Nawaal
asked
Adiba Jaigirdar:
As a queer Bangladeshi girl, I just wanted to tell you how much I appreciate the fact that you've written "The Henna Wars." It's incredible to finally see this kind of representation! What prompted you to want to explore this? Thank you so much--I cannot wait to get my hands on a copy! :)
Adiba Jaigirdar
Thank you for this question! As a queer Bangladeshi, I am really happy to see fellow queer Bangladeshis excited for this book!
I initially simply wanted to write a novel about two girls with competing henna businesses, but the more ideas I had, the more I delved into the characters and story, the more I thought about what it meant to be the people that we are. To be queer, Bangladeshi, Muslim. Or in the case of Flávia, the love interest, to be Brazilian, biracial, Irish, bisexual. And how our identities inform our lives - even when we're in the middle of a romcom.
I initially simply wanted to write a novel about two girls with competing henna businesses, but the more ideas I had, the more I delved into the characters and story, the more I thought about what it meant to be the people that we are. To be queer, Bangladeshi, Muslim. Or in the case of Flávia, the love interest, to be Brazilian, biracial, Irish, bisexual. And how our identities inform our lives - even when we're in the middle of a romcom.
More Answered Questions
Pratyusha
asked
Adiba Jaigirdar:
Hi Adiba! I just finished reading 'The Henna Wars'. First of all, thank you for representing us queer brown girls and for writing a story about a Bengali lesbian! Is the story close to your personal experience? And do you think the sometimes rocky relationship between Priti and Nishat is a product of feeling the pressure of bridging two worlds, and also having to 'compete' with each other as brown women? Thankyou!!!
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