#Interview with Ilham Alam, #Author of Wonder Walk - #ChildrensBook

 

Ilham Alam is a debut Canadian children’s author of the rhyming picture book, Wonder Walk. She lives with her kids, her husband and a twenty-pound kitty named Beauty (who owns them all), in a house that’s booby-trapped with Lego. While her own name means “inspiration” in Arabic, her crazy family is the inspiration for her storytelling.

Ilham Alam on Instagram

An Interview with Ilham Alam

When did you first realise you wanted to be a writer/Storyteller?

I realized that I wanted to be a writer when I was in grade 6. I grew up in Canada and the education system really promotes creative thinking. So we had creative writing classes as part of our English class and that was the first time that I began writing stories. And I discovered that not only did I enjoy it but I was very good at it, and got applauded for the creativity and complexity of my stories and my sentence structure. Both My grade 6 & 8 teacher even said to the class that she hoped to see me be a published author one day. 

How did you come up with the idea for your current story? 

I got the idea for my children’s book, “Wonder Walk”, after I had taken my son, who’s just as curious and full of questions as my character Johnny, for a walk. We lived in a neighborhood with a lot of greenery at the time, and it was fascinating to watch my child (a toddler at that time) be interested in everything they were seeing around them. Then, all that action and engagement got them very tired, of course and promptly went to sleep. That gave me the idea for they rhyming picture book and I wrote it down immediately. 

Are there some stories tucked away in some drawer that was written before and never saw the light of the day?

I have written literary short fiction stories and also have an adventure comedy middle grade fiction that either I have submitted to literary magazines or have submitted to literary agents. Otherwise it has not seen the light of day. 

What is your most interesting writing quirk?

My weird writing quirk is that I like to podcasts while writing. It helps me to focus. I especially like listening to True Crime or Horror podcasts. 

Do you read? Who are your favourite authors and how have they influenced your writing style?

I read a lot! I truly believe that to be a good writer, you need to be an avid reader and to read widely, so that you can see different styles of writing in different genres and absorb it. I read not only for personal enjoyment but also to learn. I have a ton of favourite authors but some are: Jane Austen, Delia Owens, Alka Joshi, Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, Kazuo Ishiguro, Stephen King, Alice Munro. 

If you were to be stranded on the famous deserted island, what three things would you carry?

If I were stranded on a deserted island, I’d want my Kindle loaded with new and unread books, my Tea Tree Facial products, and an endless supply of Mango milkshake. 

Can you share with us something off your bucket list?

Something off of my Bucket List would be to travel to Galápagos Islands one day. 

What is the best piece of advice you would give to someone that wants to get into writing?

The best advice I can give to someone who wants to get into writing is to learn the craft of writing. Whether it means to read from a variety of fiction genres extensively, to take writing courses both free (for example from Reedsy) and paid, get Beta readers who can help you edit the work and give new ideas for rewrites (try Scribophile writing community to find beta readers and forum posts on tips on publishing among other things), and to also connect with other authors through social media or writing organizations. 

What’s next for you in terms of writing?

Well, I am currently working on finishing a manuscript and also doing rewrites of earlier chapters (based on the suggestions of literary agents that I have met with and who have read my work) of an own voices women commercial fiction. I hope that this becomes my first full-length traditionally published novel. 

About the Book:

"Little Johnny and his mommy went walking. There Little Johnny got to talking."

Get out there with the curious Johnny and his patient Mommy, in this colourful, rhyming book, perfect for early readers from 0-5years old.

This humorous book in rhyming verse celebrates the child and parent relationship while the insatiably curious Johnny asks his mom endless questions about the cuddly cuddle-bug and the  curt red bird, and all the other natural wonders that he sees.

If you enjoy short and funny rhymes or enjoy books with brightly colored illustrations, thenWonder Walk is the perfect book for you and your littlest readers. 

Book Links:

Goodreads * Amazon.com * Amazon.in