THE WORLD OFFERS ITSELF TO YOUR IMAGINATION

Name: Farah Naz Rishi. Apparently, both of my parents had independently decided to name me Farah Naz (meaning “pride and joy” in Urdu). They’d both been too nervous to share with each other their choice of name, only to find out they’d had the same name in mind all along. Talk about funny coincidences.

Currently: My memoir, Sorry for the Inconvenience, has just been published. It follows the story of how I met my now-husband, but it’s also the story of grief, friendship, and all the forms that love can take.

My life in 50 words (or less!): I’m a Pakistani-American born in D.C. and raised on a heavy diet of fantasy novels. I went to law school to be an environmental lawyer, but now I write books and sometimes act in video games.

The writer in me took flight when: My dad was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and I realized life is too short not to make the most of it.

The poet in me wishes: To live in a humble home on lots of land, with lots of animals and lots of time to write.

The lawyer in me wants to: Help dismantle the systems that keep all living beings oppressed and also help nurture the environment.

My favourite line in poetry: “Whoever you are, no matter how lonely / the world offers itself to your imagination, / calls to you like wild geese, harsh and exciting” – Wild Geese by Mary Oliver

Favourite colours: Lush greens and soft, warm pinks

Favourite designer: Rahul Mishra. The amount of detailed beadwork on his designs is so, so stunning.

Favourite movie: V for Vendetta. Every year, it feels more relevant.

Favourite books: Uff, what a difficult question! At the moment, it’s a tie between Tamora Pierce’s Trickster’s Choice and Virginia Woolf’s A Room of One’s Own.

Favourite authors: Bell Hooks, Virginia Woolf, Tamora Pierce, Jessica Townsend, James Joyce, George Saunders. I also adore the poems of Emily Dickinson.

Favourite TV shows: Fleabag, Hometown Cha Cha Cha, Parks & Recreation, Charmed, The Haunting of Hill House.

Favourite ice cream flavour: Blackberry.

Favourite cuisine: South Asian.

Favourite restaurant: Currently, it’s Mawn in Philadelphia – a Cambodian restaurant.

Favourite activities: Playing co-op video games and being at least 50 pages into a very good book

I hang out: In my office, on my fainting couch, giving off sickly Victorian woman vibes and whining about how much writing I have to do.

I’m freaked out by: Big scary things in the water. Most of my nightmares involve being in dark water where I can see things moving (usually shark-like creatures and objects). I’m quite afraid of sharks, and I also probably have submechanophobia!

I need: My dog, Stellaluna. I feel very strange and wrong being away from her. I also need sweet chocolatey treats, at least once a day.

My role models: My friends, who always give me the best advice and keep my head on straight.

Tips to save the planet: Get involved in community engagement. It’s incredible how much development companies (and most companies, really) can get away with simply because no one knows about what they’re doing or bothers to speak out against them.

In a perfect world: Imperialism would disappear.

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