Six Questions with Sabrina Shah

Sabrina Shah is a British Pakistani Kidlit writer. Having previously worked as a publishing professional, she now writes a mix of fun, lyrical picture books, spooky middle-grade mysteries and young adult novels.Sabrina is a member of SCBWI, 12×12 Picture Book Challenge and the Golden Egg Academy. She recently won the Golden Egg award for upcoming Middle Grade talent, The WriteMentor Summer Picture Book Mentoring Programme and 2023/2022 Kid’s Choice Kitlit Writing contests with her YA short stories.She is a colossal foodie and baker, with her own food blog and lives with her husband and two children in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Visit Sabrina's website to learn more about her and her books.

1. How did you begin your journey as an author?

Like most, I began writing as a child. Creative writing was my thing and it continued through my education. I wrote my first draft at 16, only to lose the whole thing when I accidentally formatted my 'floppy disk' drive on my first day of college. Cue the seven years of writer's block! I lost my mojo, because I couldnt get over the fact I lost lie 50,000 words in a second. 

I got writing again in my early 20's when I got my dream job in London for a publishing house and the spark reignited. I've been writing ever since but never with any real drive to publish because life got in the way of finishing an actual draft. Cue covid and almost two years of lockdown! I found myself delving into the twitter writing community and I never looked back. That is when I got serious about finding an agent, entering competitions and mentoring programmes and finally things started to happen. 

2. What piece of advice would you like to give to aspiring kidlit authors?

It's a tough industry out there at the moment, more so than before. I think you really need to have that drive to continue what you're doing in the face of adversity, rejection, and competition. If you aren't passionate and driven to get your stories out there, you might not make it over the hurdles you're likely to face. 

Be true to yourself and your voice, take pride in it and know your worth. Fight for your story and don't give up on it. Not everyone is going to have the energy some days, we all face the lows of being a writer so all I can say to any aspiring to become an author is be ready to be patient, be ready for those tough rejections and be ready to give it your all. 

3. Do you ever feel lonely being a writer? If so, how do you deal with that?

Being a writer is probably one of the loneliest things you can be. Great life choice, Sab! Honestly many people write to escape the world around them. To write is a very solitary exercise and only you can put that pen to paper. You need time to do that and ultimately it is time away from friends and family, but the trick is to find a balance. We all need that ME time for whatever we are doing. With writing I have to personally shut off the world around me but to counteract that loneliness, I have actively kept a writing circle. People knit from the same cloth who get that life choice. Who get the trials and tribulations of working on something day in and day out, without any imminent fruitful conclusion. They are the ones I reach out to, console in and celebrate those little wins. Through them I keep my passion alive and as they are in the same safe-space as me, the writing void doesn't seem so dark and lonely any longer.

4. Where did you get the idea for Music of the Mountains? What was your inspiration?

It was my family and my heritage. We've always been told to 'write the story only YOU can write' and so I did. The idea came from my introvert self trying to navigate quite an extroverted world. Mix that with my family heritage, a beautiful traditional instrument that not many people have heard of as well as memories of my dear late mother and father who kept our family heritage alive through this music and culture. I wanted children to be able to see themselves in the story, its themes and message. At the end of the day, it's a story of my heart. 

5. Was this always the title for this project? If not, what other titles did you consider and how did you land on thsi one?

No, but thank goodness the editor and I decided to change it. The story was originally called Roohi Finds Her Rhythm, then it became Roohi and her Rocking Rabab but it was too lyrical. Then my mentor at the time, Emma Pearl, who helped me critique and polish the story helped brainstorm more poetic titles. Hence, Music of the Mountains was born.   

6. If you read this book to a room filled with kids, what message would you want them to leave with?

I would like to encourage them to be true to their feelings when addressing something that makes them nervous. To ask themselves how they would handle their nerves and who around them could help support them. I would want them to leave with the notion that they too can be brave and to believe in themselves. To take pride in who they are and be confident in their own way. Find their 'own rhythm' and keep rocking it!