and an ancient city. And of course the return of Yara Sulimayah and all her friends – and her enemies…
Thank you Zohra for your insightful answers😊there are some children’s authors here that I’ve never heard of and will definitely be looking up!
Zohra Nabi’s Books
Books By Your Bedside 