Sidra Sheikh found herself in a spot when in between being a mother, wife and busy lawyer, she had an idea for a science fiction novel. It has been a while since ‘ The Light Blue Jumper‘ has been on shelves and on reading lists, so we thought we should meet up with author and find out if she has anything else planned for the literature scene.
The Interview
Thank you for being with us today. How are you?
I’m very well, thank you.
How does a busy lawyer with a family and social life, suddenly decide to write a book about a blue alien?
I like to think that the book was a gift from my daughter. I always knew that I would write something some day, but I was too busy to start. When my daughter was born, I was busier, but oddly enough, that was the time I needed to reconnect with myself the most. I sat down with my laptop one evening, with nothing specific in mind and began to write. The first few pages that I wrote gave birth to the light blue alien who became the driving force behind the rest of the story. Writing was something that brought me an incredible amount of joy and I looked forward to it the whole day. When you’re enjoying yourself time really flies, so before I knew it, a year had passed and I had completed the first draft.
Do you feel different having written a novel?
Now I feel like I could never not write. It’s as if I’ve opened a doorway to myself, that I need to walk through every day. There are so many stories I have yet to discover inside my head. It is the most exciting feeling when you’re shaping something and you don’t quite know what form it’s going to take. I love the thrill of it.
What do you like to read and watch yourself?
I read widely but I love books that take me out of my own head. These days I’m reading high fantasy by various new and brilliant authors and enjoying the different worlds they’ve created. I just finished ‘The Priory of the Orange Tree’, ‘The Bear and the Nightingale Series. I watch mainly sci-fi and historical fiction shows, for instance, ‘The Expanse’, ‘Star Trek Discovery’ and ‘Outlander’.
The little blue alien is named ‘Zaaro Nian’, how did you go about naming him?
I cannot honestly pretend that I have any idea how that name popped into my head. It was just there.
Who should read ‘The light Blue Jumper’?
The book has appealed to teenagers and adult readers equally. It’s a space romp built on a darker layer of political satire, so I would recommend it to anyone with an imagination and a sense of humour.
What can you tell us about the sequel?
That it’s complete! I hope it will be with readers soon InshaAllah.
Thank you for being with us today, and would you like your work to be adapted for a movie?
It was my pleasure. I would love to see my work in a different medium and for it to reach a wider audience. In short, it would be wonderful to see The Light Blue Jumper on screen!
Maheen Ahmed – Writing to create culture.
@lahore_la_notte
