With the Writer Spotlight Series, we create a positive image for young girls to refer to by having conversations with different writers and illustrators. This month we have been doing Q&As with many writers, to get to know more about them and their work. Here, we are showcasing all the questions we have asked author Niyla Farook. We discuss her new book, Murder for Two.
What inspired you to set Murder for Two in West Yorkshire, and how does the setting influence the story?
I’ve lived in West Yorkshire all my life, and it’s a brilliant place with such a diverse population that it only felt right to set Murder for Two in a place inspired by it. The setting influences the story because it really leans into that small town murder trope and a closed room setting of the murder itself, which is a really important part of the main characters’ investigation.
Ani and Riri have contrasting personalities. How did you approach developing their characters, and what challenges did you face in portraying their dynamic?
A lot of their character traits came from looking within as well as seeing what inspiration I could take from others. I have a large extended family, and meet many people in my day job, all of whom have different personalities.
Once I had the basics of Ani and Riri–one is loud, the other is quiet–I worked on adding depth to that. Why is Ani loud? What makes Riri quieter? Will they change, even if it is at the end of the book? Their unique life experiences definitely factor into that, so considering backstory was another way to approach that. It was important for me to have them be visually contrasting–Ani has curly hair and Riri wears the hijab.
Some challenges I faced in portraying their dynamic were that each clash between them had to feel justified and not just for the sake of it, and that they had to have a good reason for not liking each other at first. Another challenge was making the broken family aspect realistic enough to not feel too perfect or too imperfect.
Your previous work, Rida and Madiya, also explores sibling relationships. What draws you to write about familial bonds, and how do these themes differ between your books?
To me, familial bonds are so unique in that they could be the best thing in the world but also the worst. I’m so different to my siblings and often joke that if we didn’t share parents, then would we even be friends? It’s such an interesting and fun, dynamic, so I definitely gravitate to explore that if it serves the plot.
In Rida and Madiya, the titular characters share a mum but have different dads, and there’s a few years between the sisters. In Murder for Two, Ani and Riri are non-identical twins, so of course they share the same parents and are the same age. But they had completely different upbringings–Ani in West Yorkshire, UK and Riri in California, USA.
What authors or books have influenced your writing style, particularly in the mystery genre?
I’ve read a large amount of Agatha Christie novels, and I’ve always been interested in the tropes, characters and plots she wrote, so she was definitely the primary influence of my writing style. More recently, there’s the Murder Most Unladylike series by Robin Stevens and the High Rise Mystery series by Sharna Jackson. Both have two female main characters who are so different to each other and that makes for such a fun, dynamic, especially in a murder mystery.
What message or feeling do you hope readers take away after finishing
Murder for Two?
Foremost, that they’re entertained. That they’ve enjoyed a walk through the town of Castlewick and have shared laughs with (or at the expense of!) the characters. These differences are really important and they’re usually what form talented teams.
Quick Fire Round
What is one of your favourite memories?
Anytime my grandparents told me stories when I was younger. My culture is so rife with folklore and legends–there’s even a fantastical tale about a type of flat bread!–that hearing them was always so transportive.
What is the first career you dreamed of having as a child?
I dreamed of being an author. I even declared it to everyone in my Year 6 assembly!
What was something you have done that made you feel extreme happiness? Getting a story idea is such a lovely feeling. Then drafting it is great because I’m creating characters and places and plots. But to see it published–as an actual book on a shelf for readers to find–is an extremely happy feeling, so Murder for Two releasing made me feel that. And every day since, especially when I’ve heard of readers of all ages and backgrounds that enjoyed it!
About the author
Niyla Farook is a writer from West Yorkshire, where she still lives. When she’s not writing, she’s either working in a pharmacy (just like Agatha Christie!) or winning every murder mystery game she can (which isn’t a lot!). As a woman of color, Niyla is passionate about portraying authentic diversity in her books.