Behind the Book : Supernova by Md Faiz Yusuf

It isn't everyday that you come across literary debuts that fill you with joy and hope. Joy, on having discovered such a wonderful book and author, and hope, to keep reading such amazing books from the author! Today I am sharing with you one such literary debut that is everything one would want it to be. It is magic, hope, joy, love and life wrapped inside a book for you to devour and bask in.

~Book Blurb~

Supernova is a result of when years later from a car accident and completely disappearing from the scenes, Ezra, a former well-known musician, decides to takes his narrative in his own hands from way media had twisted it previously.

In his own words, Ezra explains, 

“This story is not about how to achieve your dreams, though I did. 

This story is also not about how love arrives and leaves at unexpected times, even though it did. And again, this story is also not about how life is not a wish-granting factory and there will be a time you’ll be blamed for mistakes you never made, though I indeed was. 

This story is about everything that takes place in between those lines- the good, the bad and the worst, and that life will keep moving on no matter what, at a pace, you would mostly have little control over.”

Though born as an orphan, Ezra happens to open up a donated present- a guitar and through the help of internet videos, he learns how to play it. He accidentally comes across the Assistant Manager in Universal Music Records. A striking conversation with him leads him to see the potential in Ethan’s words.New York Times hails him as the “next big thing”.Until he realizes what can push you up can pull you down with the same force.

It is a detailed story of how a person gets more than what he wishes for and loses more than he could bear.

If the blurb isn't exciting enough, do read the excerpt from this enthralling debut and decide for  yourself!

Source: oprah.com

"Am I happy," isn't that what every person asks himself? And so maybe I also try to wander on those lines once in a while or arguably, a little more than that. I mean I am fifty-four now and though my life is not what people normally perceive to be a conventionally happy one, I think I have talked myself into thinking that it is pretty well- at least from what I thought it would end up at one point.

I think about it more often than you would imagine. It was a long road to adulthood and finally being into the one-room studio apartment I abode now. The crowds don’t chant my name anymore and camera flashes don’t make way for me but that doesn’t take much away from me enjoying what I have at the moment, though I’d be lying if I said it doesn’t get a little lonely sometimes. There was another kind of loneliness that I felt then if you know what I mean.

I am an ardent believer of the fact that the person who told you that life is what you want it to be- out of your choices and decisions- was complete bullshit, or privileged for that matter. I mean how far can go to escape the circumstances that your fate has weaved for you. You can’t outrun life. Like for instance, I never quite handpicked everything that happened to me, and you are surely welcomed to argue with me on that but you don’t know with what grave amount of experience I am talking from, so let's not go into that debate for now. Howbeit, it's not much time left until I convince you that with my arguments that your retaliations would fail to counter. I am not particularly good at arguing, but I can surely put perspectives in place.

That being said, I am aware that I wasn’t able to convince the world my nobility. The time when everybody looked up to me in awe feels so transient now. I strummed my guitar and the crowd went wild. We sang together until our throats became rugged. I solemnly believe that playing my songs for the people and then them singing it back to me was the single most thing I cherished out of all. But everything comes to an end, and so did my reign. But that doesn’t mean it wasn’t worth it. What I experienced was a rollercoaster of ups and downs life can take you on and I am somewhat happy that because of that I now know things I didn’t before.

This story is not about how to achieve your dreams, though I did. This story is also not about how love arrives and leaves at unexpected times, even though it did. And again, this story is also not about how life is not a wish-granting factory and there will be a time you’ll be blamed for mistakes you never made, though I indeed was. This story is about everything that takes place in between those lines- the good, the bad and the worst, and that life will keep moving on, with things and at a pace, you would mostly have little control over.

And that’s why I write this now. I think I let the media channels and gossip magazines take control too much of my narrative and it was the time people heard my story from my own mouth, the high highs and the very low lows in their most unadulterated version.

...

It’s one of those cloudy days, where you don’t see an inch of sunlight peeking in onto the ground but you don’t expect it to rain; everything just seems captivated in a blue hue and I don’t know if it’s just me but it kind of puts a melancholic tone to the aura. I walk past the west front of the white-glaring Paia cathedral, probably my favourite piece of architecture in this small town of a barely ten-thousand population. There I see the big cross on the forefront of the building and it flashes me back to the time Anna told me something I still haven’t forgotten.

“I hope you know that you don’t have to be religious in order to be spiritual Ethan,” her words still echo in my mind.

Then what she met was with a blatantly confused expression on my face as a reply but if she were here, I wish I could tell her I am finally understanding what my eleven-year-old version couldn’t.

Time to know the author behind this book - Md. Faiz Yusuf in his own words:

My name is Md Faiz Yusuf and I am 20 years old. Currently pursuing Economics Honours from Ashoka University, I am inclined towards writing, reading and music. I wrote my first book at the age of 12 and since then have got an opportunity to get two books published under my name including “Pictures of Life” and “The Farrago”.

Throughout my school life, I have taken part in numerous inter-school literary competitions, being a part of Times of India Junior Editor Board as well as bagging prizes in various National Youth Parliaments and MUNs. Furthermore, I am a recipient of Scholars’ Badge and have recently started performing Slam Poetry, one of my performances being featured on the official You Tube channel of 'Your Quote'.

I have interned for Harper Collins Publishers India and Penguin Random House India as well as have done Poetry Workshop from California Institute of Arts. I’ve also had the opportunity of working for United Nations Global Compact and UNESCO.I look forward to my upcoming summer semester at London School of Economics.

In addition to having done online courses from Harvard University, California Institute of Arts and United Nationals Council of Research, I have been consistently good at studies, including receiving a letter of appreciation from Education Minister of India. Being an avid public speaker and have written for various magazines, I wish to pursue a career in Economics while keeping my zest for writing animate.

You can mail me or connect with me on Instagram.

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This book is releasing soon. So stay tuned to this space for more exciting things about this book to follow including a review, an author interview and also the link from where you can buy your own copy!