Nadia Mikail, a local author, has made a name for herself on the international stage with her recent release, “The Cats We Meet Along The Way.” Opening up about her inner fears as a book author, New Sarawak Tribune reaches out to her in order to learn more.
Writing through the block
Nadia Mikail, award-winning book author, has been penning down her imaginations since she was seven years old.
“I used to write a long-running comic series about a Pontianak’s (banshee) misadventures in the human world, complete with terrible illustrations. I’d show it to my sister and expect her to laugh every time,” said the 26-year-old Sarawakian native.
Nadia loves writing as a form of relaxation. She also said that she enjoys writing when it is drizzling, and the sky is grey in the evening.
“Such writing sessions have a specific ambience to me. I always have music playing when I’m writing. Furthermore, there is a playlist dedicated to specific projects.”
Yet, without a doubt, she enjoys writing wherever and whenever she can, especially when an idea strikes her. Nadia said she doesn’t have a writing routine and can write anytime she wants as long as she doesn’t experience writer’s block.
“I have a very bad writer’s block. When I first have an idea, I would easily jot it down. But when it comes to rewriting and adding to the plot, the idea kind of stalled in my head. I want it to be perfect, but it never seems to be.
“I believe that the only way to truly overcome it is to push through it and keep writing, even if it is torturous,” she said.
Despite difficulties, Nadia admitted that being a writer had always been a dream of hers.
“The only way to improve my writing from unreadable to half-decent was to keep writing and reading even more.”
‘The Cats We Meet Along The Way’
Nadia, who has authored several books, said that the more she writes, the easier it becomes. She has written numerous short stories, fanfiction, and poems to date. Her first novel, “The Cats We Meet Along The Way”, is “the longest story I’ve ever written,” she said.
About her first novel, Nadia shared that she was inspired to write about an estranged family because she was away from her family, tucked away in the United Kingdom by herself during the pandemic.
“That feeling was also what inspired the apocalyptic future that I described in the book.”
Nadia had experienced a great deal of worry and impending grief during her time alone, especially after hearing about the COVID-19 cases and how it affected many families. She hopes that having successfully translated her emotions into her book, those who read it would see the importance of love, hope, and family that she strives to write about in the pages.
“I was constantly trying to make sure that the story’s main point was that in the end, what matters is that we support each other through life, which may be incredibly hard, cruel, and grief-filled,” she said.
Nadia, who lives in the United Kingdom, said that she uses the word “cats” in her book title as a metaphor for the things and people we care about. When asked if she has cats, she said she has two — Constituent ‘Stitch’ Aragorn the Second and William ‘Wiggy’ Wiggles.
Waterstones Children’s Book Prize 2023
The Waterstones Children’s Book Prize is an annual award presented to children’s literature. The purpose of the prize, which was first awarded in 2005, is to uncover hidden talent in children’s writing. It is only open to book authors with less than three published books.
This year’s award went to Nadia, who won with her first novel. The Sarawakian admitted that, while she is honoured, she still finds it hard to believe.
“It was an incredible honour, and I’m grateful to the Waterstones booksellers who voted for the book and believed in it.
“I’d also like to thank Bella Pearson and everyone at Guppy Publishing, including the judges who first read my submission, for believing in the book and me from the beginning,” she said, adding that her publisher Bella made the writing and post-writing experience fun and comfortable.
“She is the best editor and easy to work with despite the occasional writer’s block I faced.”
When asked if she thought publishing a book was daunting, Nadia answered no, as it has always been her biggest dream since she was a child.
“I do worry about writer’s block when I write because all of a sudden, a piece of writing you loved and were proud of suddenly becomes impossible to look at anymore, making it very tough to continue working on it.”
Therefore, she believes that having the right publisher is important, as they will not only affect the post-writing experience but will also be the reason that the book is out and selling.
Those who want to read the book may purchase it via the MPH bookstore’s website.
When asked when her next book would be published, the intrepid writer said that she is unsure. One thing is for sure is she intends to continue writing, “and the rest is very uncertain.”
