BooksChatter: ℚ♫ All Inclusive

Today we have the pleasure of meeting up with author Farzana Doctor to talk about All Inclusive (16 September 2015, Dundurn Group, 268 pages), a Multicultural LGBT Literary Fiction novel.

Ambitious, original, mysterious, sensual, All Inclusive is all that — and a terrific read to boot. —Toronto Star

An ambitious, thematically voracious novel on love and the wounds we didn’t know we had. —Globe & Mail

|| Synopsis || Trailer || Teaser: Excerpt || Author Q&A || About the Author || Giveaway & Tour Stops ||

Introduction

Here at BooksChatter we love music, do you have a music playlist that you used in All Inclusive, or which inspired you whilst you were writing it?

"I did a blog post about my playlist 3.5 weeks ago; here it is as a youtube playlist."

And here are our questions for today, skipping the ones that Farzana has already answered a lot!
How much of yourself is reflected in this book, All Inclusive, and how?

"I’m a Registered Social Worker, with a part-time private psychotherapy practice. I’ve been doing this work for 25 years now, so my “therapist brain” is not separate from my “writer brain”. I like exploring charaters’ emotions, neuroses, distress, and resilience, and this comes through in my novels."

Can you tell us something quirky about All Inclusive, its story and characters?

"I think one unique quality is that one of the characters, Azeez, is a spirit. He came to me as a voice in my head (maybe a spirit talking to me?). I know, sounds weird."

Who would you recommend All Inclusive to and what should readers be aware of (any warnings or disclaimers)?

"This book is great for people who love literary fiction that is multicultural and infused with magical realism and politicised thinking. I’d love people who go to all-inclusive resorts to read it, to get a sense of their inner workings. One of the main characters, Ameera, is a swinger, and this might be of interest to people who like to learn about subcultures different from their own. For history buffs, there is significant mention of the Air India bombing of 1985."

What is your writing process?

"My ideal writing day starts in bed with my coffee. Then I take my dog for a walk. Then another hour of writing, lunch and some more writing before I see clients."

And as a final quirky thing, to get to know you a little bit better... do you have a pet or something that is special to you that you could share with us?

"My dog’s name is Maggie and she’s my furry daughter. Here’s a photo of her promoting “This Accident of Being Lost” a book by Leanne Betasamosake Simpson. Maggie has an instagram hashtag: #MaggieWithBooks."