Q&A with Inda Ahmad Zari

I first met Inda at the book launch of her first picture book, Night Lights, in Brisbane. It was a joyful meet-up, the kind where you just connect and could chat for hours. Since then she has been instrumental in introducing me to other local writers and writer’s groups, and for that I am so grateful. Inda herself is so warm and full of joy, and her picture books mirror that so well. With 3 published, 1 more completed and on the way, and a couple more in progress, Inda is full of writing wisdom and more. Read on for more about her life outside of being in kidlit, how she fits in everything (and it’s a lot!) and her path to publication.

Salaam Inda – can you tell us a bit about yourself, outside of being an author and illustrator?

Wa’alaikumsalam Razeena! Aside from making books (which is such a dream job!) I’m also a surgical doctor and a mother of three. I was born and raised in Malaysia, and went to medical school in England, where I did my houseman year before moving to Australia. For many years I worked a busy, all-consuming full-time job in general surgery, but these days I’ve cut that right back, though funnily, I don’t feel any less busy!

That’s a interesting journey! What made you start writing picture books?

I’ve always loved writing, but I really only turned to picture books after my daughter was born. Some of our most precious baby gifts were picture books, and we spent hours reading her favourite ones over and over, and I fell in love with them, too. 

I also realised the power of picture books when we were on holiday in Malaysia just before she turned two. We had just arrived at a seaside resort and were getting ready to go to the beach when she got fed up of waiting for us and blurted out a whole passage from Alison Lester’s ‘Magic Beach.’ It was a testament to how gorgeous children’s stories are, and how much little minds can absorb, mashaAllah!

During the same holiday, we also visited my grandparents’ hometown, which brought back so many childhood memories, and I started toying with the idea of writing a picture book in Malay so my daughter would have something of her Malaysian heritage to bring back to Australia.

Serendipitously, children’s author Aleesah Darlison held a picture book writing workshop at our local library the week after we came back from our vacation. It opened up a whole new world for me, and I started immersing myself in the kidlit craft and community. Aleesah also suggested that I write the book in English, and so I did. It ended up being published as Night Lights, by Little Pink Dog Books with beautiful illustratrations by Lesley McGee.

Your website is filled with a beautiful portfolio of illustrations- have you always been artistic? If not, how did you begin your journey to becoming an illustrator?

For the longest time, I was terrible at art! Or at least I thought I was. I had a huge admiration for anyone who could draw and paint, and believed that these artists were born with gifts that simply flowed from their hands. 

In my early 30s, I had a little hiatus from work when my husband and I moved to the States for his fellowship. To fill my time, I learned how to make beads and things from polymer clay. That was my first foray into an art form. I then started taking online drawing classes and slowly built up my skills and confidence – especially after learning that even the most talented artists use erasers! 

I went from sketching, to hand-lettering, to watercolour paintings, to digital art with the Procreate app – and a few other things in between! Once I got over the psychological hurdle of thinking I wasn’t any good, I was game to try anything!

As I honed my craft, I shared my illustrations on social media and submitted some samples along with my stories at assessments, and eventually publishers started noticing and encouraged me to take it more seriously.

That is so inspiring! I’ve always thought i’m not good at art, but you are my inspiration to begin trying.

You are a mum of twins and a 7 year old Masha Allah! How do you juggle everything on your plate?

Alhamdulillah, my twin sons and my daughter are a huge blessing. And a lot of work! My husband and I do our best, and we’re fortunate to have had a part time nanny, and then my mum who’s on an extended visit from Malaysia at the moment, but even then, there’s lots of mess and chaos but I think that’s part of life! 

I try to trick myself into thinking that I have things organised by writing a million lists and noting things on the family calendar, but I don’t think anyone else actually looks at it. 

Anyway, life is messy and will probably always be messy, so I’m a big fan of creating in the cracks. When I have a story brewing, I’ll jot down notes or email things to myself, so that I’ll have something to work with when I finally get the chance to sit down at my desk. If I have a pressing project, I’ll try to get away and work outside the home so as not to be distracted, and if I can’t do that, I’ll work at night once the kids are asleep. I chip away at things bit by bit until it’s finally finished!

What has your path to publication been like?

Publishing is a long game. For me, it started with that first workshop with Aleesah, getting the first stirrings of a story, entering competitions and attending a writing retreat.

That first retreat, the Sunshine Writer’s Retreat, was invaluable to me. It not only gave me pointers in terms of craft and story, but practical tips about how to sustain myself in the world of children’s literature.

Feeling super-motivated, I joined a local writer’s group – Write Links – which I wholly recommend to any Brisbane-based creatives, as they are an incredibly supportive and knowledgeable group, with whom I could share my highs and lows when we meet every month. I regularly submitted new stories to the critique groups, and at one point, coordinated the group as well.

I subscribed to e-zines and joined online writing & illustrating groups, always keeping an eye out for competitions and submission windows, and all the while reading widely and learning different styles, methods and paying attention to what different publishers seem to like. 

I also looked forward to conferences like CYA in Brisbane (or lately, on Zoom) every year, as it was a chance to meet publishers face to face for manuscript assessments. It was a great way to get my work out there, and build connections. 

My first break came when Night Lights was picked up by Little Pink Dog Books during a one-day-only submission call out. I was so excited when I got the email! In the meantime, I submitted a few manuscripts to Ford St after meeting Meredith Costain for an assessment at CYA, and that is how Salih was acquired.

Once I had those titles under my belt, I started looking for representation, and I met Annabel Barker, who has been my champion. With her help, I continued to submit stories to publishers that are not usually open to unsolicited submissions, and alhamdulillah, we have found homes for a few more stories.

That sounds like a fabulous journey! Do you have any advice for aspiring picture book authors?

Find your tribe – a community that will share your ups and downs, critique your work, and come to your book launch! For me, it’s groups like Write Links and The Right Pen Collective.

Immerse yourself in it. Go to the library and bookstores, note what different authors, illustrators and publishers do differently. If you want to use social media, do it consciously, engage with authors or illustrators you admire and make a genuine connection with your peers. 

And write from the heart. Don’t try to fit into molds or follow trends, but do give yourself the best chance as a writer by investing in your craft – workshops, courses, conferences exercises, writing routines, the works!

Do you have a favourite picture book?

I have so many! It’s really hard to choose one. So, here are 3 from the top of my head:

Room for Everyone by Naaz Khan and Merce Lopes is just brilliant! It’s a rhyming story about a boy named Musa who rides the daladala with his dad in Tanzania, and he is stupefied when his dad insists on giving everyone a lift on the way to the beach. Unlike his dad, Musa isn’t convinced at all that they is room for everyone, and it has a satisfying ending and a wonderful message.

My Strange Shrinking Parents by Zeno Sworder is a new book that I adore, even though it breaks my heart and I have never managed to read it out loud without crying. Not only is it lyrical and profound, it is also exquisitely illustrated. Mashallah. It’s a story of the love and sacrifice that migrant parents have for their children.

And the world can never have enough of the joy and creativity of Hana’s Hundreds of Hijab by you and Manal Mirza. I love that you’ve written this story that celebrates something commonplace in our shared culture and faith, yet is still underrepresented in children’s books. And it’s not just about hijabs either, it’s about art and ideas and messy creativity, which every kid can identify with!

I love Room for Everyone too! And My Strange Sinking Parents sounds profound – i’m going to get my hands on a copy soon.

Can you share what you are working on at the moment (I know publishing can be very secretive, but can you give us any hints?)

At the moment, I’m really enjoying having Twice The Love in the world. My favourite part is hearing back from twin families who feel they can identify with the cheeky twins in the book! I’ve also just announced my upcoming picture book, The Month That Makes The Year, my first as both author and illustrator. It’s a story about the experience of Ramadan, and will be out in March 2023, inshaAllah, with Allen & Unwin. 

Illustrating this book was a very intense experience as I had such a tight deadline, but alhamdulillah it was worth it in the end! I do have another contracted author-illustrator project in the pipeline, as well as a middle grade novel which I’ve parked in my bottom drawer for quite a few months now!

As you know, i cannot wait for your next book! Lastly, something I ask everyone on the blog, if you could be any book character for a day, who would you choose?

Another hard question! Okay, I’m going to dig back into my childhood and go for my favourite manga character, Son Goku. He is super strong, super fast, brave, great at martial arts, has the kindest heart and always saw the best in every situation.

Thank you Inda, for taking the time to answer all these questions. I’m sure our readers will all benefit greatly. Wishing you everything of the very best in your future parenting, writing and surgical endeavours!

(All links in this interview are to Book Depository – this is because our audience hails from across the world, and Book Depository does ship worldwide. However, I always encourage readers to please support independent bookstores first – find one in your area, and ask them to order any of the books mentioned. You could also request your local libraries to purchase books and make them available for your community. Thank you!)