First known for her fan-fiction; fantasy author Safina Mazhar captured the imagination of teens across the globe and went on to write the Power of Four series. Now Mazhar is returning to her Glaswegian roots, to share writing tips in a Mitchell Library Workshop (on December 19).
Mazhar said: “I have been writing novel length stories for over seven years. I wrote a Harry Potter fan-fiction named, The Dark Prince Trilogy, and published it on Fanfiction.net. Somehow my stories gained an impressive readership, and a lot of people ended up liking them, reviewing them, and writing their own fan-fictions based on them.”
This series of stories were translated over 12 different languages and accumulated over 21 thousand reviews. Building upon this success, Mazhar decided to establish her own legacy of novels.
She said: “After years of writing and enjoying it, I decided to try my hand at an original piece; The Power of Four Series.
“The Power of Four series tells the story of Aaron Adams, who discovers a secret about himself, on his fourteenth birthday. It follows his journey to discover who he really is and what part he has to play in a dangerous war.”
Keen to share her inspiration with readers, Mazhar agreed to host a Creative Writing Workshop at Glasgow’s Mitchell Library, in association with the Young Muslim Glasgow (YMG) Group.
YMG Volunteer and Event Organiser, Dr Sahira Dar, said: “Safina Mazhar is a local Muslim who young adults will be able to relate to – she went to a Glasgow school and understands the challenges facing the city’s youth. This empathy makes her passion more infective and her success more inspiring.”
Dar explained that the workshop aims to encourage kids to not only read and write, but to break social barriers.
She said: “Reading and storytelling are cross cultural passions that can unite people from different backgrounds.
“Ethnic and religious minorities can often be pigeon holed; so we must show our youth good examples of successful professionals from all spheres; to inspire them and introduce them to areas they may not know.”
The workshop welcomes novice writers and will build skills from the bottom up.
Starting at 10am, attendees will enjoy introductions and ice breakers.
Dar, said: “We have asked the young adults to bring a book by their favourite author and to share their thoughts on this choice.”
Then the day will be split into two workshops with the morning session covering writing techniques and, after a complimentary lunch, the afternoon running a creative writing circle. The workshop will finish at 3.30pm.
Dar explained that the workshop was aimed at 11-16 year olds from all backgrounds.
She said: “Tickets are £10, and prior to attending registration is required at EventBrite website.”
She concluded: “We hope the workshop will inspire youths and broaden their horizons.”
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