Farzana Doctor Sheds Light On A Secret & Controversial Custom In Her New Novel, “Seven”
Culture & Lifestyle Oct 21, 2020
With her latest book Seven hitting the shelves, Farzana Doctor shares with us the value of storytelling, and on using the platform of literature to shed light on human rights issues.
Award-winning Canadian author, poet, activist and psychotherapist Farzana Doctor is the author of three other novels Stealing Nasreen, All Inclusive, and Six Metres of Pavement. Farzana’s latest book Seven,”is a brave and soulfully written feminist novel about resistance that tests the balance between kinship and the fight against customs that are harmful.”
The book follows Sharifa, who accompanies her husband on a trip to India in 2016. She stumbles into the mystery of her great-great-grandfather’s four wives who are missing from the family lore. She ends up excavating much more than she had imagined. She finds out that a group of feminists is speaking out against khatna, an age-old ritual they insist is female genital cutting. Sharifa’s two cousins are on opposing sides of the debate and she seeks a middle ground. As the issue heats up, Sharifa discovers something unexpected and is forced to take a side.
Farzana told us: “I began writing the book around the time that I joined a group called WeSpeakOut that seeks to end khatna, a form of female genital cutting that happens in the Dawoodi Bohra community. At the same time, I was sorting through my own trauma. Besides writing a beautiful page-turning book, I really wanted to shine a light on this very secretive practice.”
The goal of her book is simple. “The more we talk about gender based violence, the more we destigmatize it. We can then resist it and change cultural norms.” Most recently, CBC Books listed her 2020 novel on its list of Canadian fiction to watch for in Spring 2020.
At the Toronto International Festival of Authors, Farzana will join noted Mexican author Fernanda Melchor, and will discuss the intentions behind their latest works, and the delicacy of cultural traditions when viewed through modern lenses. Tune in for the Tradition on Trial: Farzana Doctor & Fernanda Melchor on October 22 at 6pm.
Main Image Photo Credit: http://farzanadoctor.com, www.chapters.indigo.ca
Marriska Fernandes
Author
Marriska (@marriska.fernandes) is an entertainment expert who has been creating celebrity, movies and pop culture content for digital outlets for over five years. From reporting headline-grabbing celebrity news to reviewing movies to interviewing Hollywood and Bollywood’s finest actors and industr...
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