An Evening with Sabaa Tahir and Sehba Sarwar

Tonight, Polytechnic School and the Pasadena Literary Foundation hosted their first Young Adult Open Book event, featuring Sabaa Tahir in conversation with Sehba Sarwar. Tahir is the author of All My Rage and the New York Times bestselling An Ember in the Ashes series, and Sarwar is a local Pakistani-American artist and writer who authored Black Wings.

Tahir and Sarwar engaged in an insightful conversation that explored Tahir’s motivations, creative process, personal experiences, and the importance of representation in literature. Tahir shared the story of her latest book, All My Rage, which shifts between teens in present-day California and their parents’ early years in Pakistan. The book explores the experience of growing up in a multicultural environment and delves into themes related to identity, culture, and the challenges of finding one’s place in the world. Tahir’s wonderful and refreshing sense of humor contrasted with the intensity of her books and brought a lightheartedness to the evening.

Tahir also discussed her personal definition of home, which she described as her family, kids, parents, and cat. She also touched on the cultural aspects of her upbringing, which included living in Pakistan, London, and eventually California. This theme of cultural identity carried over into the discussion of her book All My Rage, which Tahir described as a nuanced exploration of Pakistani, Muslim, and California desert cultures.

Tahir went on to share the story behind the title of her book, explaining that it started as “Burn It Down” and was written as a way for her to channel her anger. All My Rage explores the experience of being in an inescapable situation where you have no good choices, a theme that Tahir attributes to her own experiences growing up. The heart of the book, according to Tahir, is a scene from the point of view of the character Salah Hobein, which was written 10 or 12 years before the book’s publication. This scene, which explores the experience of not fitting in and finding a common victim in an uncomfortable environment, was reminiscent of Tahir’s own childhood and is dedicated to a girl from her past.

The conversation then turned to Tahir’s personal life, and began one of the most moving moments of the event. Tahir shared the heartbreaking story of her friend’s death from a fentanyl overdose. Tahir explained that there is a huge taboo around drugs in the Pakistani community in America, which can make it difficult for people to seek help. She stressed the importance of resources for those struggling with addiction and the need to break down the stigmas surrounding drug use. Her openness about this topic was a reminder of the power of literature to address important social issues and encourage empathy and understanding.

Throughout the conversation, Tahir was refreshingly honest and open about her writing process. She shared that she changed the way she wanted to frame her book many times, reflecting on the intensive and time-consuming nature of writing a book.

Sarwar, for her part, brought her unique perspective as a Pakistani-American writer and artist to the conversation. She asked thoughtful questions that delved into Tahir’s motivations and creative process, as well as her personal experiences. Throughout the evening, Tahir and Sarwar discussed the importance of representation in literature and the challenges of writing about difficult topics.

Overall, the event was a thought-provoking and insightful conversation between two talented writers. It provided a unique opportunity for the community to engage with literature and explore important themes related to identity, culture, and addiction. We look forward to more events like this in the future.

As the evening came to a close, it was clear that Tahir and Sarwar had provided their audience with much to think about. They had explored complex themes related to identity, culture, and addiction, and had shared personal stories that were both moving and thought-provoking. The event was a reminder of the value of literature in fostering meaningful conversations and building community, and I look forward to more events like this in the future!