Indian author Andaleeb Wajid subtly dispels Muslim stereotypes and ‘otherisation’
- Wajid’s book More Than Just Biryani started as a cookbook, then evolved into a novel
- Her stories cover many boundaries and usually contain Muslim characters, but their religion is never the main focus
Author Andaleeb Wajid says she is not oppressed just because she wears Islamic dress. “If I was, would I have written and published 19 books?”
Named after the Urdu novel Andleeb by Pakistani writer Salma Kanwal, Wajid has written 23 novels spanning a variety of genres during the past decade, with 19 having been published since she made her debut with the novel Kite Strings in 2009.
Several of her books are centred on Muslim characters and households. Although these books feature Muslims, Wajid feels that their religious beliefs are incidental to the stories and not the main focus – and she likes to keep it that way.
Through her narration, she makes them come alive as people, like those found in any other community. She breaks stereotypes often related to Muslims without sounding like an activist; she does it in a slow, subtle way.
“One of the biggest problems Muslims face is ‘otherisation’ and I think by writing about them, even if they are imaginary, I feel I am letting people know that some experiences like love or loss are universal and everyone feels them the same way,” Wajid says.
