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Did you know that July 30th is the International Day of Friendship? Celebrated by the United Nations, this day reminds us of all the special people who have helped us learn and grow throughout our lives.
BEFRIENDING NATURE
The International Day of Friendship is important not only for humans, but also for our relationships with our wild cousins! By treating flora and fauna with respect, I find that we can celebrate nature in a way that both protects it and allows us to understand it better.
It is officially summer, and with it comes warm breezes, glittering sunlight, and the sound and smell of the ocean as it hits the surf.
SUMMER READING
It is hard for me to believe that nine months have passed since The Oyster Thief was released back in October 2018! As summer arrives and the beach calls, I find myself starting to create a summer reading list. It is so much fun to get lost in a new story, whether it be fact or fiction, fantasy or true crime. I believe we should all take the time to experience the stories of others.
May is one of those in-between months; the cold weather still lingers, and because it’s not quite as warm or dry as we would like, it can become difficult to get up and out of the house. I don’t know about you, but spring always makes me want to declutter and try new things! That’s why, this month I’ll be sharing some of the research that went into The Oyster Thief – so we can learn something new together!
MY WRITING PROCESS
Earlier this month I chatted with Josh Cane of “Working Title” Podcast. We talked about my writing process on The Oyster Thief, beta reader feedback, and the importance of real-world research to create an imaginative universe. Learning how to scuba dive while writing the book helped me to get to know the ocean as a living entity, and form a connection between myself, merpeople, and the environment. This hands-on research helped me to create the living community of merpeople and animals you can find in The Oyster Thief! Listen to the full podcast here.
With the weather warming up it feels like summer is just around the corner at last! As summer looms and we flock to the green spaces and blue lakes and oceans, it’s important to remember that these spaces aren’t just here for us to enjoy; they’re home to creatures big and small. It’s our duty as humans to take care of them, and allow them to grow and thrive in their natural habitats by respecting the spaces these creatures call home.
EARTH DAY
This Earth Day, let’s all do our best to help protect this planet and its natural spaces. We can follow the example of Copenhagen, whose city officials are striving to make it the first city in the world to generate more renewable energy than dirty energy by 2025! This would reduce carbon emissions that contribute to greenhouse gases. Learn more here.
Spring is a season of youth. It is a time of budding leaves and blossoming flowers, and of young animals who experience the beauty of the planet for the first time. As such, perhaps it’s fitting that last week has been a time of young adults taking center stage among us.
Read on below for more on the student climate strike, Meatless Mondays, and sustainable living tips curated specifically for you.
Also, in celebration and support of World Water Day this Friday, The Oyster Thief e-book will be on sale for $1.99. If you haven’t had a chance to go on spring break or if you’ve just returned from spring break, I believe you’ll enjoy diving in to the deep blue waters of The Oyster Thief! You can get the book on Amazon US here and Amazon Canada here.
These cold winter days, I am reminded of why I decided to write The Oyster Thief in the first place. It was the winter of 2015, and I wanted a winter escape. I dreamt of a vast beautiful underwater world. I didn’t quite know how to reach it, so I decided to create it myself.
The world I envisioned brimmed with not only brightly colored fish and algae, but also merpeople. In my imagination, merpeople lived deep below the waves. They lived in rounded homes made of stone, which looked like swellings rising off the seabed. Merpeople lived among coral reefs and gardens of algae. (Given that the majority of algae are red, their gardens were more red in color than green.)
In my imagination, merpeople used sea-shells as currency (as some human tribes have in the past, hence the expression “shelling out money”). Their lives were similar to human lives in some respects—for instance, they danced and they ate dessert—but their lives were also different—for instance, their dances had names like the Seahorse Sprance and the Undulating Jellyfish, and a popular dessert for them was devil’s apron, a kind of sugar kelp.
I am excited about the journey 2019 has to offer for The Oyster Thief and the oceans.
OCEAN UPDATE
Good news! More than three-quarters of marine mammal and sea turtle populations have significantly increased after their species were listed in the U.S. Endangered Species Act, according to a study released this month.
On the other hand, the oceans are getting louder, according to a New York Times article. Increasing ship traffic and seismic exploration for offshore drilling are disrupting the lives and chatter of sea creatures large and small, from whales to zooplankton. (Imagine that there was construction happening outside your window every day, so loud that you couldn’t hear the person sitting next to you.)
Though the din in the oceans is greater, steps are being taken to reduce plastic pollution. On January 1st, Washington D.C. began a ban on single-use plastic straws in restaurants and other service businesses, becoming the first major U.S. city to do so.
Have you ever wondered how mermaids live? What they eat, where they sleep, what they wear?
These questions, and more, are answered in a new four-minute video titled, “What if You Were a Merperson?” The video has amassed ~1 million views. I wrote the script and the production was done by the talented team at What If. You can plunge into the world of merpeople by watching the video here!
MEDIA
The Oyster Thief is viral not only in video form, but across all media. It is a Globe and Mail “Best Book of the Year.” And here are some more reviews:
“The world’s first ocean conservation novel. Faruqi possesses a unique ability to create a fantastical underwater world while tying in explicit scientific facts…. The Oyster Thief is an entertaining and informative mix of ocean science and literary fiction.”
—Forbes
“The Oyster Thief opens a portal to a world of merpeople for readers to have an exhilarating deep-sea experience, while underlining the significance of ocean conservation as a real-world issue. The book is becoming a favorite among readers.”
—Broadway World
(Credits, from left to right: Angel @live.laugh.love.library, Alissa @morrigans_books, and Irene @my_magicalbookish.corner)
I enjoyed collaborating with What If and INSH on the making of a video, “What if Mermaids and Mermen Existed?” I wrote the script and the What If team turned it into a beautiful four-minute production! Watch it here. (In less than an hour, it amassed 65,000+ views!)
The video is based on my debut novel, The Oyster Thief, in which two worlds collide when a mermaid and human man meet (available on Amazon here). The video follows a day in the life of a merperson.
It’s been an exciting and busy time for The Oyster Thief! And momentum is picking up even more. Following last month’s successful book launch, The Oyster Thief has been receiving tremendous engagement across media and social media. I’ve gathered the latest updates for you below.
Also, you’ll see information in this update about a publicity intern role I am recruiting for, and book events!
MEDIA AND SOCIAL MEDIA
I wrote an article about ocean science and conservation in The Ecologist, a world-leading environmental affairs platform based in the UK. Take a look here.
I didn’t have a camera on me, but here is an image of a mink.[/caption]
I hope I see more wildlife this summer! That said, though summer activities like hiking and biking can be tons of fun, it’s important to remember that as humans we are coming close to the homes of wild animals, both land and water. When visiting beaches or national parks, I try to remember and leave the space the way I found it.
Here are some tips for being a good friend and neighbor to nature this summer: