Two more hours and I am home free. The hands of the gigantic clock in the lecture hall strike 10h30. I have been watching it stealthily as it rhythmically ticked away, hoping that it would soon hit 12h30, beckoning the end of the lecture. There have been days I wished it moved slower, especially during my Econometrics lecture. On such days I wished for the lecture to go on and on but it all ends too sudden too soon. On this particular Friday, I am determined to find myself a job all thanks to the callous insistence of my first cousin Joyce, who grew tired of bankrolling my livelihood for all these years. I have always been extremely frugal with money, but of late, life has simply become unaffordable. At this moment, I am in the middle of the International Trade lecture at university, seated upright in my chair, the way a two-time holder of the Dean’s Best Student Medal should hold herself out. I appear normal in the best possible way, but my mind is preoccupied with what lies ahead. My personal circumstances defy the typical definition of normal. To start with, I have run out of groceries and toiletries, my tuition fees are past due and I must still figure out how I am going to settle the balance owing on my campus residence account. About three months ago I received the first letter of demand through my mailbox, which I tore up after reading its unpleasant content. A month ago I received a couple more of those unpleasant demand letters, from doctors, healthcare insurers, the bookstore, the furniture store, the phone shop, you name them
Today we talk about African Orchid, a book by Ekolian Hamdan published with our publishing house Europe Books.
Europe Books had the pleasure of interviewing the author, Ekolian Hamdan, to get to know her better, how she came up with the idea to write African Orchid, as well as what she would like to hear from her readers.
Below you can find our interview. Take a seat and enjoy your reading!!!
- Where did you find the inspiration to write your book?
This book is culmination of several, unrelated life events. Long story short, the inspiration came about coincidentally when as part of my articles I had to accompany a total stranger to court for her court date; she was my age-mate almost or just slightly older; she was new in town and her and her husband were getting a divorce. It was a Monday of the week, and while on the way to court she began recounting what led to the breakdown of her marriage and halfway through she broke out crying profusely; I recall exclaiming that it was all too surreal and movie-like to me on what she had to endure. I recall crying together with her not knowing how to console her as it was equally a new experience to me since my only point of reference then was your typical happily-ever-after narrative which Mexican soap operas had indoctrinated in most of us then. Fast forward years later, I bumped into her when she coincidentally attended one of my productions which I had staged at the theatre, she recognised me instantly and reminded me of our first meeting ordeal years earlier; surprised that I equally dabbled in creative arts, she then begged me to produce something along the lines of life, love and her movie-like life. This book is borne out of that and is inspired by her life journey.
- What are the human and character traits of the main characters and how they evolve during the events of the story?
Rachel is your typical, quintessential young lady, naturally ingenious and academically par excellent. She relocated to the capital city to pursue her tertiary studies but lo and behold love met her too.
- What would you like to hear from your readers?
I would encourage my readers to read the book, immerse themselves deeply in the emotive areas of the storyline and get to feel exactly how Rachel felt at each point of her life as depicted in the story.
- How was your publishing experience?
It has been a journey and a half. Still ongoing; I would be able to do justice to it at the very end.
- Are you working on a new writing project?
Yes, always.
Europe Books thanks the author Ekolian Hamdan once again for taking the time and answering our questions. We are really pleased to have walked alongside her on the editorial path that led to the publication of her book African Orchid. We wish her the best of luck for her future works.
To you, my dear reader, I wish that this book let yourself be immersed in Rachel’s emotions and let yourself be carried away by them so that you can start opening your heart to new emotions, you have never experienced before, and which can “teach you” something new to apply in your everyday life.
So, my dear reader, all I have to say is to enjoy this emotional reading!
Your editor!