FADI ZAGHMOUT ON WRITING, CHALLENGES AND THE MEANING OF BECOMING AN AUTHOR

 By Perla Staff Writer 

AMMAN (PERLA)-- Fadi Zaghmout, a young Jordanian talent represents all the qualities of the new generation in the Kingdom of Jordan and despite the numerous challenges he faced, he continued to walk along the challenging path of being an author in a world controlled by smart devices and social media tools.

“I launched a blog in 2006 to talk about issues that mattered to me. At the beginning, my writing was terrible, but what I wrote about resonated with people. With time, I got better, and at one point I realized that writing a fictional scene works better in delivering a message than writing an essay or article. I leaned towards fiction, and with time it only got better and better,” he said.

“This field is very challenging and a bit hard. It is never easy. To write a long piece of fiction, one has to be both patient and disciplined. It requires dedication, showing up time and time again, and staring at a blank page, trying to figure out what you want to say next, how you want to say it, and what words you need to use,” he added. 

But it does not stop there, as after the hills, mountains appear.

“And then, once you are done writing and reviewing your work over and over and over until you are satisfied, comes the challenge of finding a publisher who believes in you and is willing to take on your work. It does not work often, but knocking on different doors and pursuing different paths usually leads to something,” he stated.

Zaghmout writes about subjects that evoke the sense of writing and reading at the same time. His books are an immersive social projects that tackle reality through fiction through an amazing journey filled with emotions. 

“I write about sexual freedoms and body rights and love to imagine the future. Most of my stories are set in Amman, exploring family relations and possible futures,” said Zaghmout, who has a Master’s degree in Creative Writing and Critical Thinking from the University of Sussex, and currently pursuing a PhD Research Degree in Creative Writing at the University of West London.

And about his favorite genre, Zaghmout tends to go towards science fiction more than about reality.

“I love both historical fiction and science fiction, and probably my favorite books are those written in the past trying to imagine the future, such as 1984 by George Orwell and Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. Nevertheless, I appreciate a good story no matter what the genre is,” he said.

Zaghmout opened his heart to Perla about his dreams and future.

“I think that when I started, my dreams were humble. I wanted to write my first novel and was hoping to see it published. But then my dreams grew, and the journey rewarded me more than I have ever imagined. I never imagined that my books would be translated into English, French, Italian and soon Spanish. I never imagined that one of my books would be taught at a university in the United States. I never imagined that I would participate in global literary events to talk about my books, such as Les Utopiales in France and the Toronto International Festival of Authors in Canada,” he said.

“My books took me to places I never dreamt about. Yet, I am still dreaming. I aspire to regional and global literary awards, dream about seeing my characters adapted into films and TV series, and look forward to being translated into more languages,” he added.

As a reader, Zaghmout adores one special book The Kite Runner written by author Khaled Hosseini which was released by Riverhead Books in 2003, this narrative chronicles the life of Amir, a young Afghan male residing in Wazir Akbar Khan, Kabul. The account unfolds within the context of Afghanistan's turbulent historical circumstances, commencing with the dissolution of the Afghan monarchy and the subsequent conflict that ensued, with particular emphasis on the Soviet–Afghan War, the mass displacement of Afghan refugees, and the emergence of the Taliban administration.

“One of my favorite books is The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. I don’t know why I love it so much, but it is very well written, and the story resonates with what we have seen in the past few years. How some countries collapsed and radicals took over. How we should never take our freedoms for granted. How things could change overnight and never be the same again,” he added.

According to Zaghmout, the Jordanian society is a great one who likes to read.
 
“It is hard to tell how widespread the culture of reading is in the country. We only have a few bookstores, and they are hardly surviving. Nevertheless, I am always amazed by the number of book clubs emerging here and there, especially those led by women. It gives me hope,” he said.

As a young writer who faced the challenges of becoming an author, Zaghmout has one or two tips to those who want to enter the writers’ club. 

“I think whoever wants to write need not worry too much about other things besides writing. All they need is to do the work. Sit and write. Sit and write. Sit and write. Don’t worry about people’s reactions, don’t worry about getting published. Don’t worry until you finish the job. Just do it!” he said.

And after six novels, Zaghmout still “sits and writes” thinking of his next work with positive vibes and constructive thinking.

“I just finished writing my first short story collection, exploring the effect of modern and future technologies on our lives. After that, I will start working on my next book, exploring divorce in Amman!” he stated.

To contact Fadi Zaghmout or interested in one of his books through Perla, kindly send and email to: info@perlaluxury.com or contact directly: Fadizaghmout@yahoo.com