Check Out Faran Kiani’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Faran Kiani.

Hi Faran, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My name’s Faran Kiani. I’m a corporate lawyer for a tech company and a published author of Pakistan’s first fantasy adventure novel in English language, published by the government of Pakistan’s National Book Foundation (a body under the Ministry of Education). The title may seem to be stupendous, but the journey was (if not less than) equally treacherous and full of bumpy roads. I was born and raised in a small town of Rawalpindi, Pakistan (a country that stands at 130th out of 146 countries with respect to Education for All’s Development Index (EDI), with a literacy rate of 59% (that majorly includes people who can merely write their names in Urdu). 

Taking on the challenge to become a “Fantasy Adventure Novelist in English Language” in Pakistan was no easy task, especially where very few people could speak and read fluent English, and the ratio of people who were fond of reading fantasy adventure novels in English language was very slim. Nonetheless, the journey began when my mother (and mentor) got admitted in hospital. An admission that would occupy the next 11 years of my life. My mother was a chronic diabetic patient with multiple other diseases such as Rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, Hepatitis – C, stomach and kidney malfunctions, and what not. She had more than a hundred major and minor surgeries from 2005-2021. 

In 2005, she was diagnosed with gangrene infection in her right foot, that resulted in an amputation of her toe. But the real tragedy struck our family when she fell in 2010 and broke her left leg (femur bone). We rushed her to the hospital and got her operated on, but the rod inserted in her leg was somehow maladjusted by the orthopedic surgeon that caused osteomyelitis (bone infection). An infection that would cost her leg from where it had broken. In July 2011, doctors ended up amputating her leg, but the infection was still at large, So they performed debridement procedures every alternate day to avoid the infection from spreading. This continued until 2015 until the day doctors had to completely remove and disarticulate her leg from her hip joint in order to stop the infection from spreading into her abdomen. 

I stayed with my mother throughout those 5 years in the hospital. I used to go to the university from the hospital and come back again over there. In most of hospitals in Pakistan, the attendees of the patients have to take care of and nurse the patient. So that was my overall job in those five years; I looked after my mother as I continue to pursue my law studies. I could not stop the pain my mother went through throughout those years, but it did create a fire in my heart to do something for her. Just something to make her feel proud of me. I tried playing cricket, acting, modeling, none of them worked. Until one day, I remembered I had written my first storybook when I was in third grade! 

So, I engaged myself into the passion of becoming an author. Obviously, I had no clue about where to start or even write. I read Harry Potter just to self-inculcate myself on ‘how to write’, ‘form a sentence’ or ‘explain a scene in a given situation.’ Thanks to J.K Rowling, I learnt all of that from her magnificent work. Later I gathered enough courage, and I started to write my first fantasy book titled “Kiva – The Hidden Kingdom” (which was a grammatical disaster and an epic failure) but it gave me a much-needed push to work on my next book titled “Five Wishes And the Prophecy of The Prince” which would end up becoming a hallmark and stepping stone for my writing career. 

“Five Wishes” – book series is a POVEL (a sing-along fantasy adventure novel, which contains 40% of the dialogues in a poem pattern. It is like a book adaptation of a Hollywood musical, like ‘Sweeny Todd, And The Demon Barber of the Fleet Street’ or ‘Les Misérables’ or even ‘High School Musical’). The task was huge, the price of it was even steeper, but those sleepless nights in the hospital ICU floors paid off, and I was finally able to end my work. I have finished the first part of the “Five Wishes” book series. Now I had to publish my work but then again, I was at square one because apparently, I could not even find a single literary agent in Pakistan who could help me publish my work. So, I ended up self-publishing my book and started a self-funded literary revival movement all over Pakistan. I went to different schools, colleges, and universities to make students aware of the importance of reading books and promotion of literature, along with publicizing my own work. This lone-movement made some rounds, and I started appearing on National News Channels of Pakistan, and then the interviews began. From one channel to another and from one newspaper to another. My work finally caught the eye of the government of Pakistan that ultimately decided to support my initiative and publish my work through their respective body (for which I am truly grateful). 

Ever since I have tried to continue my literary work, gave interviews at the BBC, Express Tribune (partner of The New York Times), SBS Australia, and ended up giving a Ted Talk as well. At the same time, I continued my legal career and joined a tech company as a “Sr. Manager – Contracts & Corporate Affairs” who handles all their legal matters, because, you know, you have to pay the bills too. Last year, I published my sequel “Five Wishes And The Battle of The Black Mountains,” and now I am working on the third and final installment titled “Five Wishes And The Dawn of The Wizard Lords.” 

The actual motivation behind all of this was indeed my mother, who tragically passed away two years ago as she finally scummed to her illness. Even though I was able to make her proud of what I had achieved, she was indeed a mountain of support and mentorship for me throughout my life. Her untimely passing will not affect her legacy and the desire she instilled inside of me a decade ago. Her memory lives on though my work, and I shall continue to do so for as long as I am able to. 

Due to my work engagement and conferences and a few other personal reasons, I do keep visiting USA, and I am currently living in Greensboro, North Carolina. Although my book has been translated into Urdu and published separately in Pakistan, I am looking at different prospects on how to publish my book in USA and work with a reputable publisher or a literary agent and make my work reach its real actual Western audience. I am open to offers and screen adaptation as well as I am simultaneously working on its script as well.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
From English being my second language to Pakistan’s socio-economic and political instability- obviously made things very hard. And certainly, when you can’t even find a single literary agent who can help you publish your work, your frustration skyrockets. But all is well that ends well, as I gained the ‘never give up’ attitude from my hero mother, who was the sole reason I continued and was able to achieve what I set out to do, especially keeping view my circumstances and the dwindling recourses that I had at my end.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Like I mentioned, I am a lawyer by profession and a writer by passion. I work as a corporate lawyer for a tech company and handle all their contracts and corporate matters, including majorly legal affairs. I am also known as Pakistan’s first fantasy adventure novelist in English language, who was published by the government of Pakistan’s National Book Foundation (a body under Ministry of Education). My book series “Five Wishes” is a sing-along fantasy adventure story for young adults that captures the essence of a magical realm that operates under the spell of “wishes”. 

Besides me being a writer, my legal expertise specialize in SaaS contracts and I assists companies with their contractual procedures. From drafting various Service Contracts to negotiating a deal with the counterparts, all the way until the signing of the agreement. I provide a complete in-house legal support to SaaS and IT-related companies.

Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
Perseverance. I believe consistency and perpetuity is the only quality one needs to be successful. Discipline in habits and being ready to give your all in the long run to whatever you might face. Being true to your task and always remembering why you are doing it and for whom you are doing it was the greatest motivator for me. I believe extrinsic motivation – doing something for someone else other than yourself soothes you internally. You need to be selfless and remember to play your part in making someone else’s life better. Making someone smile and knowing it in your heart that you are the reason behind that smile is a feeling that has no equal!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/official.farankiani
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Faran.kiani15/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/faran-kiani
• Other: https://www.threads.net/@official.farankiani