Sabyn Javeri is interested in looking beyond the obvious. And two years after the release of her bestselling political thriller “Nobody Killed Her”, the Pakistani author is back with a new collection of short stories – Hijabistan, in which she uses the Hijab as a leitmotif to explore the inner lives of modern Muslim women.
“When I first started writing these stories, they were about strong heroic women who wore the hijab but I soon realised that was not a story I wanted to tell. I was more interested in the stories they were hiding, the ones they didn’t want anyone to find out. And there were so many of them. So many layers to what was covered by a simple physical garment. And it was this metaphorical hijab that I wanted to explore,” she says, talking about the book.
The result is a series of stories that discuss everything from sexuality to promiscuity and the idea of piety not being defined by appearance, and shatters the stereotype of meek, submissive women behind the hijab.
In an interview, Javeri speaks to YKA about why she believes activism is not a part of any writer’s duty, the recent trend of bold women writers facing trial by media and why she thinks a majority of powerful women today face the imposter syndrome.
Shikha Sharma (SS): In the book, you use the theme of the Hijab, in different ways. What particularly drove you to it?
Sabyn Javeri: I’m interested in looking beyond the obvious. When I first started writing these stories, they were about strong heroic women who wore the hijab but I soon realised that was not a story I wanted to tell. I was more interested in the stories they were hiding, the ones they didn’t want anyone to find out. And there were so many of them. So many layers to what was covered by a simple physical garment. And it was this metaphorical hijab that I wanted to explore.
I hope I have been able to do it. Many readers on social media are agitated that this has not turned out to be a collection of strong empowered women who are changing the world in a hijab. It is that. But it also something more. There are stories here that are inspiring and uplifting like Coach Annie, Fifty Shades at Fifty, The Flyover, The Good Wife but there are also others which are darker and somewhat sinister. There are stories which discuss sexuality, promiscuity and the idea of piety not being defined by appearance.
They challenge one’s internalised patriarchy, they make you question your own prejudice. They call out the fact that we put women on a spectrum of good girl and bad girl (goddess or whore/saint or sinner/heroine or vamp) with no room for in-between. If you dress a certain way and behave in a certain manner you are a good girl and if you don’t, you are a bad girl. The darker stories crash that notion and I’m not surprised that many are angry because no one wants to admit that subconsciously we are endorsing patriarchy and misogyny.
SS: In the past, some Pakistani writers have incorporated politics and current affairs as main subjects into their narrative. You did the same with your previous book – Nobody Killed Her. How important, do you think, is it for writers to be political in their writing (which may sometimes even be controversial)?
I think it is very difficult to separate the personal from the political. I don’t believe activism is a part of your writerly duty but I do believe in speaking up for what I believe. As a writer, I can’t help but write about things that affect me and the environment around me and so it seeps into my writing. I am the queen of controversy when it comes to writing about taboo subjects and it’s not deliberate, believe me. People often ask me why I can’t write about something safe like ‘arranged marriage’ or ‘terrorism’ and I tell them that the real terrorism is the misogyny in our society. So I write about it.
SS: What’s your experience of the literary and publishing scene in Pakistan? How is it different from India?
SJ: There is no publishing scene in Pakistan as far as English language fiction is concerned so it is hard to make an active comparison while the Indian publishing industry is flourishing and thank god for that! I think the Indian publishing industry is providing a great platform for writers all over South Asia, especially because it is willing to experiment with themes and genres, unlike the Western publishing industry which is afraid to take risks when it comes to international authors.
SS: Could you tell us a little bit about challenges facing contemporary Pakistani female writers compared to say earlier generations?
SJ: I think the challenges remain the same even a century later. ‘Women should be seen and not heard’ is the general norm whether it is the arts, politics or boardroom. It’s mostly optics. Whether it is reviews, which usually start with describing how the female author looks or writing subjects/genres, women writers are expected to behave and deliver in a certain manner. Deviate a little and you will be put on trial. I suppose the biggest difference is that whereas before writers like Ismat Chugtai were tried in court, nowadays women writers, like Arundhati Roy or Meera Kundaswampy for example who write on bold social topics, face trial by media.
SS: Please comment on what you have found in your research with regards to women negotiating power in patriarchal societies.
One interesting thing that I came across again and again when I looked into the life of powerful women is that a majority of them face the imposter syndrome- as if they don’t belong there or as if they don’t deserve to be powerful -as if it all happened accidentally. Ambition and career-mindedness are still slurs for a woman whereas these qualities are cherished in men. Why? We have to challenge that internal patriarchy within us and those who manage to do that are the women who really make it to the top.
SJ: I want to be remembered as a writer who speaks for every woman, even if it’s not always what you want to hear.
SS: How would you describe your writing style? Is it influenced by any writer you’ve admired?
SJ: It’s hard to describe what my writing style is but I can tell you what it isn’t. It’s not pretentious. I don’t believe in adding 10 adjectives to every noun in every sentence just so my writing can come across literary and intellectual. I don’t want my readers to reach for the dictionary every two lines. I want my words to be enjoyed, to be savoured and for my writing to be accessible. I guess you can say I’m a storyteller and that’s my style.
SS: When was it that you first started writing? And what advice would you give to young authors?
SJ: I have always written, whether it was essays or letters, or diaries. I have always found comfort and closure in confiding what is in my heart on to paper. But it was much later that I thought of writing professionally, mainly because I was always a good storyteller and people use to tell me, you should write that. So I did.
My advice to young writers would be to read avidly, to write uncensored, and to reflect. Writers have to be able to step back and take an objective look at their writing. And that only comes when you put your writing away for a bit and come back to it later, after you have had time for self-reflection to really understand what is the real story you want to tell the world.