In Conversation with: Reba Khatun, author of Zaynab's Tiger Day
Celebrate all your wins, especially the little ones. Don’t dwell too much on what others are achieving.
Hello and Salaam my friends,
I hope you’re well and your writing has been going well. Long time, no email. This past month and half has been a lot, to say the least. I’ve been in and out of being unwell, but recovering now Alhamdulillah (and swimming in deadlines!). The worst thing about being ill for me is the inability to use my brain for stretches of time. I couldn’t hold a story idea in my head, and it was nearly frustrating, but I chose grace instead. One of my goals this year is teaching myself kindness to self, and I’m happy to report that it’s going well so far. I’m not beating myself up for unfinished tasks, I’m embracing rest and trusting the process. All thanks to Allah.
But while I haven’t been able to write more, I’ve tried to read more, mostly short prose and poetry. A poem that’s stayed with me in the past week is Echo #76, by Fady Joudah. I’ll love to hear what you’ve been reading in the past month or something that’s stayed with you. Please share in the comments.
This month’s interview is featuring Reba Khatun, a stellar and prolific writer whose work I can’t wait for many more people around the world to savour. Her interview is filled with gems, practical advice and notes of hope. I hope you enjoy reading this!
Name: Reba Khatun
Book title: Zaynab’s Tiger Day
Genre/category: Children’s Fiction – Levelled Reading Book, Level 12
Where do you get inspiration from?
I find inspiration from my daily life: from things my children have said and done, to things I have seen or heard on the news. The smallest spark can be the basis of an entire story.
The first story I wrote was about a boy who discovers his strange neighbour is hiding a gorilla he smuggled out of Africa as a baby. I got the idea for this story from a newspaper article about gorillas being killed for their meat. After researching the topic I was shocked to discover how mature gorillas are killed so their young can be sold. I entered the story in the Muslim Writers Awards in 2009 and to my surprise I got a phone call to say I had been shortlisted. I remember asking the caller if she was joking. At the black-tie award ceremony at the Hilton Hotel I was announced the winner. Unfortunately, nothing came of the story although I had a few near-misses with securing an agent.
Have you always known you were going to be a writer? When did it become a dream for you?
I have been dreaming about being a writer ever since I was 8 years old and won my first writing competition at primary school. My weekends always involved a trip to the local library to borrow an armful of books. I have vivid memories of discovering Matilda and the Mrs Pepperpot stories. These stories made me fall in love with writing and made me think penning my own stories was possible. I continued writing throughout my school years. It was only when I was in my late teens that I realised a writing career wasn’t realistic and from then on, I wrote in secret.
How do ideas for your stories come about?
My book, ‘Zaynab’s Tiger Day’ is based on a story my mother used to tell me and my siblings when we were younger, about something that happened to her when she was a child growing up in Bangladesh. One day when she came out of the house to play with her cousins they discovered a small tiger on the roof of the cow shed opposite. They ran to get help and when the adults came they killed the tiger in fear that its mother would come into the village looking for the cub. No one knew how the tiger ended up there as the village was nowhere near natural tiger habitats. This story stuck with me and years later when my mother couldn’t remember all the details of the story I knew I needed to write it down.
Sometimes characters come to me. For example, this little girl named ‘Zaynab’ nagged at me to write her story. She was based on my little sister who passed away when she was 15, and also my eldest daughter when she was younger. She was confident, sassy and a pain at times! I made a few notes but never penned a story due to lack of confidence. In 2017 I wrote down Zaynab's story and entered the Faber Andlyn BAME (FAB) Prize and my story received Highly Commended. I attended the award ceremony at the Faber headquarters and met Leah Thaxton, the Publisher at Faber. She commented on how she loved my Zaynab character and found my writing funny. She was so enthusiastic and kept in touch with me. Fast forward a few years and Leah Thaxton got in contact to say Faber was putting together an anthology of hopeful stories after the disappointment of Brexit, and she thought of me. I had to pitch a few ideas to the editor and the story based on my Highly Commended FAB entry was chosen. Sarah McIntyre illustrated the anthology which included talented authors such as Emma Carroll, Anne Jungman, Kirean Larwood and Pip Jones.
Although I am an introvert, entering competitions, attending ceremonies and networking events were very helpful. I’ve met publishing people who have kept in touch.
What’s your favourite part about the writing process?
Writing the first draft – the words just flow and there’s no inhibition/ obstruction/ fears at the moment. That feeling of creating a brand new story with characters you get to know is pure joy. If you flesh the character out enough and get to know his/her likes, dislikes, fears and dreams that character stays with you forever.
What’s the most difficult part of the writing process for you?
The editing process because it’s really hard to know when to stop, especially when you're querying the manuscript and haven't received any feedback from agents. It makes you want to revisit the manuscript and tinker with it over and over again. But there's a time that comes when you have to move onto the next project.
What’s the best writing advice you’ve ever received?
Believe in yourself. If you have talent to write, you don't need a writing degree. The fact that I didn't have a degree always made me doubt my writing skills. Unfortunately, it is not written for everyone to go to university.
Can you tell us a bit about your path to publication? How long did it take to get from idea to publication?
I've joined several writing organisations like Megaphone, have had mentorships through various organisations and have connected with writers through Twitter which is how I found out about the Oxford University Press (OUP) Bring Your Voice project in 2022.
I attended the online event in March and submitted an application with a writing sample. I was asked to write a few hundred words for an existing series. A few months later I was asked to submit my own story ideas. OUP liked my writing style but not the story idea I pitched (a girl rescues an injured fox – it was deemed unsuitable as it would encourage children to touch wild animals). They kept me on the list and contacted me when they were commissioning a Level 12 reading series. I pitched a few ideas including the Zaynab story and in October 2022 OUP said they would like to commission the story.
I received the author brief in late Jan 2023 and had a month to submit a draft story. Up until July we revised the story and then it was passed to the illustrator along with my illustration notes. I was shown the illustrations along the way and was blown away by how my story was brought to life by the illustrations. It wasn't until the end of 2023 that the manuscript was nearing its final production stages. Publication date was set for March 2024 and went ahead without any delay.
What was your biggest learning during the publishing process?
To keep in contact with the editor more frequently. I deviated from the submitted synopsis because of feedback from the editor about children handling pet animals in school. Although there are organisations which go into schools/homes with wild animals, OUP were hesitant to include this in the story.
When reading the draft the editor asked me to go back to the original synopsis and story idea but with a few changes. We changed the animals from snakes and chinchillas to kittens and a pony.
If you could share one piece of advice with an aspiring writer, what would it be?
Celebrate all your wins, especially the little ones. Don’t dwell too much on what others are achieving. You have your own publishing path, so don't let other people's successes dictate what and when you should be succeeding.
Although my path to publication has been a very long and hard one, I frequently thank Allah that He has made writing and reading a part of my life from a young age. It's kept me motivated and has been a constant in my life. Despite the rejections I always find myself returning to writing. I have to find a use for all those gorgeous notebooks I keep buying!
What do you hope readers would get out of your stories?
I like to write hopeful stories with diverse characters. I want readers to see themselves in my stories. I believe every child deserves to see themselves in a book.
If there were no publishing barriers, what would your next book be on?
I would love to have my MG contemporary story about a Rohingya refugee working in a Bangladeshi sweatshop be published. It won the 2018 FAB Prize and made the Top 20 Open Coop by Chicken House in 2020. When I queried this manuscript I was told it was too dark/sad but it is a sad reality that child labour in Bangladesh sweatshops is rife. Working conditions and working wages in most factories are unacceptable and need highlighting.
As someone juggling several responsibilities, what does your writing routine look like?
I found writing regularly the hardest advise to implement with young children. I tried to write when they were asleep at night and I wasn't exhausted or when they were out of the house/busy with other family members. I found setting deadlines or working towards a competition’s deadline motivational.
Where can readers find your work?
An adult short story in The Best Asian Short Stories 2018, Kitaab
A poem and artwork in The Colours of Madness, Pan MacMillan, an adult anthology about mental health
How can readers connect with you?
Instagram @rkhatun15
What’s on your bookshelf?
The Story of Now by Shelina Janmohamed
Ramadan Reflections by Aliyah Umm Raiyaan
The Dread Wood series by Jennifer Killick
Fight Back by A M Dassu
Nura and the Immortal Palace by Maeeda T Khan
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Till next Friday,
Suad x
Thank you for sharing. Reba Khatun has really inspired me, Alhamdulillah it's true, not everyone has opportunities to go to university, you have to believe in yourself and your abilities to write a good story. SubhanAllah
I'm reading, "The Secret Life of Bees," by Sue Monk Kidd. For poetry, I'm reading, "A Good Cry," by Nikki Giovanni. I'm glad you're feeling better 🤗, I always look forward to newsletters.