ILLUMINATION Writers

Interview with Sumera Rizwan

Featuring creative writers of ILLUMINATION

In this story, I want to share with you an interview that I conducted with Sumera Rizwan. Sumera is relatively a new writer on ILLUMINATION however she submitted fascinating stories including multiple poems in this short time and was recognized by our other writers and readers quickly. Sumera actively participates in ILLUMINATION writer development activities and engages in stories of other writers. Sumera has technical background as a computer science graduate however, despite evident logical structure in her story framework, she also is capable of depicting strong emotions and artistic thoughts in her stories. Let’s explore!

Tell us a bit about your background, Sumera.

I am a very simple individual, born in the capital city of Pakistan, Islamabad. I have had an extremely lucky childhood. I am the youngest in my family and the only daughter.

As a child, I have always been a dreamer and a thinker. I loved having a daily diary, swimming, and writing poems were my hobbies. I am a proud Muslim who has studied in a Convent for the first ten academic years of her life.

I am a strong believer in One God, peace, and religious Harmony. Academically I am a Computer Science graduate, but literature fascinates me more than machines.

Why do you write on Medium?

I have always written poems in my personal dairy and short stories for my children. Recently I decided to give my writing habit a little boast, for this I joined medium. It has been almost two months and I relish my interactions here. I have made some good friends and there is no turning back.

What are your values as a writer?

From the very beginning I seek to write for myself and what I believe in. My aim is to write for social issues and spread awareness of hidden obstacles. Then Again, I also love writing about some found memories and experiences of life. I love to share, to listen and to be heard.

What are the top three books affected your life?

I am a very impatient reader, I enjoy reading books but I am one of those people who read the ending as soon as they reach climax in the book. My old daughter (13 years old) loves to read and fails to understand my impatience.

There is only one book that I would like to mention which has affected my life, every time I read it I get a lesson for life, a hope for future and I guidance for life time.

I come back to it again and again and every time I am fascinated by something new with a deeper meaning. It is The Quran. Even thought it is not in my own language there are so many beautiful and simple translations and explanations that make it easy for me to comprehend.

What are your hobbies?

Ever since I was a child, I loved traveling. I am fascinated by nature and its beautiful scenarios. I also love to read and write and spend time with my kids. As a parent I prefer my responsibilities over hobbies.

How do you connect with your readers?

I think of my readers as my buddies. I speak from my heart and wish to reach theirs.

Why did you join ILLUMINATION and how do you find it so far?

I was fortunate to join Illumination within a few days of joining medium. It has been the main source of my support and encouragement. I consider Illumination my home at medium and my colleagues here, my medium family.

I have written for other publications but the major advantage of illumination is its quickest response time and the ever supportive nature of its editors, writers and readers.

Who are the top ten writers you follow on ILLUMINATION?

This is the trickiest question for me to answer. Top 50 writers would be a better. How do you rank your mentors?

I seek guidance from many of my Illumination writes, each one of them have their own spark, and I find it very difficult to name just ten, or to rank them in anyway.

I will start with Dr Mehmet Yildiz for letting me be a part of his wonderful publication and for always looking out for his writers, encouraging them and supporting them. All the others follow with no particular order. Writers who supported me from the very beginning are Dipti Pande, Kevin Buddaeus, Salam Khan, Dew Langrial, Kathryn A. LeRoy, Ph.D., Lynette Clements, Amy Marley, Henery X (long), Terry Mansfield, and Chirag.

What are your top five stories that you want to share with your audience and why?

All my stories are written from the depths of my heart and I feel for each one.

This is a very special story for me as it reminds me of the delightful time spent with my mother.

Following is a feeling of my heart explaining the current pandemic lockdown.

My first story distributed to Medium topics.

This story reflects a major part of my life.

This story relates to reviving my sanity.

Thank you for your valuable time Sumera Rizwan. I enjoy reading your inspiring, insightful, emotional, and engaging stories on ILLUMINATION. Your thoughtful and fascinating stories are full of life lessons.

You can also check writer bio of Sumera Rizwan written from her pen.

If you are a writer on ILLUMINATION and would like to be interviewed, please send a request via this link with title of “Interview Request”.

Other Interviews

You may also check other interviews I conducted with inspiring writers of ILLUMINATION recently. These stories can provide a great opportunity to know more about our creative writers and connect with them.

Timothy Key

Desiree Driesenaar

Holly Jahangiri

Dr John Rose

Ming Qian

P.G. Barnett

Jill Ebstein

Bill Abbate

Terry Mansfield

Ann K Frailey

Woei T

Charles Roast

Julia E Hubbel

Aric D Mayer

Chris Hedges

Paroma Sen

Jeff Hanlon

Besom & Bletherskite

Sherry McGuinn

Maïa Belart

Henery X (long)

Chowa Sekai

conny manero

Kevin Buddaeus

You can find inspiring profiles of ILLUMINATION writers from this story.

You can find inspiring interviews with ILLUMINATION writers from this story.