Here at Olympia we love hearing from our authors, getting an insight into their lives in writing and asking them what their advice would be to future authors. This week we had the pleasure of interviewing Wasan Haifal Abdullah about her book!
What’s has been your highlight of publishing so far?
The highlight of my publishing journey has been being able to hold the physical copy of my book. It has been a dream of mine ever since I was 6 or 7, so to have it become a reality is really great.
What kind of research do you do, and how long do you spend researching before beginning a book?
For this particular book, as it is my first poetry book, most of my research was done in bookshops and libraries. I wanted to know how other poets organize their poems into a book.
How many hours a day do you write?
I don’t write everyday but when I do, I write for a good 4-5 hours.
What period of your life do you find you write about most often? (child, teenager, young adult.)
My inspiration for my poems stems from real emotions and life experiences that I have witnessed throughout my life. So for that, I would say that I use all periods of my life equally.
What did you edit out of this book?
I edited out a lot of shorter poems because they stood out too much and most of their themes didn’t fit in right as they were more romantically inclined.
Do you hide any secrets in your books that only a few people will find?
I believe that all poems are meant to be interpreted by the reader according to their own lives. Everyone will see the each poem differently, so if you consider my interpretation to be hidden, in that sense, then yes my book does hold quiet a few secrets.
What was your hardest part to write?
Writing the poems wasn’t very challenging in itself. What I did find rather puzzling, on the other hand, was organizing the poems and putting in an order where they would compliment one another.
What advice would you give to aspiring authors?
Never give up on your dreams. And never stop writing if that what you really love to do. I am a strong believer in the idea that if you work hard on whatever it is that makes you happy, then you will eventually see the results you want.
If you could review Olympia publishers in a few words, what would they be?
I found everyone at Olympia to be very kind and encouraging.
Get a copy of their book, here!
