Algerian Young Authors -Interview with Yasmine-

A couple of days ago, I received a message on Facebook, that made my day, from the creator of Shovel Magazine. An Algerian author (or soon will be) is publishing her first book... and it is in English. I felt such a pride that I kept posting about her and her book every two minutes on the page. I just wanted every single one of our fans to know about her. 

Today, I had a little chit-chat interview (I might just have created this expression, I do not know) with her, to know more about the writer she is and the book she wrote. 

Yasmine Marouf Araibi, our very first interviewee on the blog, had answered all of my questions and yours.

Let's get to know Yasmine. 

Can you introduce yourself to our readers, tell us a bit about 

 yourself 

Well, My name is Yasmine Marouf Araibi, I am twenty-one years old, I am a third year journalism student at the university of Algiers three.

I'm a passionate reader and writer. And I have a passion for the young Algerian talents, I love encouraging them to give better.

Have you always wanted to become a writer or is it something that you started to love and get interested in lately?

Not always, I had a lot of dreams during my short life. I started writing around the age of fifteen ( In English), I tried to write at the age eleven but stopped. I had a page where I used to share my writings, a lot of people commented that I should write a book, other said "we are waiting for it" but I never really took it seriously. I wrote a lot of stories and shared only one. As I said I thought they weren't good enough. I never shared any of my writings on my personal wall, I was so ashamed of what my entourage may think of them. And then, about a year ago, I thought I should write one. I thought it was time for me to overcome all of this and start doing what I love.

I'm glad you did

Obviously, a writer needs to read

 what are your favourite books and who are your favourite authors?

Yes, I actually love reading a lot. I don't really have a favorite author I read in Arabic French and English, and I read whatever I find.

I love historical novels, though. I also love reading about civilization and cultures, not necessarily books, but articles also.

I do not want to ask many questions about the book (I know that you probably do not want to spoil it for us). Just tell us a bit about Forget-me-not.

 Also, I really want to know how you came up with the title and who designed the beautiful cover?

Well, at first it was supposed to be a book with texts. I was seeking for inspiration and suddenly memories started to come. They were memories I've always remembered -some of them were without importance- at least that's what I thought.

I told myself that the reason these memories are drifting to my mind each time, is because they have a meaning, I need to share them.

So I started developing them into texts, after that into stories.

For the title, it's a flower I read about in a novel of Barbara Cartland. I loved it so much, and I thought it will suit the book.

As for the cover, It was designed by Imanila from the publishing house.

I gave her the picture of the girl that was found on the internet and she made it for me. I thank her by the way.

Speaking of publishing houses, it was somehow hard for you to find

 someone who'd agree to publish your book. 

What were the responses that you got from other publishing houses (if you can share them of course), and why did El Mouthekef believe in your work and 

decided to give you a shot?

Well, in Algeria I looked for a publisher for almost a year. No one accepted to even read it. It was refusal from the first call or message. I sent it then to Egypt, they accepted to read it but ended up refusing it without really giving a reason. And then I met my publisher, Idris Khelifa who is a writer too, I asked him for an interview, and we chatted about my book and he liked a part that I sent to him. After that his publisher asked him to be the director of the new branch they were opening in Algiers, he asked me if I was still interested in publishing my book. At first, I wasn't sure because I had to pay for it. But I decided to try my chance knowing that's the only way and almost all the publishing houses work like this here in Algeria. Plus it was the only publishing house who accepted to publish me. I contacted my aunt and asked my parents and they agreed on giving me the needed money. I gave them my reply, they read my book and accepted it.

 Amazing, I am very glad that you did not give up.

What was your parents' reaction when they realised that it is happening (their little girls is becoming a writer)?

They were so happy and so proud, and only then I realised I've done something with my life. My success was that I made them proud. I had to keep mom from telling anyone until it will be 100% sure. And trust me it was hard. Every time I saw her about to pick the phone up and call someone I was like" You put that down, now." and she was like" But I need to tell your aunt and your uncles and all." So, yes they are very proud, and el Alhamdulillah I thank God for this.

You're the very first (soon will be) author who writes in English that I have heard of. What do you think is holding back more Algerians from writing (especially in English)?

The fear of being judged, the fear of making mistakes, and the fear of not being good enough.

I had all of this- I still fear all of this, but as Nelson Mandela said “I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.”

We tend to wait for the perfect moment, we wait to ameliorate ourselves. But the truth is this day will never come, we can never be perfect at something, we can never know everything about something, Knowledge has no ending, we keep learning as long as we are alive. And that's why we shouldn't wait to be perfect at something to start, but we should start to be better.

When will the book officially be in stores?

Do you think we will easily find a copy no matter what Wilayaa we live in?

They didn't give me the exact date, but they told me it will be released in four weeks.

Even if it will not be available in every wilaya, I will be selling by post insh'Allah."

Do you think we will be seeing more books in English (in Algerian bookstores) soon?

Yes, I do believe in this, I know few people who are already working on their first novel, or book in general.

That’s amazing. I guess 2017 will be a great year after all.

As I have read on your book cover, you're studying to become a journalist. But how did you become a good English speaker and writer? Also, do you think of turning writing into a full time job?

I've always loved English. I wanted to study English in college, but I wasn't accepted. However, I never gave up on this language. I learnt it by music. I remember I used to translate lyrics and use every new word I learnt in a sentence. And then I started adding people from other countries, we started chatting and we improved our broken English together. I am still friends with them and they mean a lot to me. We are not from the same country and we may never meet, but I will always love them. I also used to talk to myself in the mirror haha! that's how I improved my accent. And by calling my virtual friends on skype also. Also, by reading and writing of course.

When it comes to making writing a full time job, that'd be a dream. But, I also have a lot of projects to work on. Nevertheless, I could definitely spend my life reading and writing

Finally, a little message to our readers. 

What would you like to say to anyone who wants to become a writer?

Well, the first thing is to never give up and to always believe in yourself.

The second is; don't wait to live amazing things to start writing, you can turn the little things into amazing things and great things. You also have your imagination, you will be amazed by the things you could come out with. and I want to share this quote with you. "Writers don’t write from experience, although many are hesitant to admit that they don’t…If you wrote from experience, you’d get maybe one book, maybe three poems. Writers write from empathy."

— Nikki Giovanni "

So write, just write, it may be bad today but I know for sure it will be great tomorrow. It's okay if you make mistakes, we all learn from them and don't you ever wait for someone else to give you the chance, you create your own chances. You are master of your dreams your projects and your future.

Count on Allah and go head, fail today and succeed tomorrow.

I wish you all the best. In sha Allah, you will be our generation's YASMINA KHADRA 

 Insh'Alah sweety, thank you for this beautiful interview