Author Biography | Interview | Books by this Author | Read-Alikes
How to pronounce Shubnum Khan: SHUBB-nuhm
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
This bio was last updated on 01/17/2024. In a perfect world, we would like to keep all of BookBrowse's biographies up to date, but with many thousands of lives to keep track of it's simply impossible to do. So, if the date of this bio is not recent, you may wish to do an internet search for a more current source, such as the author's website or social media presence. If you are the author or publisher and would like us to update this biography, send the complete text and we will replace the old with the new.
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 ...
Your guide toexceptional books
BookBrowse seeks out and recommends the best in contemporary fiction and nonfiction—books that not only engage and entertain but also deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.