{"id":270,"date":"2021-06-08T11:43:02","date_gmt":"2021-06-08T10:43:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/londonfilmandcomiccon.com\/YALC\/?p=270"},"modified":"2021-06-08T11:43:40","modified_gmt":"2021-06-08T10:43:40","slug":"tahereh-mafi-interview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/londoncomicconwinter.com\/YALC\/tahereh-mafi-interview\/","title":{"rendered":"Tahereh Mafi Interview"},"content":{"rendered":"

Interview Questions for Tahereh Mafi<\/strong> about her latest novel An Emotion of Great Delight<\/strong><\/p>\n

Hi Tahereh, thank you so much for agreeing to speak to us (YALC \u2013 YA Literature Convention) today.<\/strong>
\nIt\u2019s my pleasure; thanks so much for having me.<\/p>\n

Can you give our readers a little overview of your latest novel An Emotion of Great Delight?<\/strong>
\nThe book is, at its core, a story of a pushing through sorrow and reclaiming joy. It takes place in 2003–a few months after the U.S. declared war on Iraq–and follows seventeen-year-old Shadi, an Iranian-American Muslim teenager trying to navigate the many complications and losses in her personal life against the backdrop of a modern war.<\/p>\n

Can you tell us a little bit about your background? What made you want to write YA novels?<\/strong>
\nI\u2019d never thought about writing fiction professionally until after I graduated from University. I\u2019d spent so much time studying books and dissecting books and writing papers about books that I\u2019d forgotten what it was like to simply read a book for pure enjoyment. Young Adult fiction was having a big resurgence at that time, and when I started reading these stories I remembered why I fell in love with reading all those years ago, as a child. I knew then that I wanted to be a part of the world responsible for introducing young people to literature.<\/p>\n

What inspired you to write An Emotion of Great Delight and how much research did you have to do on the topic?<\/strong>
\nI wanted, with this story, to depict the many variations on pain that might be experienced by a marginalized youth, who is just as susceptible to standard trauma as any other teenager. Being exposed to bigotry and xenophobia do not exclude a person from dealing simultaneously with all the basic human tragedies of life, and I wanted to try and capture this multi-dimensional experience that was so familiar to me, and to so many other young people I know. It didn\u2019t require more than general research on the time period, as so much of it was already familiar to me.<\/p>\n

Given the subject matter, how much of an emotional experience was it writing this novel?<\/strong>
\nIt was definitely difficult writing this book. I had to live in the headspace of the main character for as long as it took me to write it, which meant the process took an emotional toll on me, for sure.<\/p>\n

A lot of writers take inspiration from their own experiences. Are any of the characters based on real-life people or people in your own life?<\/strong>
\nYes, I absolutely drew inspiration from real life; from my own experiences, and from the experiences of those I know. It\u2019s not exact, of course; we take the raw elements of reality and transform them into fiction, but the essence is based in truth.<\/p>\n

Without giving too much away, what do you want your readers to take away from An Emotion of Great Delight?<\/strong>
\nWe too often commit cruelties against teenagers by refusing to acknowledge the validity of the pain they experience; I want young people to know, first and foremost, that their pain is recognized. I also want them to know it matters.<\/p>\n

What advice would you give someone wanting to write their own YA novel?<\/strong>
\nJust finish it. It\u2019s okay if it\u2019s bad; that\u2019s what revision is for. You can always edit a bad manuscript, but you can\u2019t edit a blank page.<\/p>\n

Finally, can you give us your favourite quote from a novel (it can be yours!)?<\/strong>
\nOne of my favorite lines from my husband\u2019s books is, \u201cSometimes you just need to go through a door.\u201d This is from Miss Peregrine\u2019s Home for Peculiar Children, by Ransom Riggs.<\/p>\n

Thanks again.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Tahereh
\nTahereh Mafi<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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