(Diriye Osman is photographed by Astrid Haszprunarova)
Dear reader,
Three years ago, I published my debut collection of short stories, Fairytales for Lost Children. A lot of things happened after I wrote that book, most of which was brilliant and affirming. That small book, all 150 pages of it, connected me with some of the most beautiful, inspiring people. It was a heart-reshaping experience and I thank you for that invaluable support.
My debut novel is now complete and will be published in September 2018. This book began with a strange amalgamation of confidence and confusion. I had initially planned on writing another short story collection. As the months zipped by, however, I realized that this piece of writing called for a larger canvas: a novelistic approach.
I created a daily routine of putting together just a hundred words (most of it composed in the Notes app on my iPhone). It was easy to manage and less than two years later, I had a complete novel in my hands. This process was an adventure and I relished it. The novel, which is called We Once Belonged to the Sea, is an achievement I'm proud of and I hope you'll enjoy it in that spirit.
There are still many moments of self-doubt and ambivalence because that's just the rhythm of this writer's life. I'm used to uncertainty. I'm used to sometimes not knowing or understanding the way forward.
Keep a look out on my website for more details on the book closer to the publication date. We've got some wonderful things lined up, including a short film on the writing process, signed limited edition postcards, a beautifully narrated audiobook, signed giveaways, Soundcloud recordings and much more. There's also going to be a new Facebook page to compliment all this awesomeness.
I hope you're striving and continuing to set your own standard.
All power to you.
Diriye Osman
You can connect with Diriye Osman on his website www.diriyeosman.com