Aanish is Pakistan’s youngest published author whose has written a romantic-thriller.
Fifteen year old Muhammad Aanish Ayaz Farrukh is the youngest Pakistani who has ventured in the genre of romantic-thrillers in novel writing. Aiming to pursue his career as an engineer, Aanish has represented Pakistan in the NASA Robotics Competition and have won many laurels for himself and Pakistan. In a tete-a-tete meeting with Young Nation, he shared his novel writing experiences with us.
YN: Tell us about yourself.
MA: I am not a nerd. That’s really embarrassing for me rather I choose to do engage myself in different activities. Last year I was the prefect of the year then I won the student of the year award.
YN: Tell us about yourself and family.
MA: We are three siblings. I am eldest and have a young sister and brother. My father is Director Student Affairs at Sharif Medical University, and my mother was
YN: When was the idea of writing a novel first occur to you?
MA: I had a website where I used to write articles on different issues. My writings received appreciation from teachers and friends. Some events unfolded and by the time I was in grade 9 my friends gave me the idea of writing the book. It was supposed to be a collective venture but by the time I started writing, they backed out. So I started and finished this journey alone.
YN: Where did you get inspiration of writing this novel?
MA: Based on real life situations, the expressions I have used in my novel are near to real. My editor, literature representatives, teachers, presidents of literacy society in LGS have supported me.
YN: What was the response of your parents?
MA: My parents are of the opinion that if you want to continue writing then you have to pay attention to your studies as well. Therefore, I will keep writing as a profession but I will continue studying as an engineer too.
YN: Why you chose ‘romantic thriller’ as your novel’s genre?
MA: My friends and I used to read such novels. We were fascinated by the idea of romance and thriller mysteries.
YN: What was their reaction on your novel?
MA: Nobody knew that I will be able to write and finish a novel. They were in shock and they thought that this is written by a ghost writer.
YN: Do you want to experiment on other genres?
MA: My next book will be about old age wars. I am already working on it.
YN: You mentioned that you chose writing novel over CIE. What was the reaction of your parents when they came to know about your decision?
MA: My parents were angry at first but I promised them that I will work on my CIE but I could not resist the temptation of writing. So, after finishing my book, I showed it to them. They were proud and angry. There was no middle ground.
YN: What is the central idea of this book?
MA: A reason to live and not to give up. I have divided the book in two parts. Part 1 is about negativities in life and part 2 is about how to win over your problems.
YN: Your book consists of how many pages?
MA: Reading pages 119 and 18,600 words.
YN: What is the target readership of your book?
MA: Youngsters. Problems teenagers face. So I will be addressing those issues through my book.
YN: How did you find time and enough information to finish it in record time?
MA: Persistence is the key. I would wake up early morning and start working on the novel. I would spend
YN: What should be done to increase the readership of novels among youngsters?
MA: Usually the novels are stuffed with information rather than a connection. Due to which they become difficult to interest youth. The stories should not use harsh, difficult words and genres instead focus on story building.
YN: Who is your favourite novelist from the current lot?
MA: Jay Asher of 13 Reasons Why.
YN: Was there any giving up situation that you have been through?
MA: I used to write my novel on an online space. Somebody hacked my account and removed it. That was the time when I felt heart broken. My friends informed the principal and she took serious action to address the issue. But when I rewrote the novel, it turned out better than the previous one.
YN: What kind of music do you listen to? Who is favourite musician?
MA: Touching, rock and jazz. Music helps you bring out all the emotions. Previously One direction, now Tim Mcmoris.
YN: Who are the publishers of your book?
MA: Platinum publishers LULU, then comes Amazon and Bands and Noble in gram.
YN: How do you spend your free time and holidays?
MA: In free time, I play on console, snapchat, play guitar and roam around in my neighbourhood. I like to walk a lot.
Aanish’s novel is available on lulu.com and costs only $12.81. It is suitable for 13 or above youngsters..
The interview was published in Young Nation magazine on November 4, 2017