Nadir Jabur

What was your favorite book as a child?

I must admit that I have an imposter syndrome when it comes to reading and writing. I don’t recall ever owning a book when I was a child. Growing up in Abu Dhabi, our childhood was mostly spent hanging out in the streets, passing the ball around and avoiding street fights (or picking the right ones). It wasn’t until I had turned sixteen that I read my first proper novel: The Stranger by Camus. It left me in awe at how a writer could weave such subtle existentialist sentiments into a story so seamlessly and effectively.

What was the original reason or motivation why you started writing creatively?

I’ve always been highly interested in philosophy. I read a lot of complex and dense texts, a fraction of which I ended up truly understanding. It was always fascinating to me how fiction writers can tackle such seemingly opaque themes related to metaphysics or the human condition, and are able to convey them through works of literature. So, this was my original motivation to write creatively: to emulate the works of these great writers. It is an ongoing struggle to discover my ideal creative outlet. I had done courses in fiction, theatre, and screenwriting. I hope to find a home in short story writing.

What was the most adventurous or thrilling thing you ever did/experienced?

Back in 2005, I lived in Singapore for six months as part of a student exchange program. I got there only a few months after the tsunami. One long weekend, I travelled with some friends to Tioman island off the east coast of Malaysia. We stayed in a rustic hut by the beach. One morning, an American friend woke me up shortly after dawn. He said we should go for a swim. I put on my snorkelling kit and we jumped right into the cold water. I was a terrible swimmer and hung on to a flimsy piece of a life jacket for my life. It was an unforgettable swim. The fish. The corals. The colors. Later that morning, we had fried rice and Singha beer for breakfast. We said we’d come again soon but we never did. Now, almost twenty years later, I’ve lost touch with these friends. But I do see their occasional posts on facebook, going about their lives with their wives and kids.

Do you listen to music while reading or writing?

Even though I would love to be able to listen to music while reading or writing, I simply can’t. My one-track mind won’t allow it.