MEMOIR
About Me — Anisa H.
A lover of literature and an old-fashioned Victorian girl at heart.
“Her own thoughts and reflections were habitually her best companions.” ― Mansfield Park, Jane Austen
How do you do?
I’m Anisa. In Arabic, that roughly translates as “pleasant companion”. I hope I can become precisely that to you during my stay here.
To sum my writer-self up in a line, I’d say I’m a literati with a passion for probing the politics of literature.
Now, allow me to introduce myself.
First and foremost, I’m a coffee lover; homemade caffè latte, to be precise. Throw that together with a pair of vintage mom jeans and pink Mary Janes, and you have a rough pencil sketch of me.
Well, almost.
So, I’m a British Asian writer from the UK — a fabulous clash of two colourful cultures. English is my native language, but I speak a fair bit of Urdu too (کبھی کبھی). I studied BA and MA English Literature at two wonderful universities — some of the most delightful years of my life — and now work as an assistant librarian.
Libraries are simply my home.
As well as being quite introverted, I’m an Old Soul, an INFJ, a lover of classical literature, and a hopeless romantic at heart. I like to experience the world through the written word; through essays, poetry, diaries, letters and, of course, novels. My intellectual interests all resonate in literature, law, politics, history, philosophy and linguistics.
I have a little bookshelf in my bedroom overflowing with all my cherished novels, from Tolstoy’s War and Peace to Hosseini’s A Thousand Splendid Suns to Brontë’s Jane Eyre.
Books will forever be my happy place.
The world of literature is not a reality to be explained; rather, it is the explanation of reality. A book is like a painting by which its artist fashions chaos into harmony. It is the song of the writer’s soul and a lens through which we might understand the world.
And my favourite poet, you ask? Jalaluddin Rumi, of course.
Last, but not least, I love to travel and learn about different cultures.
Istanbul is, by far, my most beloved city — a colourful cultural honeypot dripping in history. A week in Milan with a good friend revived my appreciation for all things Italian architecture. And let’s not forget treasure hunting for lanterns in the souks and bazaars of Morocco.
But that’s a story for another time. Hopefully, I’ll be seeing you around the souks and bazaars of Medium.
Yours Truly, Anisa ♡
