Check out what inspired Ahmad Saber to write "Ramin Abbas Has MAJOR Questions" down below.
What was your inspiration behind "Ramin Abbas Has MAJOR Questions?"
This book is based on my lived experience. As with every debut, there is a risk of drawing too much inspiration from the author’s own life but with the kind of book this is, I think it had to be this way. Writing this book healed me in ways I didn’t think possible. I have long struggled with trying to reconcile my out and proud identity as a gay man and my cultural and religious identity as a Muslim. These two identities are supposed to be immiscible, but the ensuing conflict is fertile ground for some compelling (and fun) stories!
What does Reading Rainbow mean to you?
To me, Reading Rainbow really means reading to see all of us - our unique struggles, our perspectives on our suffering, our takes on the human condition – reflected in literature. We are one heck of a diverse community. Reading is such a powerful exercise to hone empathy, expand one’s consciousness, and to reflect on what it means to be human. So that means I’d like to read it all: queer joy, queer trauma, queer non-fic, queer horror, queer SciFi.
Why do you feel representation of a variety of people is so important when it comes to writing books?
I think reading is perhaps the single most powerful tool that gives us insight into someone’s life, mind, or heart, and therein lies the key to develop or further hone one’s empathy. Therefore, we need to hear all the stories. And for that to happen, we need to uplift a wide variety of storytellers.
Tell us a little more about "Ramin Abbas Has MAJOR Questions" and why you decided to write it.
"Ramin Abbas Has MAJOR Questions" is a fun and compelling story of Ramin Abbas, a 17-year-old senior at an all-Muslim high school, who finds himself trapped in what I call “the impossible love triangle.” He loves Allah. But he also wants to fall in love with the soccer team’s “Captain Handsome,” Fahad Ali Khan. He doesn’t want to have to choose between Allah and a boy. As the soccer season hurtles forward, an epic war sparks inside Ramin. With a championship soccer game looming, Ramin finds himself trapped between his head and his heart—not to mention his two left feet—and faces the impossible choice between God’s love and first love.
As alluded to in the answer to question number 1 above, the book draws inspiration from my own life and is based on my lived experience as an openly gay and Muslim man. The conflict I had to face in trying to reconcile my faith and my sexuality gave rise to suffering. I set out writing this book to give that suffering some meaning and to channel it into something that could hopefully help others in a similar plight.
What can fans expect from "Ramin Abbas Has MAJOR Questions?"
I love bullet points, so here we go!
-A love triangle between God and two boys
-A coming of age story told with lots of heart
-A non-preachy examination of a closeted teenager’s relationship with God
-Plenty of soccer (if you’re a fan)
-A little brother you want for yourself
-A bully you want to punch in the face
-Food, food, and more delicious descriptions of food!
What's up next for you in the bookish world?
I really need to get "Ramin Abbas Has MAJOR Questions" out of my system, so I can write my second book! I already have symptoms of the second book syndrome. I just need to sit down and hammer out that first draft!
