OCTOBER BOOK CLUB ON PHOENIX98fm - BRENTWOOD STUDIO
BOOK CLUB OCTOBER – with Sylvia Kent & Farzana Hakim
Although we are still not able to relax easily without our masks in this part of Essex, particularly with regard to social gatherings and public transport, we thank Phoenix98fm's popular presenter Michelle Ward for continuing to interview (virtually) so many talented authors in her morning programmes over the last twenty months.
Each author is unique and has generously contributed their time to Book Club (in its tenth year) giving us glimpses of their new titles.
Our latest author is the talented writer, Farzana Hakim, who yesterday outlined her latest book Sweethearts of Ilford Lane. We talked about her love of writing, her role as editor for Thursday Connectors which is a page in Pen To Print’s Write On! magazine and so much more.
“What motivates me most these days is the need to have my voice heard. I want to write about topics which women like me want to read about like women like them. I want to bring diversity and colour in books and because my debut novel, Sweethearts of Ilford Lane, was appreciated for its bravery in tackling ‘taboo’ for women in my community, I am all the more determined to keep going with storylines which will cause gasps and emotional roller coasters”
The book already has rave reviews on Amazon and is also available at all good bookshops.
INTERVIEW
Excerpt from Sweethearts of Ilford Lane
The next few minutes the only sounds which could be heard in Hassan’s living room were the noises of transgression and dishonour being committed by none other than us two seventeen year old, clueless teenagers, who’d forgotten everything ever taught to them.
We had lost our way. Everything about that moment was wrong. The whole night was evil and corrupt. It was stupid and if I could take back time, believe me that night I would have stayed in my own room, fast asleep. Safe and chaste.
Not only the religious rules, we bypassed our culture, the values and norms which we had grown up learning and following. We crossed all the barriers set by family, set by etiquette and set by God.
We broke them all.
By letting Hassan near me, I was breaking my promise to Habib and Uncle and Aunty. I was committing the worst sin of all.
I was dishonouring my family.
But I swear I wouldn’t have let anybody blame Hassan for any of this because it was me who went to him. It was me who allowed him to suck all the morals out of me. I allowed him to strip all the layers of dignity and modesty which I’d proudly worn until then.
That night I was allowing Hassan to rip each bit of cloth away from my guarded self, revealing only my shame, my nudity, and my obsession for him.
I regret that night. It wasn’t meant to happen.
But it did.
posted by Sylvia Kent @ 11:33 AM
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