Author Interview: Sahar Sabati

What is your favorite thing about being an author?

There are two processes we can all contribute to:  our own mental, physical, and spiritual development, and the material and spiritual development of our communities.  Things are changing so fast that what works one day might not work the next.  My favorite thing as an author is the opportunity to explore different ways to pursue this two fold process.  I hope that my stories help others come up with unique and avant-garde ways of contributing to making their communities better.

What is one book that you read in your childhood/young adult years that had a particularly big impact on you?

Alexandre Dumas’ The Count of Monte Cristo, which I read when I was twelve, made me realise that even with the best of intentions—in Dantès’ case, a desire for justice—a hero can actually be quite the antihero.

What types of books do you read for fun?

Anything that captures my attention!  This changes according to what is happening in the world—from comets to natural phenomena to social affairs—as well as to what I am myself writing.  For example, I’m really curious about the question of social justice in the context of food, which I am satisfying with books like Salt, Sugar, Fat by Michael Moss.  I usually end up reviewing most of these!

What other projects are you working on?

I’m working on the second volume of Spirit Within Club, as well as on a young adult novel both of which I hope to have published by the end of the year!

What inspired you to write Spirit Within Club?

A lot of preteens want to make their communities a better place, but society deems them incapable of doing so significantly.  My personal experience has been that, when lovingly helped by their parents, their teachers, and older youth, they are able to do so much!  I had the opportunity of working with preteens when they were 12 and it was so inspiring to see how they grew to take ownership of the process of betterment of their communities.  They inspired me to write about the coming of age of a group of preteens who wish to make the world a better place, and what they can accomplish when they are helped adequately by older individuals.

Which literary character (preferably from a book most people know about) do you think you are most like?

I often feel like the women in Jane Austen’s books; misunderstood and encouraged to fit a mould that is completely different from who I am.


About the book:
The arts teacher is ruining what used to be Aiko's favorite class. 
Zeke misses out on the best part of the whole year – the science fair – when he has to go into the hospital. 
Arwen lives to play soccer but a stupid lie means he might not be allowed to play. 
Ghada comes home to find that her beloved grandma has died. 
When ten-year-old friends set up an after-school club so they can hang out together more often, they don't expect to be able to solve these problems themselves. 
But when they tap into the spirit within them, they and their friends discover that they have the power to make the world a better place.
Author's Blog
The Spirit Within Club on Amazon