Kindness Matters - Inspired by 'The Beggar's Dance'

Juma and Zakiya from The Beggar's Dance

Inspired by the characters in "The Beggar’s Dance." Zakiya holds Juma’s hand, and shows compassion, love and gives him hope. “You have to believe in yourself, Juma, break the cycle. Yes you can dream.”

(Thank you to my husband Sadiq Somjee for the incredible artwork - follow: Instagram @sadiqsomjee)

Book Reading and Discussion for The Beggar's Dance

At Western Sky Books - Coquitlam

Thank you to Western Sky Books for hosting me for the reading and discussion of The Beggar’s Dance.

Here is what they had to say: What a great reading @westernskybooks tonight! @faridasomjee read from her book The Beggar's Dance, and shared delightful, thoughtful insights into her writing, personal story, … more

Thank you to Tri Cities Community TV ... Tri Cities Community TV"

And lastly thank you to so many of you who came by. You were a great and engaging audience.

Western Sky Books Hosts Farida Somjee

Come join me at Western Sky Books 

on January 11th 7-8pm 

for a reading and discussion of my novel, 

The Beggar's Dance.

Located at 2132 – 2850 Shaughnessy Street, 

Port Coquitlam 

(in a plaza at the corner of Shaughnessy/Lougheed adjacent to Safeway).

Click GOING at the link below:

 Farida Somjee Reading - Hosted by Western Sky Books

Idd (Eid) Festival

Sharing an excerpt from my novel, The Beggar’s Dance (pg. 117 paperback), on Idd (Eid) festival. In this scene, Juma (protagonist—a street boy) is receiving Idd gift from his secret friend, Zakiya.

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I look forward to the Idd festivals in the next two days, at the end of Ramadan. Dada Zakiya has promised to share the offering she receives for Idd. After Idd Namaz, prayers, in the morning, family and friends will exchange mithhai, Indian sweets. Dada Zakiya tells me that she gets lots of money from her uncles and aunts. She does not fancy mithhai but looks forward to the Cadbury Whole Nut chocolate from London that her aunt sends her every Idd. “I love chocolates. It’s a once-a-year treat, so scrumptious.”

Mithhai photo courtesy: Gulnar Fazal

The butcher on the street is busy with orders. A fully loaded pickup arrives with whole halal goats. The workers’ long white jackets are smudged with blood as they put one goat at a time over their shoulder and take it to the butchery. Mama Fatima rushes out of the salon and makes her order.
“Hamisi will be preparing goat biryani for the family and himself the day before,” Dada Zakiya says, revealing the feast menu. She asks me to meet her by the Darkhana gates on Idd at twelve noon when she comes for a community lunch and dandhiya-raas, festive dances and music.

“Idd Mubarak, Happy Idd, Juma,” Dada Zakiya says, wearing a beautiful white dress and a stylish silver clip on the right side of her perfect shoulder-length hair. “For you.” She hands me two full bags. “I have lots of assorted mithhai, goat biryani and soda.” She smiles and tucks twenty shillings in my pocket. “I got a total of one hundred shillings cash in gifts. I will spend the remaining eighty on Hindi cassettes,” she whispers secretively. I accept the auspicious meal and think of Josephine. I will share the spirit and celebrate with her tonight when her pimp is not watching.
Dada Zakiya twists her left wrist, showing me her watch. “It’s my grandmother’s. Mother tells me that at nineteen, I am responsible and old enough to own it.”
Her friend comes by and they hug each other. “Idd Mubarak.” Holding their dandhiya, dancing sticks, painted in red and green, they walk into the gates of Darkhana and join the happy crowd. I hear live drums playing and dance to the end of the street till the sound fades off.
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Sharing and Giving

Lamb Biryani

Here is an excerpt from my novel, The Beggar’s Dance (pg. 107 paperback).

In this scene; a young middle-class girl, Zakiya, brings a beggar boy, Juma (protagonist), home. She serves him lunch. The story is told by Juma (first person POV).

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  I stack the rice on my plate, heaping it with three chicken legs and a huge potato. Dada Zakiya hands me a spoon. I laugh at her. “How can I fit the chicken into this spoon?” Dada Zakiya laughs too. I eat the food with my hands. The rice and curry are juicy and salty, and the cardamoms and cloves make it flavourful. We have it with yogurt and banana. Dada Zakiya eats a green chilly dipped in salt with every bite. I decide against that. Her welcoming home makes me forget my pain, and I silently pray that this lasts forever.
  “Thank you, Dada, thank you so much,” I say after our meal.
  “Shukrana,” she says. “Sharing brings barakat.”
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Cooking and sharing food is one of the pleasures of my life. In the photo, I'd cooked lamb biryani for a family reunion at my home a while back. Hope you enjoyed the excerpt from The Beggar's Dance.

Judge, 23rd Annual Writer’s Digest Self-Published Book Awards

I was very excited when I received a great review from  "Judge, 23rd Annual Writer’s Digest Self-Published Book Awards,” on my novel, The Beggar’s Dance:

The following is the judges's review:

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The story opens with an intriguing and grabbing hook.

The plot is intriguing because it’s a foreign situation for us. We like Juma and we want to keep reading to see if he survives the streets. He grows through the loss of his mother and having to be on his own. We have great sympathy for Juma. His voice is just right for his age and situation, so we are intrigued by him. He tries to improve himself, makes mistakes and learns from them. Well done.

The voice of Juma is young and foreign, so it feels real and draws us in. It's clear you had a great heart for this story and it comes through in the writing.

The dictionary in the back is a nice touch and helpful. And I like that you still define the words within their context. The writing is clean and easy to read.
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Books are evaluated on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 meaning “needs improvement” and 5 meaning “outstanding.” See below evaluation as received for The Beggar's Dance.

Structure, Organization, and Pacing: 5
Spelling, Punctuation, and Grammar: 5
Plot and Story Appeal: 4
Character Appeal and Development: 4
Voice and Writing Style: 4

What inspired me to write my first Novel - The Beggar's Dance

When I was ten years old, growing up in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, one evening, I watched a young boy (about eight years old) with his mother, begging. I wondered why I was in the comfort of a car, enjoying an icecream treat and he was on the sidewalk begging? I couldn’t understand so I went back to find him, but never saw him. For a very long time, I would think of him and try to figure out how he’d have spent his day and survived—not realizing that I was writing The Beggar’s Dance all along. It took me many years to understand that there was nothing special about me; I was just born lucky. This childhood encounter was the seed that led to the unfolding of Juma’s story.

The protagonist, Juma, is my imagination of a beggar I once met. He seeks freedom from the life of a beggar. It's his inner spirit that leads him on a journey of hope and survival. 

Celebrating The Beggar's Dance

Reading an excerpt from
The Beggar's Dance

The Beggar's Dance book launch was a celebration with people who supported me during this five year writing journey.

Joyce Gram introducing me
www.gramediting.com

My editor Joyce Gram shared her story about how much she enjoyed working on this project before introducing me.

 

The party getting started - emcee Liz Schofield

I am blessed with family and friends who helped at the event - my husband, my son, my sister-in-law Zain, my brother, my goddaughter and two friends, Rozy and Zahra, and fantastic emcee Liz Schofield.

Book signing with Gloria Barkley
www.gloriabarkley.ca

Highlights worth mentioning:

• My mum crying before I had even started the presentation.
• Gloria Barkley attending and getting my book  signed.
• Me wearing high heels for the three hours. 

Moments I shall cherish forever. 

Books have arrived - The Beggar's Dance

The Beggar's Dance by Farida Somjee

Somebody pinch me
  Is this for real
Must be a dream

I gaze at the box
 and smile
Yes, it is a dream

The Magic of Indian Ocean

While on the beach, capturing my childhood memories, a young man comes by, asking me to excuse his cow so they could pass. This memory remains deep in my heart. And every time I think of this day, I hear the roaring of the ocean waves, the laughter of the children and the moo of the cow.

Oyster Bay, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania 1987

Come hear me whisper my writing journey through my past—the life in Africa that defined me, and through my present—the life in Canada where I found growth. Without both, I could have not written my novel, The Beggar’s Dance.

It's been over three years in the writing of The Beggar's Dance, and now it's ready to publish. Whether it chooses a traditional or self publishing route, neither one is going to fail me. Why? Because this is what I am supposed to do, share a story.