Nadya A.R.'s Blog

Invisible Ties : Singapore Launch

A Pakistani Author, Nadya A.R.’s book “Invisible Ties” was launched worldwide at the National Library in Singapore.

The Book is published by Rupa Publications, India. It was officially launched by the Pakistani High Commissioner, Mr Nasarullah Khan, the Indian High Commissioner, Mr Jawed Ashraf and Mr Iftekhar A. Chowdhary, Former Foreign Minister of Bangladesh.

Institute of South Asian Studies, National University of Singapore, and Darpan were co-partners at the launch which was extremely well attended.

“Invisible Ties” is a fiction novel and is a saga of love, displacement and loss, and is highly commended by Mahesh Bhatt, Shobhaa De and Salman Tariq Kureshi.

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Invisible Ties - How it feels now that it is out in the world…

My book, ‘Invisible Ties’, is finally out in the book stores and is available as an e-book in Amazon. I just cannot describe the sheer joy of holding the special edition, a hard copy, in my hands. The letters bold, the pages distinct and paragraphs neatly marked on sheets of white crisp paper. I read, re-read passages of it and then tried to make sense of all these intangible feelings merged with the book- now lying on my writing desk.

It took me almost seven years to write ‘Invisible Ties’. I am also counting the time I spent studying for my Masters in Contemporary Psychotherapeutic Counselling in Singapore. While studying for my degree, I became interested in different psychological themes and one which deeply resonated with me was childhood attachment disorders. I did my thesis on defining what is a secure base? And how it is relevant to understand its meaning in different contexts and cultures. The ‘nature’ versus ‘nurture’ debate in understanding human behaviour was also useful in somewhat unravelling the abstract nature of the term ‘security’.

I think security is one of the most relevant issues in our world today. There is wide-spread violence, terror-attacks and incidences which mark most of the territories around the globe. We hear about it all the time in the social media.  Most of the airports around the world are on high alert and have stringent security checks for all the passengers. Travelling has become more cumbersome and exhausting to ensure safety in a world which has sadly become unsafe for everyone.

In the book, I have tied up the concepts of internal and external security and what relevance do they have for the female protagonist, Noor. Do they go hand in hand? Can you live in the safest country in the world and yet experience insecurity? These are some of the questions I have raised in Noor’s experience of her homeland Pakistan, and then her transition to becoming an immigrant in Singapore.

Many people around the world have become global citizens, and travel around the world. They reiterate that the world is their home. Is it a fallacy or is this the new reality? Despite the looming threat of security, these people fit in and flit out of places with least stress and great ease. How do we explain this paradox in our changing world? Do we have to commit to complete allegiance to one country to call it home? These questions need to be addressed but surely like their subjective nature there is no specific answer to all of them.

Let’s ponder on them, and debate further to develop further understanding in broadening our world-view and nurturing our inner selves. In the meantime, please grab a copy of ‘Invisible Ties’ and share all your views with me

My World - Singapore and Pakistan

I love travelling, observing places, and their fine details which makes them utterly unique. Though I am passionate about heritage and old buildings, I also appreciate the skyscrapers and modern structures ingeniously constructed out of glass and steel.

When I was working on my book, Invisible Ties, I spent hours just gazing at the colourful and quaint shop houses, which lined the street near my building. They reminded me of doll houses, decorated with the pink and yellow icing that you often see on rich creamy birthday cakes. Then I would wander to the main shopping street and look at the solid concrete towers that surrounded it. It was the difference between the old and the new, which fascinated me and propelled me forward to write a story set between contrasting landscapes- which is why I set it in Pakistan and Singapore.

I have lived in Karachi for most of my life, and though the city is in shambles aesthetically, I still yearn for it… In some ways it will always be home for me. Karachi is a city packed with people and is defined by its diversity. It is one of the most progressive cities in Pakistan. It is so heart-warming to see its malls, now employing so many women and almost having a gender balance in their workforce. The shopping centres showcase the new Karachi, and the reason why I chose to set an entire chapter in the confines of an air-conditioned swanky mall, constructed along the rough and unpredictable sea. My interest in history and the Moghul monuments took me to Lahore, its historic fort, and the Sheesh Mahal. Inside the timeless Sheesh Mahal, I could imagine a time when love was boundless, and one of the most unforgettable stories of Shah Jehan and Mumtaz Mahal reflected in the countless, shimmering mirrors in front of me.

In Singapore, I observed that heritage is still alive in the form of buildings which have been preserved and restored to their former glory. While in Pakistan, we have dearth of resources and lack of awareness to refurbish and repair our older monuments, which do show a state of sheer neglect and the fact they have not been taken care of properly. Our heritage is our identity in ways, and reaffirms who we are and also become aware of the shortcomings of the past. And often, is invaluable in rewriting our life script in a new rapidly changing world.

WRITER-PSYCHOTHERAPIST-HUMANITARIAN-LIFE-LONG LEARNER

I am a female writer, a psychotherapist and an idealist- trying to be an agent of change through my writing. I live between two different countries-Pakistan and Singapore. Hence, am aware of the clash and the merging of hybrid beliefs in my own multicultural experience and narrative. My novel, Invisible Ties-which is being published by Rupa Publications and out in late August this year-carries the universal message of being flexible in our world-view, and the need for peace across all boundaries and borders.

In Invisible ties, I have tried to explore characters of different ages, races, gender, religions and cultures. Then gradually, given them life to grow into individuals who are unique in their own right and evolve with the changing circumstances and the world around them. Identity is a fluid concept, whether it is being a female and her right to express herself as an independent woman-capable of making her own choices and taking charge of her life.

The book has multiple themes- including the dilemmas and the balancing act of the immigrant experience. It is the constant act of juggling between adopting and adapting-between the norms and values of different landscapes- which interests me and motivated me to write about it. The world is full of diversity, different colours and modern technology has indeed made it a smaller place. However, today’s world is also fraught with chaos and stereotypes, which are constructed without reasoning and sheer ignorance. Hence, it is important to deconstruct these labels, and be open to learning more about ourselves and others around us.

I do hope that my readers will enjoy reading, Invisible Ties, and look forward to their feedback. And will be touch with them via Facebook, Twitter, and my blog.