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ENTRY TYPE: new
WORK TITLE: NO TIME LIKE NOW
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: https://nazkutub.com
CITY: Los Angeles
STATE:
COUNTRY: United States
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RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Born in Singapore; partner’s name, Benson.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Writer and educator. University of California Los Angeles Extension, instructor. Previously, worked in information technology.
WRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
Born in Singapore, Naz Kutub is a half-Indian, half-Malay writer of young adult novels and an instructor at the University of California Los Angeles Extension. In an interview with Michele Kirichanskaya, contributor to the Geeks Out website, Kutub explained why he chose to write for a young adult audience. He stated: “I’m of the belief that it can be near impossible to change the mind of an adult, since our thoughts have atrophied over years and decades of compartmentalization and learning. Whereas the mind of a young person is extremely pliable and malleable and if handled with care, can be guided towards great causes, like instilling empathy. Hence, I think young adult stories is the last chance we get to change a large percentage of minds.”
In 2022, Kutub released his first published novel, The Loophole. In the same interview with Kirichanskaya, he revealed that he had previously written five novels with white protagonists, but publishers turned them all down. He explained: “This was the first time I decided to write a character that reflected me and my cultural upbringing, while allowing myself to infuse a ton of my lived experiences, along with the people I’ve known throughout my life, including my family members.” Kutub told a writer on the Fanna for Books website: “I decided to take a few nuggets of my experience growing up—my tyrannical dad, my travel to distant countries, an ex-boyfriend who was always looking for happiness elsewhere, along with me being homeless at seventeen, and threw them all into this magical concoction, and what came out was this amazing story. I couldn’t be prouder of the result.”
In the book, a Muslim teenager named Sayyed Nizam works in a Los Angeles cafe after graduating high school. He grieves a breakup with his boyfriend, Farouk, and deals with an overbearing father, whom he calls Baba. At the cafe, Sy happens to meet an English heiress named Reggie, who whisks him away from his father’s abuse on her private jet. They travel the world in search of Farouk and find friendship in each other. In an interview with a contributor to the JeanBookNerd website, Kutub discussed the two main characters, stating: “I’ve always thought of Sy and Reggie as two different sides of myself. Sy is the teenage me, the one who was always afraid of everything. Who thought the world was the scariest place, and was unwilling to ever part with what he’d always known to be safe. … Whereas Reggie…Reggie is the fun side of me. The one who came alive after shedding all my fears after living homeless on the streets of New York.” A critic in Kirkus Reviews described The Loophole as “an intense read that’s packed with adventure, humor, and lots of soul.” “Kutub’s highly stylized prose … and Sy’s energetic deep dive into his heritage present an upbeat, wish-fulfillment tale,” asserted a Publishers Weekly reviewer.
Kutub’s next novel, No Time Like Now, also features a gay Muslim protagonist. Hazeem is mourning the death of his father and feeling isolated from his friends and his mother. He spends most of his free time with his hamster and his grandmother, Nana. When Nana dies, Hazeem uses a magic phrase that brings him before Time personified. He travels to different moments, observing his father, his friends, and himself. Throughout the process, Hazeem learns what it means to let go of someone you love. A Publishers Weekly writer suggested that the book featured “a tender climax that is both heartrending and uplifting.” A contributor to Kirkus Reviews noted that the volume offered “a lesson on death and attachment that’s based on an interesting premise.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Kirkus Reviews, May 1, 2022, review of The Loophole; December 1, 2023, review of No Time Like Now
Publishers Weekly, May 16, 2022, review of The Loophole, p. 49; November 13, 2023, review of No Time Like Now, p. 87.
ONLINE
Fanna for Books, https://fannaforbooks.com/ (May 1, 2022), author interview.
Geeks Out, https://www.geeksout.org/ (December 4, 2022), Michele Kirichanskaya, author interview.
JeanBookNerd, https://www.jeanbooknerd.com/ (July, 2022), author interview.
Naz Kutup website, https://nazkutub.com/ (May 29, 2024).
School Library Journal Online, https://teenlibrariantoolbox.com/ (June 16, 2022), Amanda MacGregor, author interview.
Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators website, https://www.scbwi.org/ (May 29, 2024), author profile.
University of California Los Angeles Extension website, https://www.uclaextension.edu/ (May 29, 2024), author faculty profile.
No bio
Naz Kutub, author of The Loophole. Mr. Kutub was born and raised in Singapore and currently lives in Los Angeles. His second book is set for publication in 2024.
Instructor Statement: It is my belief that our adult brains are constrained and compartmentalized by our decades of learning, which is why coming up with an idea and turning it into a story and then writing it can be outright painful. While I can't turn back the clock, I can help remold your brains into creative generators that can see the possibility of story in every idea while developing it into a fully-formed plot and then draft it all the way through to 'The End.' My expectation is that you have no expectations. You may enter with an idea, but you may leave the class with ten totally different, fully-fleshed out ideas. It is not my intention to hold your hand and take you on a brief writing journey, but to hand you the tools that you can use for an entire lifetime's worth of stories. I will teach you all the ways you can harness your undiscovered abilities if you allow yourself to free your mind from its restrictions, while understanding the value of listening to others and learning to critique kindly, honestly and without judgment.
From Snow to Grow to Glow, a guest post by Naz Kutub
June 16, 2022 by Amanda MacGregor Leave a Comment
I wanted to see snow when I was a kid. I waited years. But it never happened. No one told me that it’d never happen in Singapore – the tropical island where I grew up.
See, I watched a ton of kids’ shows and cartoons back then, and I kept seeing children my age having the most fun in snow, especially around Christmas. But they were white as the snow they played in. While I was as brown as the dirt I rolled around in.
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I was born to an Indian dad and a Malay mom, and we practiced Islam.
I had the wrong skin color, the wrong religion.
I very rarely got to see a vision of myself on TV or in books. White children were afforded trips to fantasy worlds. They had fun escapades with their siblings and next-door neighbors. They got to go on wondrous trips to outer space and under the sea.
Looking back, I wanted to be like them, because they had so much more fun than I did.
It didn’t help either that we grew up poor. Chicken was a luxury my parents could afford only once a week. But when I turned nine, I nearly qualified for a special program for kids who did well in their exams, and my principal took notice. He granted my mom a food stall in our school, and we, for the first time, lived without worry. And I ate all the fried chicken I could stomach every single day.
But I was stuck. Because even with appetite sated, my brain had little fuel to go on. All I could rely on was my imagination. An imagination that desperately wanted to see analogs of myself in luckier predicaments than I was in.
I wanted an escape from the physical abuse my father would deal out. A man who was all father and never dad. A man who thought being a father was about duty, and not one that required showing regular acts of love.
Which meant I had to keep a tiny piece of myself hidden from him and everyone else. Something I could not figure out. Something that made me feel different.
See, young Naz couldn’t understand why he wasn’t attracted to girls – something that seemed natural to boys all around. They’d talk about pretty girls with long hair, and I’d feel… nothing. Other than an intense admiration of the boys themselves. Which led me to question my circumstances.
I didn’t understand that this questioning led to an accelerated development of my brain’s critical thinking skills. Asking why I couldn’t be who I was in the country I grew up in. How could I be happy, and why should I stay when I could leave, and how could I find that happiness by escaping this life and my father?
Which led me to running away from Singapore at seventeen.
It was Halloween!
So, I got to take my first ever plane ride – where I spent the entire time staring out the window.
I ended up all the way in Michigan. And because it was in the middle of February, luck thought it was hilarious to finally throw some snow my way.
It took seventeen years to find something I’d been yearning my entire life to experience. And sadly, it’d take about the same time to get my book published.
See, I started writing in 2007, but like most authors of color, I started off with white protagonists. Because they were what sold. And they continued to sell. I thought it was the only way I could be successful as a writer. Five novels later, and my dream remained a dream.
Until the ‘We Need Diverse Books’ movement came about. There was a sudden and urgent call for books by authors like me. I didn’t think it was possible, but it did happen. I started seeing books with protagonists who actually did look like me.
So, I started writing about myself. With a protagonist whose skin was as brown as mine. Someone who was raised by the same religion, and in the same household I grew up in. I decided to round it all off by putting my mom, my sister, and my father into the story.
And what came out was a work of fiction based on the truths I’ve lived. The book that got me my agent and eventually sold in a two-book deal.
It is my debut Young Adult novel, The Loophole. It centers a queer seventeen-year-old Indian-Muslim boy who gets kicked out by his tyrant of a dad and decides to travel the world in search of his ex-boyfriend, so they can try to build a home together again. Oh, and he’s accompanied by a seemingly-magical girl who grants him three somewhat-unreliable wishes.
Like my protagonist Sayyed, I had to go on a journey to find out who I was in order to write this story that will be on bookshelves this month.
This book is my proudest accomplishment, and I hope that young, marginalized, underrepresented teens of the future who look like me won’t have to travel the world just to see themselves in a story.
Because living my truth? I can only wish it for every young person out there.
Alex and Raffe—my furry trash-eaters!
Meet the author
Photo credit: Benson Shum
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Naz Kutub is a half-Indian, half-Malay immigrant from Singapore. His debut novel, The Loophole, was inspired by his personal experiences growing up as a gay Muslim, and as someone raised on a calorie-dense diet of Eastern lore.
nazkutub.com; @nazkutub
About The Loophole
A gay Muslim boy travels the world for a second chance at love after a possibly magical heiress grants him three wishes in this YA debut that’s Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda with a twist of magic.
Sy placed all his bets for happiness on his boyfriend, Farouk . . . who then left him to try and “fix the world.” Now, the timid seventeen-year-old Indian Muslim boy is stuck in a dead-end coffee shop job and all he can do is wish for one more chance . . .
Sy never expects his wish to be granted. But when a mysterious girl offers him three wishes in exchange for his help and proves she can grant at least one wish with an instant million-dollar deposit into Sy’s struggling bank account, a whole new world of possibility opens up. Is she magic? Or just rich? And can Sy find the courage to leave Los Angeles and cross the Atlantic Ocean to lands he’d never even dreamed he could visit, all to track down his missing ex? With help from his potentially otherworldly new friend, will Sy go all the way for one last, desperate chance at rebuilding his life and refinding love?
Your wish is granted! Naz Kutub’s debut weaves an engrossing whirlwind of an adventure with a journey to find love, home, and family.
ISBN-13: 9781547609178
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA
Publication date: 06/21/2022
Age Range: 13 Years +
Filed under: Guest Post
QUOTED: "I decided to take a few nuggets of my experience growing up – my tyrannical dad, my travel to distant countries, an ex-boyfriend who was always looking for happiness elsewhere, along with me being homeless at seventeen, and threw them all into this magical concoction, and what came out was this amazing story. I couldn’t be prouder of the result."
“I hope that young queer Muslim readers understand that you’re perfect just the way you feel”
In June 2022, a young adult novel pitched as a speculative Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda will be unravelling a queer boy’s journey as he travels the world for a second chance at love after a possibly magical heiress grants him three wishes. Equal parts broken-hearted love story, epic myth retelling, and a world-journey romp to fine home, this story has a lot to offer. No wonder Kirkus praised it as “an intense read that’s packed with adventure, humor, and lots of soul.” Readers will even find themselves agreeing to the author’s idea of this being perfect for fans of Moana as it includes a protagonist leaving their home to solve problems, an obnoxious magical travelling companion, a journey to foreign lands, and shedding one’s fear to brave the scary world. Needless to say, it’s a pleasure to feature Naz Kutub — the author of The Loophole— on this blog today! To view more such posts by Muslim authors, make sure to check out this collaboration, Muslim Musings, spanning over Ramadan 2022. This blog post may contain affiliate links. To know more about them, please read my disclaimer.
Credit: Naz Kutub
Q/A with Naz Kutub on his upcoming debut novel, portraying tough themes in the midst of heart and humour, and writing a young queer Muslim protagonist.
Starting with the introductions, would you like to help our readers know more about your upcoming debut novel, The Loophole, yourself, and the weather where you are?
Hi everyone! I’m Naz Kutub, born and raised in Singapore but am making Los Angeles home (for now). It’s surprisingly cold over here right now, but my bedroom is nice and warm, thank goodness. My debut novel, The Loophole, is a Young Adult contemporary with magical elements that was inspired by the early years of my life. There’s adventure across the world as Sayyed – the protagonist – gets kicked out by his dad after he’s outed, and he has no choice but to go off in search for his ex-boyfriend, who’s gone missing, hoping they could give it another try. There’s oodles of hopefulness in it, along with a girl genie who’s not quite who she appears to be!
So it’s about Sayyed setting off on a journey across the world to find his ex-boyfriend, who has suddenly gone missing, while accompanied by a possibly-magical heiress. Well, how was this interesting idea even born?
I decided to take a few nuggets of my experience growing up – my tyrannical dad, my travel to distant countries, an ex-boyfriend who was always looking for happiness elsewhere, along with me being homeless at seventeen, and threw them all into this magical concoction, and what came out was this amazing story. I couldn’t be prouder of the result.
This YA speculative fiction is sure to be full of humour, heart, and so much more. How was your experience writing this story, especially while portraying first love and some tough themes at the centre of it all?
Because a lot of it was borrowed from my lived experiences, it was a lot easier to write. Most of it just flowed out of me. Granted, the girl genie character was entirely made up, it was still easy to portray who she was, because I found that she was the wiser, older part of me as I got older. And it was nice to be able to relive my travels to London and Istanbul, which are showcased on the wonderful cover!
The Loophole by Naz Kutub
Sy is a timid seventeen-year-old queer Indian-Muslim boy who placed all his bets at happiness on his boyfriend Farouk…who then left him to try and “fix the world.” Sy was too chicken to take the plunge and travel with him and is now stuck in a dead-end coffee shop job. All Sy can do is wish for another chance…. Although he never expects his wish to be granted.
When a mysterious girl slams into (and slides down, streaks of make-up in her wake) the front entrance of the coffee shop, Sy helps her up and on her way. But then the girl offers him three wishes in exchange for his help, and after proving she can grant at least one wish with a funds transfer of a million dollars into Sy’s pitifully struggling bank account, a whole new world of possibility opens up. Is she magic? Or just rich? And when his father kicks him out after he is outed, does Sy have the courage to make his way from L. A., across the Atlantic Ocean, to lands he’d never even dreamed he could ever visit? Led by his potentially otherworldly new friend, can he track down his missing Farouk for one last, desperate chance at rebuilding his life and re-finding love?
Buy now: Amazon US | Bookshop US | Amazon IN
It’s no surprise that this debut is Sayyed’s story: as a gay Indian-Muslim boy, as a boy looking for his love, as someone discovering himself on a journey fuelled by three magical wishes. What was the secret to balancing all in order to create a main character like Sayyed?
Honestly, I had no idea if the story would even work as I wrote it. Because I decided to incorporate a third storyline of the genie’s origin story. But my agent and editor did such a brilliant job through it all, helping flesh out the most important details, while still not losing out on any of Sayyed’s depth and the overall theme, I think it’s all worked out beautifully, to the point where recently, I got a wonderful review by Kirkus, who called it ambitious, and even succeeding at the themes being explored.
Shazleen Khan made a stunning illustration for The Loophole’s cover—apologies for digressing but I must mention your “book jacket” here. Would you like to quickly tell us how it felt seeing the cover for the first time?
OH MY GOODNESS! That cover is EVERYTHING. Props to Shazleen and their wonderful talent. I just love what they did with Sayyed. I mean, just look at their faces. I was so excited to get it turned into an actual jacket, and I wore it with pride whenever I could. I’m hoping it’ll make an appearance at my book launch, which is happening in two short months! Yikes!
It’s easy to understand why readers are excited for The Loophole—set to be published on June 07, 2022! How excited are you? Any thoughts on what you expect readers to take away from it?
So the date is actually June 21, 2022 —I know, things in publishing can change very quickly. I’m nervous because I hope everyone understands Sayyed’s journey, why he had to go through with it all, and that readers fall for Reggie—the girl genie character—as much as I have enjoyed exploring these characters.
You’ve said The Loophole is “a love letter to teen Naz who had to find a means to an escape”. Only if you’re comfortable, would you like to elaborate on this, especially as an author whose writing will surely be a safe space for other queer POC and queer Muslim readers?
Growing up, I didn’t know I could be who I wanted to be, and be happy this way. I thought I would have to live a lie my entire life, and now, I hope that young queer Muslim readers understand that you’re perfect just the way you feel, and that you can find happiness within yourself to live your authentic life. And that as adults, you are given the chance to find a family of your own, people who will love you just the way you are.
With your debut publishing soon, what have you learned ever since that first step you took towards writing stories or getting them on shelves?
I think writing from personal experience makes the process so much easier. That’s the best part about it – I don’t have to lie one bit, and it’s made it such a joy, whatever new story I come up with.
This was a great chat! But before letting you go, would you like to share what you’ve been working on nowadays; any stories we should be excited for after The Loophole will surely win our hearts? Or maybe something you enjoyed reading recently?
Thanks for having me on your blog, Fanna. I’m working on a few new projects, the latest of which is a chapterbook about a Muslim boy and his magical adventures around the world. Let’s keep our fingers crossed it’ll find its home at a publisher soon!
Naz Kutub
Naz Kutub was born and raised in Singapore, and currently lives in Los Angeles with his partner Benson, and his two furry garbage collectors, Alex and Raffe. He will forever be grateful to fried chicken for being a primary motivator in his early years, and also for preventing him from becoming a fitness model, because writing is much more fulfilling. You can find him at www.nazkutub.com or @nazkutub on Twitter or @nazkutub on Instagram!
QUOTED: "I’ve always thought of Sy and Reggie as two different sides of myself. Sy is the teenage me, the one who was always afraid of everything. Who thought the world was the scariest place, and was unwilling to ever part with what he’d always known to be safe. ... Whereas Reggie…Reggie is the fun side of me. The one who came alive after shedding all my fears after living homeless on the streets of New York."
Naz Kutub Interview - The Loophole
5:00 AM JBN, Jean Book Nerd, Naz Kutub Interview - The Loophole 12 comments
Photo Content from Naz Kutub
Naz Kutub was born and raised in Singapore, and currently lives in Los Angeles with his partner Benson, and his two furry garbage collectors – Alex and Raffe. He will forever be grateful to fried chicken for being a primary motivator in his early years, and also for preventing him from becoming a fitness model, because writing is much more fulfilling.
Greatest thing you learned at school.
This may be a controversial opinion, but school taught me to challenge authority, that a child should be allowed to learn what they wanted, instead of being forcefed information on subjects they weren’t interested in.
When/how did you realize you had a creative dream or calling to fulfill?
I was an IT professional for almost two decades and realized it was slowly consuming my soul. The money was good but it wasn’t fulfilling. I needed to find joy somehow, and discovered that writing was a great outlet for it.
Tell us your most rewarding experience since being published.
I got to meet teachers at a conference in Las Vegas and could not believe how excited they were to meet authors like me. It was pretty eye-opening to be able to chat with them, and hear about their experiences while teaching.
What was the single worst distraction that kept you from writing this book?
Food. Food’s always the worst distraction!
Why is storytelling so important for all of us?
I think it’s the most effective way of instilling empathy, because when someone reads, they’re imagining themselves in the shoes of the character, going through something they’ve never experienced before.
Can you tell us when you started THE LOOPHOLE, how that came about?
I wanted to write a journey book that’s inspired by my own lived experiences, and THE LOOPHOLE was what came out of that desire.
What was the most surprising thing you learned in creating your characters?
That I could have my own truth in every character I create. That they could be different sides of myself, instead of fully fictional people I’ve never met.
Meet the Characters
I’ve always thought of Sy and Reggie as two different sides of myself.
Sy is the teenage me, the one who was always afraid of everything. Who thought the world was the scariest place, and was unwilling to ever part with what he’d always known to be safe. He’d never want to try different foods, or leave the comforts of home, because he knew one wrong step could upend his entire life.
Whereas Reggie…Reggie is the fun side of me. The one who came alive after shedding all my fears after living homeless on the streets of New York. The one who realized that different foods and drinks from all over the world can teach you so much. Meeting people doesn’t have to be scary, and that dogs are perfectly acceptable animals.
What is the first job you have had?
I was a waiter at 14 for a major hotel chain in Singapore. It was the first time I earned money on my own and I even bought a game console with it.
What is the first thing you think of when you wake up in the morning?
Fried chicken.
What is your most memorable travel experience?
Istanbul. Always Istanbul.
What's your most missed memory?
Hanging out with my family in Singapore.
Which incident in your life that totally changed the way you think today?
Losing my fear of dogs.
What do you usually think about right before falling asleep?
Will I wake up?
If you had to go back in time and change one thing, if you HAD to, even if you had “no regrets” what would it be?
Speak up more for myself in the face of authority.
Most horrifying dream you have ever had?
Being chased by Freddie Krueger. Pretty scary.
Your wish is granted! This YA debut is equal parts broken-hearted love story, epic myth retelling, and a world-journey romp to find home.
Sy is a timid seventeen-year-old queer Indian-Muslim boy who placed all his bets at happiness on his boyfriend Farouk...who then left him to try and "fix the world." Sy was too chicken to take the plunge and travel with him and is now stuck in a dead-end coffee shop job. All Sy can do is wish for another chance.... Although he never expects his wish to be granted.
When a mysterious girl slams into (and slides down, streaks of make-up in her wake) the front entrance of the coffee shop, Sy helps her up and on her way. But then the girl offers him three wishes in exchange for his help, and after proving she can grant at least one wish with a funds transfer of a million dollars into Sy's pitifully struggling bank account, a whole new world of possibility opens up. Is she magic? Or just rich? And when his father kicks him out after he is outed, does Sy have the courage to make his way from L. A., across the Atlantic Ocean, to lands he'd never even dreamed he could ever visit? Led by his potentially otherworldly new friend, can he track down his missing Farouk for one last, desperate chance at rebuilding his life and re-finding love?
Naz Kutub
Author
PAL MEMBER
About
Naz Kutub was born and raised in Singapore, and currently lives in Los Angeles with his partner Benson, and his two furry garbage collectors – Alex and Raffe. He will forever be grateful to fried chicken for being a primary motivator in his early years, and also for preventing him from becoming a fitness model, because writing is much more fulfilling. The Loophole is his debut novel and his second is set for publication in February 2024. He currently teaches Creative Writing at UCLA.
nazkutub.com
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California: Los Angeles County
QUOTED: "This was the first time I decided to write a character that reflected me and my cultural upbringing, while allowing myself to infuse a ton of my lived experiences, along with the people I’ve known throughout my life, including my family members."
"I’m of the belief that it can be near impossible to change the mind of an adult, since our thoughts have atrophied over years and decades of compartmentalization and learning. Whereas the mind of a young person is extremely pliable and malleable and if handled with care, can be guided towards great causes, like instilling empathy. Hence, I think young adult stories is the last chance we get to change a large percentage of minds."
DECEMBER 4, 2022 BY MICHELE KIRICHANSKAYA
Interview with Author Naz Kutub
Naz Kutub was born and raised in Singapore and currently lives in Los Angeles with his partner Benson, and his two furry garbage collectors – Alex and Raffe. He will forever be grateful to fried chicken for being a primary motivator in his early years, and also for preventing him from becoming a fitness model because writing is much more fulfilling.
I had the opportunity to interview Naz, which you can read below.
First of all, welcome to Geeks OUT! Could you tell us a little about yourself?
Hi Geeks OUT! I’m Naz Kutub and I was born and raised in Singapore, but currently make Los Angeles home. I write Young Adult novels and my debut – THE LOOPHOLE – was released in June of this year, just in time for 2022’s Pride month.
What can you tell us about your debut novel, The Loophole? What can readers expect?
It’s a tale told in three alternating timelines. The present day sees Sayyed and his journey across the ocean to try and find his missing ex-boyfriend, with the hopes of bringing him home, while accompanied by an alcoholic genie. The second shows his recent romantic relationship with his ex, and the reason for them breaking up. And the third showcases the genie’s origin story and how she came about to be.
Where did the inspiration for this story come from?
I’d written five full-length novels before this, but they’d always featured white protagonists, because there was always this myth that brown-skinned characters would never sell. This was the first time I decided to write a character that reflected me and my cultural upbringing, while allowing myself to infuse a ton of my lived experiences, along with the people I’ve known throughout my life, including my family members. And I’m glad for it, because it got the attention of my agent, and eventually sold in a two-book deal.
As a writer, what drew you to storytelling, specifically young adult fiction and fantasy?
I’m of the belief that it can be near impossible to change the mind of an adult, since our thoughts have atrophied over years and decades of compartmentalization and learning. Whereas the mind of a young person is extremely pliable and malleable and if handled with care, can be guided towards great causes, like instilling empathy. Hence, I think young adult stories is the last chance we get to change a large percentage of minds.
Growing up, were there any books/media that inspired you as a creative and/or that you felt yourself personally reflected in? Or there any such narratives like that now?
I grew up poor hence I’d read to escape what we didn’t have. Lots of books about white kids getting to play with snow or escaping their lives to foreign imaginary places. Growing up in Singapore meant lots of content from the UK, and it’s only now that I see more and more literature featuring brown kids getting to do everyday fun things we never could before. But without that form of escapism, I wouldn’t be writing what I am today.
The book centers on a queer Muslim boy as the lead protagonist. Could you speak a bit as to what that intersectional representation means to you?
Gosh, it’s nice to finally get to see someone like me on the page. I’d like to think I’m adding to the pile of queer brown kids books out there, specifically queer brown Muslim kids. There aren’t a lot of stories that feature us and our upbringing and the turmoil that exist within us while trying to navigate family and religion, but I’m hoping THE LOOPHOLE can be one such story.
Considering The Loophole centers non-Western mythology (specifically the genie/jinn), was there any particular research you had to do considering this element of the book?
The genie’s origin story was based on ‘Orpheus and Eurydice,’ a classic myth about a man who goes through hell to get his dead wife back. I read it a long time ago and had to reread it just to make sure that I do the story justice, but in my own way and with my own twist.
What are some of your favorite elements of writing? What do you consider some of the most challenging?
I love when I get a brand new idea and my brain just starts whirring with the possibility of the plot, and how I can infuse it with conflict and raise the stakes every step of the way. Working out the kinks of the story to make sure I get to a satisfying conclusion is a wonderful exercise my brain can’t seem to get enough of. Plotting and getting rid of plot holes is one of my strengths and I always try to help out friends who get writer’s block when they reach a point in their story they can’t write their way out of.
What’s a question you haven’t been asked yet, but wish you were asked (as well as the answer to that question)?
Uh, this is the toughest question ever, so without getting too Inception-y about it, let’s just go with:
Question: Why the obsession with fried chicken in your book, like it’s even in your bio?
Answer: Growing up, we could only afford chicken once a week, that was how poor we were. But when I was nine, I was one of the top scorers in my studies, and the principal recognized this. So when my mom applied for a license to operate a food stall in my school, he granted her request because he wanted her to make sure I was taken care of. Fried chicken became a miraculous, everyday thing that I could never get enough of. To this day, it signals success in everything I do, which is why I always celebrate any achievement with it.
What advice might you have to give for aspiring writers?
Learn how to find joy with it and not expect anything out of it. Success may not come by, not in a long while, and maybe never, but if you know you want to write for life, then you’ll find that it doesn’t matter if it ever comes because even being able to complete one piece of writing is a major accomplishment to be proud of. Writing a novel is something a lot of people wish they could do once in their lifetime, and to write hundreds of pages of a complete story arc all the way to ‘THE END’ and then taking a break, before starting all over again with ‘CHAPTER ONE’ shows that you may want to do this for life because it just feels like the oh-so-right.
Are there any other projects you are working on and at liberty to speak about?
I have a short story in an anthology coming out in May 2023 that’s a queer retelling of Bajirao and Mastani, along with my second book that’s scheduled for February 2024, which should be announced pretty soon.
Finally, what LGBTQ+ books/authors would you recommend to the readers of Geeks OUT?
Everyone should check out Erik J. Brown’s ‘ALL THAT’S LEFT IN THE WORLD’ and Brian D. Kennedy’s ‘A LITTLE BIT COUNTRY.’ Both were released this year and will bring so much joy to readers of all ages.
QUOTED: "a lesson on death and attachment that's based on an interesting premise."
Kutub, Naz NO TIME LIKE NOW Bloomsbury (Teen None) $18.99 2, 6 ISBN: 9781547609284
A Burbank, California, boy goes on an incredible journey to find his will to live again after a tragic event.
A year after his father's passing, 17-year-old brown-skinned Hazeem, who's gay, remains deeply affected by the loss. His connection with his mother has deteriorated, and he stays home, uninterested in anything and distanced from his closest friends--Holly, Yamany, and Jack--who are like "three ghosts" to him. When Nana, Hazeem's Muslim paternal grandmother and the one remaining person he feels understands him, suddenly dies, Hazeem utters words that would grant her extra life. This brings him face to face with Time--and the possible destruction of the world as he knows it. Hazeem must come to terms with loss, face those he loves, and make an emotionally wrenching choice. Can he find happiness amid heartbreak? The novel explores important themes of loss and the struggle for peace of mind, but the confusing narrative requires effort to untangle. The inconsistent characterization of Time along with their nebulous rules only adds to the complexity. Though his journey is marked by satisfying personal growth, readers will wish for more depth from Hazeem's relationship with Time. Ultimately, the various storylines and themes in the book are ambitious but do not coalesce into a satisfying whole.
A lesson on death and attachment that's based on an interesting premise but fails to find its footing. (Speculative fiction. 13-17)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2023 Kirkus Media LLC
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"Kutub, Naz: NO TIME LIKE NOW." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Dec. 2023, p. NA. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A774415161/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=72151c3b. Accessed 27 Mar. 2024.
QUOTED: "a tender climax that is both heartrending and uplifting."
No Time Like Now
Naz Kutub. Bloomsbury, $18.99 (320p) ISBN 978-1-5476-0928-4
Kutub (The loophole) explores themes of grief and love in this emotionally charged speculative novel. After Muslim 17-year-old Hazeem's father abruptly died a year ago, Hazeem has become estranged from his neurosurgeon mother and his three former best friends, including his Yemeni American crush, Jack. Hazeem's only companions are his paternal grandmother and his hamster, Mary Shelley. But when Nana dies, Hazeem taps into his innate magical ability, the very thing that also deteriorated his friendships: he trades some of his own lifespan to extend Nana's. The world freezes as Time themself arrives, announcing that Hazeem has created a lifespan deficit that has broken the multiverse. To fix it, Hazeem must reclaim the years that he had given to a loved one, which would lead to their death. Time then takes Hazeem on a revelatory journey reminiscent of Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol, during which he learns more about his friends, his late father, and himself. While Time's ethereal characterization often feels inconsistent, Kutub's depiction of Hazeem s earnest relationships build to a tender climax that is both heartrending and uplifting. Most characters are described as having brown skin. Ages 13-up. Agent: Natalie Lakosil, Looking Glass Literary. (Feb.)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2023 PWxyz, LLC
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"No Time Like Now." Publishers Weekly, vol. 270, no. 46, 13 Nov. 2023, pp. 87+. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A775515007/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=57b62b9e. Accessed 27 Mar. 2024.
QUOTED: "an intense read that's packed with adventure, humor, and lots of soul."
Kutub, Naz THE LOOPHOLE Bloomsbury (Teen None) $17.99 6, 21 ISBN: 978-1-5476-0917-8
Breakups are awful, but they are even worse when your ex hustles off to another continent.
Seventeen-year-old Sayyed Nizam, a recent high school graduate, is left behind in Los Angeles, twiddling the ring his ex-boyfriend, Farouk, gave him and dealing with Baba, his harsh father, who governs the household with a firm hand. But one day at Sy's cafe job, help arrives with a literal bang with the dramatic appearance of mysterious Reggie, a wealthy and eccentric English teen heiress in distress who offers him three wishes in exchange for his help (and an egg salad sandwich). After Baba discovers he is gay and kicks him out of their house, Sy finds himself on a private plane with Reggie, crossing the ocean to London in search of Farouk. As the story alternates between the struggles faced by present-day Sy and flashbacks to scenes from Sy and Farouk's charming romance, it also tells a parallel heroic quest through the story "Hamza and the Djinn." Replete with pop-culture references, elements of fabulism, and dollops of romance, Kutub's debut is ambitious. It succeeds in covering a gamut of themes, including what it's like being brown-skinned and facing Islamophobia, experiencing heady first love, and exploring one's identity. As Indian American Muslim Sy recalibrates his idea of family and love, he discovers facets of himself and his relationships, adding poignancy to the story that packs a punch.
An intense read that's packed with adventure, humor, and lots of soul. (Fiction. 12-18)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2022 Kirkus Media LLC
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"Kutub, Naz: THE LOOPHOLE." Kirkus Reviews, 1 May 2022, p. NA. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A701896799/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=cc36c1bc. Accessed 27 Mar. 2024.
QUOTED: "Kutub's highly stylized prose ... and Sy's energetic deep dive into his heritage present an upbeat, wish-fulfillment tale."
Naz Kutub. Bloomsbury, $17.99 (336p) ISBN 978-1-5476-0917-8
Kutub weaves heartbreak with Musliminspired fantasy in a bighearted genreblending debut. After closeted 17-year-old Indian American Sy's boyfriend Farouk breaks up with him and promptly leaves the U.S., Sy throws himself into his thankless LA. coffee shop job. There, he meets avant-garde English heiress Reggie, who offers to grant him three wishes in exchange for an egg salad sandwich. As a joke, he wishes for a million dollars, which immediately appears in his bank account. When his father learns that he's queer and kicks him out of the house, Sy asks Reggie to help him find Farouk, and the duo traipse the globe aboard a private jet searching for him. Along the way, Sy experiences Islamophobia and homophobia, while his fantastical adventures offer levity en route to an emotional resolution. Though the jampacked plot and alternating past and present chapters occasionally overshadow Sy's interpersonal relationships and lessen narrative urgency, Kutub's highly stylized prose (one minor character is referred to as a "bearded-to-the-neckline LumberChad") and Sy's energetic deep dive into his heritage present an upbeat, wish-fulfillment tale. Ages 13-up. Agent: Natalie Lakosil, Bradford Literary. (June)
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"The Loophole." Publishers Weekly, vol. 269, no. 21, 16 May 2022, p. 49. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A706439073/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=4b682fd5. Accessed 27 Mar. 2024.