Author Sara Hamdan discusses her journey to becoming a published writer and the nuanced storytelling behind her book, "What Will People Think?" from its unexpected appearance on Jimmy Fallon's Book Club shortlist to navigating the complexities of Palestinian heritage in her work. Hamdan delves into the importance of collaboration in creative fields, the value of allowing one's work time "to breathe", and her perspective on choosing to write a basic Palestinian love story that's loaded with humor.
0:00 Introduction
2:16 The Opaque Publishing Industry
3:07 Life as an Author & the Overall Big Dream
3:38 From Finance to Creative Pursuit
4:37 The Power of Authorial Validation
5:20 The Value of Creative Courses and Collaboration
6:53 The Scientific Nature of Comedy Writing
7:45 The Unexpected Love Story
9:03 The Appeal of "What Will People Think?"
10:59 Packaging a Romantic Comedy with Depth
12:00 A Palestinian Narrative
12:42 The Elevator Pitch for the Book
14:34 The Evolution of the Story
16:18 Learning from Past Works
19:36 Developing an Instinct for Storytelling
21:34 Empowering Storytellers in the Region
24:49 Commercial vs. Creative Support
26:57 The Organic Creative Scene in Lebanon
28:00 Empowering the Next Generation of Authors
29:19 Literary Crushes
31:24 The Allure of Scripts and Screenwriting
32:51 The Blueprint for Screen Adaptation
34:08 The Surreal Jimmy Fallon Announcement
37:45 Navigating Media Narratives and Empathy
40:07 Joy as a Basic Human Right
40:28 Communicating with Nuance Amidst Infuriation
43:40 Hustle Culture and Sustainable Creativity
47:23 Meditation as a Superpower
48:02 Book Recommendations
Sara Hamdan is a Palestinian journalist and editor raised in Greece and currently living in Dubai. After graduating from the University of California, Berkeley, she pursued a career in finance and worked as a banker at Merrill Lynch. She eventually transitioned to a career in media after getting a master's degree in journalism at Columbia University. She worked as a business and culture reporter for The New York Times based in Dubai before becoming an editor-in-chief at Google. In her free time, Sara also pursued her love of creative writing and won a Netflix short story award. Encouraged by the win, she completed her debut novel featuring the same central character: a female Arab-American stand-up comedian. Sara now regularly moderates high level conferences and hosts podcasts.
Connect with Sara Hamdan 👉 https://instagram.com/bysarahamdan
Hosted by Mikey Muhanna 👉 https://instagram.com/mikey_mu
Theme music: Peninsular, Tarek Yamani 🔊
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