A debut novelist whose book may be the first Muslim romcom is set to appear at this year’s St Albans Literary Festival.
With the warmth and authenticity of Bend It Like Beckham and the hilarity of Bridget Jones, Sofia Khan is Not Obliged is an original contemporary romantic comedy about modern life as a British Muslim, the trials of awkward dates and finding love in unexpected places.
Author Ayisha Malik explained: “People were constantly asking me about the Muslim dating/life scene. Yes, we date. No, we don’t have sex before marriage. Yes, I pray five times a day. With all this explaining I thought it’d be easier to just write a book about it. Plus, I had a bag of stories that I felt didn’t quite belong in the rubbish bin.
“So it was really a kind of FYI, punctuated with (hopefully) semi-entertaining stories, set in the place I love and know best. Also, since I’m single, I thought let’s write my ideal man. (Who knew that’s what he’d turn out to be?) This way, if he happens to read it, he knows where to find me. Either that or I’ve just ruined myself for life.”
Ayisha will be the final author appearing at St Peter’s on Sunday July 10, and promises to offer something completely different from the other talent appearing throughout the festival.
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