…. I guess I’ve always had a fascination with languages, being bilingual myself, and how languages form parts of people’s whole identities sometimes. Languages can open up whole new worlds and stories, and even create barriers, and I find that so interesting to write about. …
This is what I love about free-writing exercises; they unlock parts of your subconscious, that develop into a conscious interest, a thing to further explore and write about. They unlock creativity. If you’re stuck on writing this weekend, just write anything. Write a thought you are having, however mundane, and let it lead you. This is also why I will forever be grateful to my MA for giving me the space to learn, write and explore such things. …
HerStory (Durre Shahwar): I’m a writer, a book reviewer, and an MA Creative Writing graduate. As a South Asian female, I’ve identified as a feminist, since a teen and to this day, I’m writing about what that means and trying to put my experiences into words. My blog was named ‘Herstory’ after my research into Woolf’s A Room of One’s Own during my degree. The term has been the driving factor behind my writing. We all have stories to tell, voices that need to be heard, especially from women of colour, and I hope to be one of them. On my blog, I write book reviews and other content related to the craft of writing and sometimes, academia. I’m interested in fiction, non-fiction, poetry, mental health, intersectional feminism, gender, religion, art, yoga – though not always in that order or mixture! I’m slowly getting my writing published, and trying to review more book by women/women of colour, for which, I am happy to be contacted for via my blog or on Twitter: @Durre_Shahwar.
