Dareechah-e-Nigaarish
Toronto, ON
Canada
talat
Halima Khatun is a young British Bengali novelist who is a journalist, writer, blogger and works as a Public Relations Consultant in Manchester, UK. She has written two novels about the social and cultural experiences of young Bengali women growing up in Britain. The first novel was published in February, 2020 and has the title "The Secret Diary of an Arranged Marriage" and won the British Page Turner Award in 2020 and the British BookBrunch's 2021 Selfie Award. Halima Khatun's second novel isentitled "The Secret Diary of a Bengali Bridezilla" and was published in early 2021. She is currently working on her third novel in this series. Both of her novels are available as eBooks on Amazon Kindle Stores around the world.
برطانیہ ، کینیڈا، امریکہ، آسٹریلیا اور یورپ میں بستے ایشیائی لوگوں کے لیے اپنے جوان بچے بچیوں کی شادی ایک اہم مسئلہ ہے ۔ برطانیہ میں مقامی مسجدوں نے اپنی مسلمان کمیونٹی کے ساتھ مِل کر مسلمان مرد عورتوں کی روایتی شادی یعنی ارینجڈ میرج کے لیے میرج بیورو کھول رکھے ہیں اور یو ٹیوب پر اِن میرج ایجنسیوں میں آنے والے مسلمانوں کی کہانیاں دیکھی جا سکتی ہیں۔ ایسی ہی ایک یو ٹیوب وڈیو اِس یو ٹیوب لنک پر موجود ہے۔
Muslim And Looking For Love (Dating Documentary) | Real Stories
جیو نیوز چینل کی 6 جوُن سنہ 2021 کی خبروں میں ایک برطانوی بنگالی لکھاری حلیمہ خاتون کے ناول “ایک ارینجڈ میرج کی خفیہ ڈائری “ کے سنہ 2021 کے سیلفی بُک ایوارڈ جیت جانے کی خبر دکھائی جا رہی ہے۔ یہ ناول فروری سنہ 2020 میں ایک ای۔بُک کی شکل میں اَے مے زون کنڈل کے آن لائین سٹور پر چھپا تھا اور موبائیل فون یا لیپ ٹاپ پر پڑھا جا سکتا ہے۔ ایسے ای۔بُک ناولوں کا چھپنا اور ایوارڈ جیتنا جنوب ایشیائی لوگوں کے لیے اور پاکستانیوں کے لیے ایک خوش آیند خبر ہے۔ میرے نزدیک ہمارے پاکستانی ناشران کو بھی پاکستانی نوجوان مرد عورتوں کی دلچسپی کے ناول، شاعری وغیرہ اُردو ای۔بُک کی شکل میں چھاپنے کے لیے ہنگامی بنیادوں پر کام شروع کر دینا چاہیے ۔
کورونا کے لاک ڈاؤن عام ہونے کے ساتھ ہی ساتھ پاکستان کے نوجوان قارئین کو ای۔بُک کی طرف راغب کرنے کا یہ ایک سنہری موقع ہے۔ سنگ ِ میل پبلی کیشنز، الحمد پبلشرز، مقبول اکیڈمی، وین گارڈ، سانجھ پبلشرز، ماورا بُکس، حق پبلی کیشنز، دوست پبلی کیشنز، تخلیقات، فکشن ہاؤس، الحمرا ، جہانگیر بُک ڈپو، مکتبہ ءِ دانیال وغیرہ تمام پاکستانی پبلشنگ کمپنیوں کو ایک پانچ سالہ پلان بنا کر اردو ای۔ بُکس اور علاقائی زبانوں کی ای۔ بُکس کو پاکستان بھر میں عام کرنا چاہیے تاکہ پاکستانی طالبعلم اپنے موبائیل فون پر ای۔زی۔ پیسہ، جیَز کیش یا کسی بھی پاکستانی کریڈٹ کارڈ کے ذریعے نئی سے نئی فکشن اور نان فکشن اردو ای۔ بُکس خرید کر پڑھ سکیں اور اپنی ایک ذاتی الیکٹرانک کتابوں کی لائیبریری جمع کرنے کی ابھی سے عادت ڈالیں۔
The Muslim communities all over Britain have set up numerous Marriage Bureas in association with local Mosques where Muslim staff maintain databases of Muslim clients from their neighborhood who have approached their Marriage Bureau or Marriage Agency for an Arranged Marriage.
YouTube has many videos of such local Muslim Marriage Agencies . . . here is one YouTube link to the work such Marriage Bureaus do in their Muslim community ….
Geo News, one of the main Pakistani Cable TV News channel as well as Entertainment and Sports channel is airing a breaking news as of 6th June, 2021 featuring the award-winning novel “The Secret Diary of an Arranged Marriage” by a 35 year old British-Bengali journalist and Public Relations Firm employee which won the British Page Turner Award in October, 2020 and has now won the Book Brunch UK's Selfie Award 2021.
News and Reviews about Halima Khatun's Novels about young Bengali women growing up in Britain
2nd June 2021 by Lucy Nathan
'Put simply, it's a world I know, and I wanted to share it'
In April, Halima Khatun was revealed as the winner of the adult fiction category of the 2021 Selfies Awards. Her novel, The Secret Diary of an Arranged Marriage, is a sharp, funny 21st century take on the British-Bengali marriage market.
How did you find inspiration for The Secret Diary of an Arranged Marriage?
Though it's a fictional story, The Secret Diary of an Arranged Marriage did take some inspiration from elements of my life and others. Put simply, it's a world I know, and I wanted to share it. For those from the Asian/Muslim community, I hoped to provide some familiarity and a story that speaks to them. For everyone else, I wanted to lift the lid on a much misunderstood world that they've heard about and are perhaps intrigued by.
Your main character is so full of life and humour - how did you create her voice?
I wanted the main character to be dry, self-deprecating and self-aware, kind of the opposite of a textbook female lead. It just so happens that I'm much the same so the voice came naturally! That said, it was great fun creating a character and putting her in positions I would never dream of and have her say things I wouldn't dare!
Can you tell us about your writing process?
My writing process is perhaps different from most. I am a former broadcast journalist turned PR consultant, so I've always been writing. I'm also used to writing on the hoof, creating stories at short notice, etc. This clearly came in handy for my book! As a busy mum of two under three, I rely on dictating into my iPhone notes for a very basic draft. This means writing in 10 minute bursts, which is a process I learnt from other authors. The idea is you just throw words down for about 10 minutes, in a bid to get into the habit of writing consistently and regularly. I try to do this every day, though this doesn't always work out with my small babies vying for my attention! Then, after ignoring the manuscript for a couple of weeks, I take that very rough draft and self edit, adding in context, colour, etc. Then it's off to my beta readers, who add invaluable feedback, before going to my developmental editor. Finally it has a professional proofread. Oh, I forgot to mention, I probably self edit it gazillion times in between. So it's quite a process, not that dissimilar to traditionally published books.
Are there any authors who have particularly inspired you?
My love of books was ignited as a little girl when reading Judy Blume. I loved how the books tackled serious issues without being too heavy. As a young adult, I did my university dissertation on Asian women in literature and fell in love with the work of Zadie Smith. Her humour is excellent as well as her portrayal of characters from different backgrounds.
What drew you towards self-publishing?
Initially, I didn't know much about self publishing and assumed I would go down the traditional route. However, I didn't like the idea of endless query letters, as well as the lack of control over publishing timelines and other aspects of the traditional route. Also, I really wanted to control the narrative of my story, as often women of colour are misrepresented or even exoticised in literature. I think this comes down to the lack of representation in the industry as a whole. So I decided to take the plunge and publish the book myself. I wanted to make sure that I could level up with the traditionally published books by hiring a professional developmental editor and cover designer and execute a marketing and PR campaign. As a PR consultant and former journalist, the latter came quite naturally to me.
As a self-published author, how do you find balancing marketing and publicity with writing?
I'm a PR person by trade, so I rather enjoyed the marketing and publicity side of things. While I focus on writing and getting words out, I personally believe that you should start marketing your books from the beginning, and build your brand. This is slightly different to what many self-published authors suggest, which is to wait until you've got a few books out to get more bang for your buck. But for me, I found that generating publicity early on for the first book, helps build an audience for the second and subsequent books. Also, as mentioned, publicity is something that the traditional books are known for, so as a self published author, I wanted my books to sit alongside them on the marketing front.
What have you found to be the most effective publicity and marketing tools for self-published authors?
I am going to sound like a broken record here, but column inches are king! Not only do they provide gravitas and authority, as well as an excellent third-party endorsement for my books, a lot of publications are now online, so I get a second boost in terms of Google ranking and linkbacks. Also, I always share any publicity across my social media pages, website, mailing list, etc. This adds further gravitas and helps create marketing touchpoints for people who may be warm to my books but haven't purchased. And for anyone who thinks PR doesn't help sales, a recent reviewer of my book said she bought it after reading about it in Good Housekeeping magazine! But PR is much more than a short term sale, it's part of a longer term strategy in my author business arsenal.
Can you tell us about any projects you’re working on at the moment?
I’m currently working on the third book in the Secret series, which follows the protagonist on her journey. I'm also planning a series of non-fiction books around helping authors and small business owners generate money-can't-buy publicity by themselves.
23rd October 2020
Halima scoops patron Prize and is highly commended at Page Turner Awards
By Shuiab Khan Reporter and columnist
Mum of two, Halima Khatun scooped the Patron Prize and was Highly Commended at the Page Turner Awards Ceremony for her 'humorous story for women' - The Secret Diary of an Arranged Marriage.
The Page Turner Awards which are supported by ProWritingAid gives published authors and unpublished writers, of fiction and non-fiction from all genres, the chance to have their writing discovered by judges from the literary world.
'The Secret Diary of an Arranged Marriage' is based in Manchester, while Halima's hometown of Wrexham provides a lot of inspiration for the early elements of the book. Khatun said the novel is about an ambitious British-Bengali girl who hopes to find her dream man via the arranged marriage process and takes inspiration from true events.
Early reviewers have dubbed the novel ‘the Brown Bridget Jones,’ and its narrative is in sharp contrast with current BAME-focused [Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic ] literature. Khatun details the parallels between arranged marriages and the likes of Tinder and Match.com.
Khatun said, “I really hope that The Secret Diary of an Arranged Marriage is shortlisted. Readers have said that it's an important story that simply needs to be heard. Not only does it provide humour at a precarious time, it brings society closer together by breaking down barriers.”
Founder of Page Turner Awards and award-winning novelist, Paula Wynne said: “There are writers from all walks of life, from manual laborers to academics. All with stories to tell, most of them heart-warming and moving. We’re proud that our Awards celebrates excellent writing and helps writers and authors to get their stories discovered.”
Success stories from this year’s awards include three writers winning literary representation, six writers winning a writing mentorship, five writers winning a publishing contract and thirteen independent authors winning an audiobook production.
Asian Life magazine - "You'll laugh a lot and cry a bit"
Reader review - This is a great book to read on transport or going on holidays. I finished mine in no time and laughed lots!
This is a genuine and light-hearted book; opening the door on the lives of many young South-Asian British in the UK. It is a timely read in racism rising post-Brexit society. We need more books that celebrate diversity and show that no matter how different we may seem to be, we all have the same needs, aspirations and hopes. We might just go slightly differently about it... and that's the fun!
Reader review - This was a great book - it was a page-turner that made me laugh a lot and cry (just a bit). By the end, I felt I knew the characters personally, and I can't wait to find out what happens next - I certainly hope there is a next book!
Winner of the 2021 Bookbrunch Selfie Award for Best Adult Fiction.
Meet the brown Bridget Jones... If you like British chick lit books with strong women of colour, then this is for you.
What the press are saying about The Secret Diary of an Arranged Marriage:
“Rebranding arranged marriages”, BBC Asian Network
“Halima Khatun decided to write a book because nobody was talking. More specifically, nobody was talking about arranged marriages,” MyLondon
“It’ll make you laugh a lot... and maybe cry a bit,” Asian Life magazine.
Blurb
A British-Bengali girl looking for Mr Right. A motley crew of men, some hoping it’s them. A mum on a mission to match make. And an age-old tradition with a twist.
Welcome to the world of the arranged marriage.
“While I’m young, (somewhat) free and single, time is - by Bengali standards - marching on. I’ve got to meet my dream man, or at least someone I can grow to like, and get married. The trouble is, having never fully fit in with my English friends or Asian community, I don’t really know what - or who – I’m looking for.
Luckily (or not) for me, arranged marriages are still a thing. So alongside my own dating efforts, it’s everyone’s business - from my adorable yet overbearing mum, to pretend aunties and profiteering opportunists - to find me a match. With all this help, I’m pretty sure I’ll land a husband, but will he be ‘The One’?”
The Secret Diary of an Arranged Marriage lifts the lid on the intriguing world of British-Bengali matrimony. The debut novel from former journalist Halima Khatun explores family, identity and belonging with acerbic humour.
Not your average arranged marriage romance, It’ll change your view of matchmaking for good…
Reader reviews:
"This is a great book to read on transport or going on holidays. I finished mine in no time and laughed lots!"
"I loved reading this book! Such an enjoyable read which was hilarious at some points but also really highlighted how arranged marriages are viewed from different perspectives, especially in western society. It’s hard to find a book that isn’t too ‘heavy’ but also covers important issues and makes you really empathise with the main character - I even shed a tear at one point! This would be great to pack with you for your holidays or for the daily commute, it’s a real page turner and is actually very relatable even if the concept of arrange marriages is something you’re not familiar with. Highly recommend if you’re looking for a fun read but something a bit different from the usual chick-lit."
"I started this book late one evening and just couldn’t put it down! I really enjoyed it. I love the writing style and the self-deprecating humour. it’s a real window into a world I don’t know at all and I found it fascinating. I’m left wanting to know what happens next!"
Amazon Review of Secret Diary of a Bengali Bridezilla by Halima Khatun Published 13th January, 2021
And I thought finding a husband was hard...
One couple. Three months. 600 guests (most of whom I’ve never met) and LOTS of opinions.
Welcome to my big fat Bangladeshi wedding.
To do:
- [ ] Find top makeup artist
- [ ] Create meaningful favours
- [ ] Outdo my cousins impending nuptials
- [ ] Have nervous breakdown?
I’ve found my dream man but will my wedding day be a nightmare?
If Fleabag and Bridget Jones got together over tea and a samosa, this is what you’d get. Former journalist Halima Khatun’s hilarious follow-up to The Secret Diary of an Arranged Marriage is a must read for anyone looking for British wit with a multicultural twist.
Reader reviews:
I finished the book last night and I absolutely loved it!
I find it so fascinating to learn about the culture and traditions surrounding weddings. Although, it’s made me want to go to some of the clothes shops!
I began this book with minimal expectations, not being a particularly huge fan of chick lit. And slightly dubious how this genre would tie in with a writer writing about my own community – I'm sceptical enough to know that the sensationalist, prejudice feeding, rescue the oppressed brown/ Muslim woman stories are the ones that sell best and one would have to be a brave and competent writer to go against the grain and not fall into that easy trap.
To say I was pleasantly surprised would be a big understatement. As far as the Bengali community I love (and sometimes loathe, lol) goes, Halima gives a pretty accurate, hilarious, yet affectionate insight into how it operates - with its own unique foibles, yet altogether not too different from any other community on the planet!
With a deft and witty hand and her own raw personal touch, she writes about the universal themes of family, friendships, identity and belonging, making it a story every woman can relate to and gain from one way or another. Laugh out loud throughout and poignant or indignant at other moments, the book will take you through a rollercoaster of emotions without weighing you down.
The heroine is a warm and down to earth character with an admirable stinginess – a girl after my own heart! In a world of materialism and image obsession, our savvy protagonist is a great role model who makes an important journey of self-discovery alongside her wedding planning struggles.
Diary of a Bridezilla is such a heart-warming book so full of positive vibes that if there was to be a Bengali version of My Big Fat Greek Wedding – this would definitely be it!
I'm so proud - and grateful, that Halima has documented the experiences of my generation so beautifully that I'm looking forward to my daughters (and sons!) reading it in future and getting an idea of what life was like for us as second-generation immigrants. I await with keen anticipation Halima’s next offering!
About the Author
Halima Khatun is a former journalist (having worked for ITV and the BBC), writer and PR consultant. Since she was a child, she knew that words would be her thing. With a lifelong passion for writing, Halima wrote her first novel - a coming-of-age children's story - at the age of 12. It was politely turned down by all the major publishing houses. However, proving that writing was indeed her forte, Halima went on to study English and journalism and was one of just four people in the UK to be granted a BBC scholarship during her postgraduate studies. She has since written for a number of publications including the Huffington Post and Yahoo! Style, and has been featured in the Express, Metro UK and other British publications. Halima is a regular guest on the BBC Asian Network and frequently contributes to the Huffington Post. Having spent years in London, Halima has resettled in Manchester, UK with her family. Halima also blogs on lifestyle, food and travel and parenthood on halimabobs.com. This is where she also shares updates on her novels.
You can connect with Halima Khatun, British award winning novelist on:
Facebook here: www.facebook.com/HalimaKhatunAuthor/ , or
Twitter https://twitter.com/halimabobs .
Dareechah-e-Nigaarish
Toronto, ON
Canada
talat