Pakistan’s First Fantasy Book Published by the National Book Foundation

Pakistan’s Faran Kiani, a young lawyer and now author, appears to be the first young-adult fantasy writer to be published by the National Book Foundation of Pakistan (NBF). Kiani self published his first two novels on Amazon and, following the success of his second novel Five Wishes and the Prophecy, his series has now been picked up by the NBF Pakistan for mainstream publication and distribution.

Speaking with the Express Tribune, Kiani stated that he was thrilled to know his work would reach a wider audience. “It was a magical moment when I got to know that I am finally being published by NBF. That feeling of being recognised for something is unparalleled,” he said. “I have been trying to promote this kind of young adult literature in Pakistan. Not many write these kind of books here and even fewer get published because of a lack of platforms.”

Kiani managed to sell over 1,000 copies of his second book on his own since he self-published it last year. The Rawalpindi-based author visited schools to promote his latest book, but a lack of literary agents in Pakistan mean’t there was little hope his books would reach a mainstream audience. “I did everything on my own. It took years and years to get to this. It’s difficult to get noticed, you see. Can you believe there are no literary agents in Pakistan and just a few institutes?” he said. “And then, there isn’t a big audience who’s interested in reading such books. The literature circle is struggling in Pakistan.” Kiani isn’t finished writing, “I’ve got an entire series planned. I’m currently writing the sequel to Five Wishes and the Prophecy of the Prince,” Kiani revealed.

Kiani works a full time job as a lawyer and at also serves as a carer for his mother who has been ill and bed-ridden for years. Kiani began work on his first novel, Kiva – The Hidden Kingdom, while in hospital with her. Kiani certainly has high hopes for his fantasy novels. “The goal is to make a multimedia franchise with books and films of this series,” he said. “It hasn’t been done before in the subcontinent and our industry could be the first to go for it. It can be a phenomenon because I believe in the idea. If endorsed and executed right, there is a lot of potential in it. But sadly, no one is interested so far.”

Five Wishes and the Prophecy of the Prince is available now in more than 40 NBF outlets as well as other bookstores across Pakistan. Kiani’s books can also be found on Amazon (US – UK).