Azma Dar talks Writing, ‘Spider’ & Career

In the literary world of suspense and thrillers, Azma Dar is an essential voice.

She is a talented author with a knack for webbing nail-biting material using her words. 

Her novel Spider (2023) encapsulates the suspense theme and takes the reader on an unforgettable journey, told from a British Pakistani woman’s perspective.

As the protagonist, Sophie faces loss and lack of luck, the readers must question whether she is all she seems.

Azma is also a playwright, having written full-length theatre productions, several short plays, and a radio play for BBC Asian Network.

Her debut novel, The Secret Arts, was published in 2015.

With a genuine passion for her craft, Azma Dar revealed some inspiring words in our exclusive chat.

She discussed Spider and her innate zeal for writing. 

What inspired you to become an author?

It sounds a bit corny, but I always enjoyed writing as a child.

I think the book that really made me think I’d like to become an author was To Kill a Mockingbird (1960), which we read at school.

It had such a distinctive voice, and I thought it would be fun to tell a story in my own style.

Although I didn’t actually start writing anything until about ten years later.

Are there any writers who have inspired you? If so, in what ways? 

My first introduction to crime novels, when I was about ten years old, was Agatha Christie. I became addicted to her books.

I didn’t realise at the time how important and influential her work was in the history of crime fiction.

Her plots and the mysteries and their solutions are ingenious.

Since then, most of the books I’ve read have been in this genre, and so when I started writing novels myself, this was what I wanted to write.

There are many other writers whose work I admire for various reasons – classic authors like Charles Dickens and Alexander Dumas and modern authors like Kate Atkinson and Jhumpa Lahiri.

And of course, lots of crime writers, including Mark Billingham, Michael Robotham, and Tana French, to name a few. 

Can you tell us about Spider? What’s the story and its themes? 

The book is a domestic suspense novel set in Bradford and is about a young British Pakistani woman who’s an aspiring actress.

Unlucky in love, she’s finally found happiness with her third husband, Tariq.

When Tariq mysteriously vanishes, Sophie searches for the truth behind his disappearance.

The story alternates between past and present and is told from the different perspectives of Sophie and her three husbands.  

What inspired you to write this book? 

I liked the idea of having an unreliable narrator and also of writing a story from various angles, several versions of the same story.

Who’s telling the truth? I also wanted to take the image that we often see or hear about of the Muslim woman as vulnerable or even a ‘victim’ and play around with that, and for Sophie to use that to her advantage.

Originally, I started the book with a different idea –  it was more about just Tariq and Sophie.

But when I started writing it, the plot started developing differently, and the initial idea felt like a twist too much.  

What do you hope new readers will take away from Spider? 

For Desi readers, I hope they’ll enjoy the depiction of the Pakistani community in a domestic suspense narrative and the familiar aspects of the story and setting.

For non-Asian readers, I hope they find it insightful but can also relate to the universal elements of the novel.

I’d like everyone to find the book fresh, surprising and entertaining. 

What advice would you give to other Desi people who want to pursue writing? 

If you have an idea for a novel, then once you have a rough outline, I would start writing it.

Try and write a bit every day, even if it’s not very much and it’s not very good. You’ll have to rewrite and edit it lots of times anyway.

Read lots of books, especially in the genre you want to write in.

Enter competitions. Doing well in competitions really helps to get your work noticed by agents.

It’s worth entering smaller competitions that are local to your area because you have more chance of winning.

Take a writing course – as well as teaching you about writing, creative writing courses are good for giving you inspiration as well as feedback on your work.

They’re also great for exchanging ideas with others. 

Azma Dar’s words are as inspiring in our interview as they are in her work.

She has crafted an incredible space for herself with Spider and that is set to grow and develop with her positive attitude.

Azma’s advice for budding writers is important. They show that writing is a muscle – it grows stronger with use.

So, go ahead and embrace the enthralling writer, Azma Dar.

You can order your copy of Spider here.