“A young author living his daily life, while recalling his past memories in a series of short stories he had written along his life” resembles the theme of “Al Ragol Al Da’ea” or “The lost man”, the Egyptian novel that would see light for the first time on the book stand of Cairo International Book Fair in its 52nd edition.
Abohmed: I felt like the main character was a friend I had from another world
In a psychological sequence, the novel’s hero would mention his thoughts, emotions and how all these formulated a package that reflected on what he writes and the way he would see the world, said the novelist, Yasmin Abohmed.
A special imaginary connection and unity, Abohmed developed with the fictional author who is her first novel’s hero, “I felt like he is a friend from another world who asked me to write his life story just like he says it without asking any questions. So I started, unknowing what the ending would look like”.
“I just wrote what I saw and felt. However, at some points I had to put lines to determine some character dimensions”, Abohmed mentioned in the description of the character, whose life story would represent the novel.
Abohmed: The novel showed the ups and downs, changes of thoughts and different perspectives a writer would experience
Many ups and downs, changes of thoughts and different perspectives a writer would experience in approaching certain daily topics that she herself was subject to. Abohmed translated some of these feelings in the writer’s journey. “The novel is much different from me. However, the main character’s thoughts about the world and friendships as well as the different standpoint he adopts while approaching agreed upon things, would represent points in common between me and the novel’s main character”.
“It took me one year to write the novel in an on and off mode because of the work business, but I always had the character inside whenever I felt there is something to add, I did regardless of the rush or business”, said Abohmed, who used to work as a pharmacist, left the profession for the sake of her own passion and started working at content writing a while ago.
Psychology and mental health as well as reading about them have been her passion for years, Abohmed mentioned as she explained her future goals to write about a certain mental problem that some children suffer from and how would they and their surroundings accept this by-birth difference.