9 June 2015
| Last updated on 11 June 2015
The Literary Butterfly
She has just written the summer's must-read 'Coming Home'. Passion for her art shines through; when asked what 3 books she would take with her to a desert island her response was simple: “blank notebooks so I could write my own desert island story!”. Self-declared “literary butterfly” admiring all genres of literature: “I admire Jane Austen very much. I love her social observations and her wit. I like the Canadian author Robertson Davies very much, for similar reasons. I read all the latest contemporary fiction and try not to limit myself by genre or author.”
Like many of us expats Annabel Kantaria was attracted to Dubai as she “desperately wanted to live somewhere warm, where there was blue sky every day. It’s a big deal.”
There are many reasons why this extraordinary expat enjoys living in Dubai- “for a start, there’s blue sky almost every day! But there are so many other reasons. I love the UAE’s culture; I’ve learned a lot from the dignity of the Emirati people. The UAE’s also a safe place to live, we enjoy a high standard of living and I love the cosmopolitan feel of Dubai. There are over 200 nationalities living here and I really enjoy that mix.” For anyone thinking of moving abroad Annabel reminds us that “home is where the heart is. I don’t see Dubai as not home.’
Annabel refers to herself as “a ‘WAHM’ – a work-at-home mum. I’m an author and journalist, and I have two children, 10 and 6.” There are many of us in the expat community that can adopt the ‘WAHM’ name and can take lead from this inspiring ExpatWoman. This ‘WAHM’ is one of Dubai’s success stories, the talented writer’s debut novel; ‘Coming Home’ was published earlier this year. Though it is a work of fiction, the novel is about an expat who lives in Dubai so it has some reflection on Annabel’s own experiences: “At the start, she gets “that phone call” to tell her that her father’s died. To me, getting that call from overseas to say that something like that has happened is a big fear. So, yes, there is some of myself in that story – but, ultimately, it’s a work of fiction about fictitious characters. As you’ll see when you read it. “
Annabel Kantaria’s journey as a writer is a story in itself:
“I remember writing a story at school when I was six. Most of my classmates’ stories stopped at one or two sheets of paper – I spent all weekend writing mine and it went on for about 15 pages. I was always writing as a child and people always told me I had a “good way with words”. After a while, you start to believe it and think maybe it’s something you could actually do. Writing is something I have to do, whether or not my work is published.”
I entered the inaugural Montegrappa First Fiction competition at the EAFOL in 2013 – and won it. The competition was judged by a top London agent: Luigi Bonomi of LBA Books. My prize was to fly to London, visit the London Book Fair and have lunch with Luigi. Over that lunch, we discussed my book in depth and he then sent me away to complete the manuscript. Nine months later, he took me on as a client and managed to net me a three-book deal with Harlequin’ MIRA imprint. It’s an unusual way to get a publishing contract, but one I highly recommend, especially here in the UAE where we have access to such amazing competitions that can open doors for you.”
You might also be interested in.......
Annabel believes that support for writers in the UAE has improved dramatically over the past year: “Dubai International Writers’ Centre (DIWC), established last year, is a great resource and support. Through that and through events run by the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature (EAFOL), I’ve met some fantastic UAE-based writers. The EAFOL – which has just won the accolade of Best Festival in the Middle East for the third year running – is an amazing platform for writers here.”
With these supports systems in place Kantaria encourages budding writers to "...just write! So many people talk about writing but never actually complete a project. And, when you have a completed project, take advantage of the opportunities offered at the EAFOL – each year there are competitions to find new talent in fiction and poetry; there are opportunities for writers to meet London-based editors and agents; to pitch their ideas; and maybe even get taken on.”
Kantaria admits to having good writing days and bad writing days but has never experienced a terrible writers’ block. On a bad writing day, when she has been stuck on how to take a book’s plot forward she believes a change of scene – sitting in the garden or in a café with a notepad and write down your thoughts on the topic until you see how it needs to work. “If that doesn’t help, I deliberately get on with something else and leave it to my subconscious to solve. Usually the answer arrives in my head when I’m least expecting it – I keep notebooks everywhere.”
For fans, like us at EW, of Annabel Kantaria's debut novel will not have to wait too long to read more of her work. She plans to write one novel a year until 2016. Annabel has revealed that her next piece of fiction “is the same genre, which is loosely ‘psychological suspense’ or what they’re calling ‘suburban noir’ or ‘domestic with an edge’, but it’s not a sequel.”
A busy woman… no wonder when asked what she likes to do with her spare time we got this response:
“I really enjoy doing nothing. Absolutely nothing on a sun-lounger by water. But I don’t get to do it enough”
Finally, ExpatWoman had to ask for Annabel's top tips for expats after being expatriated for 18 years:
“Do your research. If possible, fly out to the country in question before you make the decision to move, and check out everything on the ground. If that’s not possible, use the online expat forums such as Expatwoman.com for advice. There’s always someone who’s just done what you’re about to do, and they’ll be a great source of current information.” The best thing about being an Expat Woman is “sunshine and lifestyle.”
