Thanks to that cocktail napkin

BANGALORE: He quit after eight years of working at the royal bank to follow his heart – writing. “If I don’t write at least 300 words a day, I don’t feel myself,” says H M Naqvi. The Pakistani author’s debut novel fetched him the DSC Prize for South Asian Literature. His novel is not only exciting, but also a trendsetter of sorts – where he treats a tragic coming-of-age story in an astutely comical way. We catch up with the author.When you started writing Home Boy, there was not even a single piece of literature about 9/11. But now there are quite a lot of works. What do you think of them, and aren’t people getting a little tired of it?When I began writing, I thought I was doing something dramatically different. But significant historical events generate a body of literature. The holocaust, the partition and the world wars have given birth to quite a lot of books. Some are exciting and some are not.The story began on a cocktail napkin. That’s what we hearI can’t really recall how I started writing. But yes, all I know is that it started on a cocktail napkin. One night, about eight years ago in a club that cradled the punk rock movement in the US, after downing a couple of drinks I penned down some random verses on a piece of paper napkin. I was letting out my frustration post 9/11. I retrieved the napkin a few days later and realised there is a bigger story in those words. So, I kept on going. That’s how Home Boy came about.Home Boy, is about the transformation that three Pakistani men go through. After the 9/11 they are detained by the FBI and questioned for terrorist activities. In a way, does that reflect the discomposure that you and your family felt?Yes. My brother was working in Washington DC, and he was detained by the agents. My family was questioned. That was unsettling. But that alone is not why I wrote the book. I continued writing because I created characters that were good and believable. The success of a book is dependent on the believability of the characters.So how similar are you to Chuck, the protagonist?Fourteen per cent. I did some serious calculations.You were an active member of slam poetry sessions and even in your novel, one can see the rhythmic patterns that are closely associated with slam poetry. So what is more important to you – style or substance?I think you have to mediate style and substance. You can’t work on style alone. Look at Shakespeare. He had style. But his plays had substance – they were read and appreciated by everyone – that’s great literature.I also think South Asians have appropriated English. English has become the South Asian language. And it’s my responsibility to write in a way owing to the language. You used to write a lot of poetry when you were younger. But you haven’t written one in the past 15 years. Why?I think we all write poetry at some juncture. I wrote it when I saw poets stand up on stage and compete against each other. Writing and reading are not social activities. But slam poetry is. I’m not the same person that I was 15 years ago. Poetry is a discreet form. I think I have more to say now.There are quite a lot of interesting writings emerging from Pakistan now. The first graphic novel is coming out. Also the first English (translated) pulp fiction. Where do you think Pakistani literature stands in the international circuit?Pakistanis are the heirs of a rich legacy that they have shared with South Asians for the past 150 years. Pakistani writing is exciting, and there is renewed attention at this juncture. There are also a lot of stories about women and by women. The largest circulated publication in Pakistan now is a woman’s journal.So you are working on a new book now. Tell us about itA lot of people ask me what I did with the prize money (50,000 dollars) that I got from the DSC award. The money has allowed me to write my new novel. It’s a wonderful distinction, but it has practical use. Publishing is a whimsical industry. Marketing, I suppose is important. But that’s not my job. My job is to write. And my new novel will be a complete shift from the Home Boy style.