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Shubnum Khan Biography, Books, and Similar Authors

Author Biography  | Interview  | Books by this Author  | Read-Alikes

Shubnum Khan
Photo: © Nurjahaan Fakey

Shubnum Khan

How to pronounce Shubnum Khan: SHUBB-nuhm

Shubnum Khan Biography

Shubnum Khan is a South African author and artist. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times; McSweeney's Quarterly; HuffPost; O, The Oprah Magazine; The Sunday Times (London); Marie Claire; and others. Her first novel, Onion Tears (2011) was shortlisted for the Penguin Prize for African Writing and the University of Johannesburg Debut Fiction Prize. Her essay collection, How I Accidentally Became a Stock Photo was published in South Africa and India with Pan Macmillan in 2021. The Djinn Waits a Hundred Years is her debut novel in the US.

Shubnum Khan's website

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Interview

The author discusses her U.S. debut, The Djinn Waits a Hundred Years, with librarian Daryl Maxwell, West Valley Regional Branch, Los Angeles Public Library.

What was your inspiration for The Djinn Waits a Hundred Years?

I always wanted to try to tell a love story, but as I was writing, I realised you can't tell a love story without telling a life story. And I had been collecting so many things I wanted to write about for a while: Durban, forgotten people, heartache, djinns, and somehow, all the ideas I collected over the years gathered in this house and grew into a story.

Are Sana, Meena Begum, Akbar Ali Khan, or any of the many other characters in the novel inspired by or based on specific individuals?

They certainly carry bits and pieces of characters I've met or read about, but they have not been based on any specific individuals.

Is Akbar Manzil inspired by or based on a specific place?

Durban is full of strange, grand houses along the coast, most of which seem to have grown old or dilapidated with time. It's a city where the green is always trying to take over everything, including buildings. I wouldn't say Akbar Manzil is based on a specific house I've seen but there are certainly a lot of weird and wonderful places to inspire a story.

How did the novel evolve and change as you wrote and revised it? Are there any characters or scenes that were lost in the process that you ...

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Books by this Author

Books by Shubnum Khan at BookBrowse
The Djinn Waits a Hundred Years jacket
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Read-Alikes

All the books below are recommended as read-alikes for Shubnum Khan but some maybe more relevant to you than others depending on which books by the author you have read and enjoyed. So look for the suggested read-alikes by title linked on the right.
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