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Ask the Author: Zeyn Joukhadar

“Ask me a question.” Zeyn Joukhadar

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In the last 2 years I have read both Map of Salt and Stars, and Thirty Names of Night. They are beautiful books with deep histories and emotional bonds. Your prose flows so naturally with a touch of the supernatural within deeply personal journeys. What draws you to writing with parallel protagonists across many years in parallel yet different stories?
Zeyn Joukhadar Thank you! One reason is that I'm deeply interested in revealing the legacies of history (both societal and personal) within the present, as well as the ways that these histories inform the formation of one's sense of self, particularly for racialized, queer, and gender-oppressed people. Another reason is that I'm invested in engaging with storytelling techniques that take their roots from outside the Western literary canon, including traditional oral storytelling originating in the SWANA (Southwest Asia and North Africa) region, and these kinds of approaches often employ multiple story threads, non-linear structures, and other techniques that I choose to explore in my work.
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Congratulations on your novel The Map of Salt and Stars! I heard about it a month ago, here, in Brazil, and I was very excited to read it. When I finally did, every single page met my expectations! Thanks for writing this work of art. Travelling with Nur and seeing the world through her eyes was an unique experience. You are such a great writer! Who are the authors that inspired you to become one?
Zeyn Joukhadar Thank you very much for reading and for your kind words! I've been inspired by many authors over the years. When I was young, I loved Tamora Pierce's The Song of the Lioness books, about a girl who dresses as a boy and runs away to become a knight; I was also a big fan of Tolkien's The Hobbit and Madeleine L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time. The authors who have had the biggest influence on my work as an adult are probably Octavia Butler, James Baldwin, Gabriel García Márquez, Toni Morrison, Rabih Alameddine, and Randa Jarrar, because they (among many others) have expanded (& continue to expand) my sense of what is possible, over and over again.
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This isn't really a question, but THANK YOU for writing The Thirty Names of Night! I just finished an electronic review copy and am floating in the richness of the world you created. Do you think the postponement can get us past our current semi-frozen state so your novel gets the reception it deserves? I can' wait to start gifting it.
Zeyn Joukhadar Thank you for reading and for your kind words! My hope is that this current moment of confinement will allow us to flatten the curve of COVID-19 enough that, come summer and fall, things will be different. But in the meantime, it brings me a lot of joy to hear that people are reading my words and taking comfort in them. It reminds me of why we write stories in the first place. Stay safe and let's keep reading!
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Zeyn, thank you for the authenticity you bring forward in yourself and in your work. I just read "A Map of Salt and Stars" and was so struck with millions of emotions. As an Arab American myself, I found Nour to be an extremely relatable character and her constant battle with feeling "Arab enough" is one that I've also experienced. I'm very excited for your next book! Will you go on any nation-wide tours to market it?
Zeyn Joukhadar Thank you for reading and for your kind words, Nadia! I can't give any details yet, but big things are in the works for THE THIRTY NAMES OF NIGHT--stay tuned! :)
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Hi, I just wanted to say as a Canadian-Syrian this book means a lot. Thank you. Beautifully written :) I'm just going to add a question mark bc I have to in order to submit this so: ?
Zeyn Joukhadar Thank you for reading and for your kind words! It means so much to hear from other readers in the Syrian diaspora.
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Any chance of an Audible version of Everything Blooms becoming available? I loved The Map of Salt and Stars.
Zeyn Joukhadar I would love to do one, perhaps in the future!
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The book I just read gives the author as Jennifer Zeynab Joukhadar, yet here it gives your name. Could you explain the discrepancy? BTW, one of the best books I have read in the last year.
Zeyn Joukhadar This past spring, I announced publicly that I am transgender, that I am transitioning, and that I now use the name Zeyn and he/him pronouns. My new name will be on the third printing of the paperback.
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I recently read your book and did it for a book report. I love your writing and the story was amazing! What inspired you to write it? I love learning about the Syrian Civil War and I recently read the short book called A Long Walk to Water. If you haven't already read it, I would definitely recommend it to you! I hope you will be writing another book soon!! You are amazing!!
Zeyn Joukhadar Thank you Sydney! Most of my inspiration for the book simply came from watching the war unfold as a Syrian American person and knowing people personally who were affected by the war. I've talked in more detail about what spurred me to write the book in some of my interviews below, including my interview on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/interviews/...), UConn Alumni Magazine (https://magazine.uconn.edu/2018/09/25...#), and Bookreporter (https://www.bookreporter.com/authors/...). Thank you for reading, and definitely keep an eye out for a future book! ;)
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This question contains spoilers... (view spoiler)
Zeyn Joukhadar That's amazing, thanks for getting in touch! To the best of my knowledge, the Joukhadar family is pretty big with a number of different branches, so it's always cool to find I have a family member I didn't even know I had! :) Ahlan wa sahlan!
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