Here, we present a Special Feature, including poems and Interview with Author Haroon Rashid. ILA Magazine: Please give a brief introduction about yourself, i.e., your educational background, family background (optional), and what you are currently working on. Author Haroon Rashid: I am recognized worldwide, for various writings, a Post Graduate in English Literature and a Post Graduate in Public Administration with a Bachelor's Degree in Commerce, and presently a writer. ILA Magazine: What was your aim as a student, and did writing change it? Author Haroon Rashid: As a student, I always loved to interact, explore, understanding every creation, and now my writings are reflecting that love, all around. ILA Magazine: When you began your journey into writing, what was your first genre of literature? Author Haroon Rashid: I was writing since school as an amateur, perhaps professionally, I began in 2016 and social causes referring to humanitarian aspects was my first genre. ILA Magazine: Are there any interesting areas of literature you would love to write about at present time? In the future? Author Haroon Rashid: There are many unexplored areas which I am looking forward to, and some I have already published, hoping to bring new light and new perspectives to beautiful readers all around the world. ILA Magazine: What is the inspiration behind your writing? Author Haroon Rashid: Everything coming to my way is an inspiration, perhaps the oneness, the harmony, the belongingness and love for each other is an inspiration that drives to invest my blood in ink so that humans recognize each other with love, respect, honor and equality. ILA Magazine: What helps you become a better writer? Author Haroon Rashid: Understanding, realizing, exploring, observing, interacting, learning, reflecting, are some of the attributes that help me become better, everyday. ILA Magazine: Have you written any poetry or other forms of literature that made you (or your readers), think twice? Author Haroon Rashid: Readers all across the globe have showered me with so much love, respect and honor to my writings and I have realized people have framed my writings on their tables, walls, paths, and conducted essay writing competitions upon them, environment sustainable development forums use it for enlightening, people including celebrities across the globe shared and re-shared it in more than 148 languages, now chosen for textbook poems for next generation to understand, used for donation campaigns and there is so much more that made readers and I, not only to think but also act upon, the poems written by me, in real practical spheres of our lives. ILA Magazine: Do you have a favorite author/poet? Please explain further. Author Haroon Rashid: Yeah, every writer is a blessing upon us for making aware and understanding life, its phases from better perspectives. Every writer I have read, is my favorite and there are endless names, there are so many yet to read, few among the ones that I have read and loved are Socrates, Aristotle, Plato, Rumi, Shams, Tagore, Ghalib, G. B. Shaw, Bronte, Virginia Woolf, Jane Austen, Shakespeare, Faulkner, Tolstoy, Mahatma Gandhi and so many more. ILA Magazine: Tell us about your best experience you've gained through your writing. Author Haroon Rashid: Since my childhood, I was looking for a profession where I can see humans as humans and not humans through their descriptions, my writing is an asset upon me which everyday makes me realize that we all are souls at the end and whenever I meet any person, the only thing that comes to my heart is that we all are passengers in this body which we have to leave at anytime, so I always pray for every human who meets or whom I have met in the real or virtual world, my writings are the heart that I have and realizing this, I feel honored that I could have been anything, perhaps nature chose me to be a writer and I feel blessed this is the best experience I've learned through my writing. ILA Magazine: What types of literature do you find yourself writing the most, and do you have a favorite form/style? Author Haroon Rashid: "A good writer is not who conveys his/her emotions but the one who invokes." - Author Haroon Rashid. So, as long as one can invoke, I feel, one can write any form/style and there are so many yet to explore and bring to light, concluding on one or two particular form/styles will be little early. ILA Magazine: Have you published anything recently? Are there any books in the works for more future publications? Author Haroon Rashid: "Author Haroon Rashid Quotes" is already published and at present there are more than 3500 poems and endless quotes I have written, will be publishing them along the way. Writing novels and stories will be published soon. ILA Magazine: What do you expect readers will obtain after reading your poetry/literature? Author Haroon Rashid: A new and better perspective toward their own selves, their surroundings and the world as a whole. People are not blind, but they don't have a better thing to reflect upon, so reading my writings, they have better things to reflect and better ways to love their own selves in order to love all. ILA Magazine: Do you have a poetry page, blog, website or narrative channel, if any? Would you mind sharing it with us? We will gladly feature anything you would love to share.
Instagram (@authorharoonrashid) Facebook Twitter (@AuthorHaroonR) Medium https://www.authorharoonrashid.com https://www.muckrack.com/authorharoonrashid
ILA Magazine: What are the hardships you have endured, if any, through your journey of writing, and how do you deal with the challenges?
Author Haroon Rashid: Writing is a blessing upon me and I in my journey, have been skilled well enough that I don't find any hardships or struggles while writing, yet, perhaps the struggle and hardship I have as a writer, is when some ill-intended people have tried to imposter me, imitate me, plagiarize my writings, bluffing others', taking away my works as their own, damaging my mental and social health, are some of the pertinent hardships I've been through, I would like to request all that, there's a lot of struggles n lives of creative people, please don't put unnecessary burdens on the shoulders of creative people by snatching their art. Nature gives us thoughts and nature is the sole protector of it, so avoid doing wrong tactics and celebrate the originals in order to cherish more blessings coming from them.
ILA Magazine: What advice can you give the emerging writer of today, who is just beginning their journey into writing?
Author Haroon Rashid: Read enough to write enough, before you begin to write, make sure you have read, understood and analyze different perspectives. If you will not find pleasure in reading, then you will have pain while writing.
ILA Magazine: Is there anything else you are willing to share with us, beyond what has been asked above?
Author Haroon Rashid: The great thing about writers is that they already have so many questions in their minds about everything in the world and a writer should not wait for other's to make them respond, rather on their own, become a stimulus in order to make others respond to the need of the times. Whenever something wrong is happening somewhere, mind will bluff you with logics and logics are the perspectives that are brought to light to make others believe in, but it's the heart which shows us the real light, real truth, real perspective. Before you make up your mind and take sides to things happening around the world, make sure to listen to your heart, it will always lead you to the right path. - Author Haroon Rashid.
Below, Author Haroon Rashid has shared some of his poetry with us.... There's a lot of joy,
lots of adventures and
lots of destinations to explore
but there's a lot of suffering,
there's lots of pain,
pain in our hearts of not meeting the ones
who can be a part of our journeys ©Author Haroon Rashid
We arrived to an age where we don't need discussion anymore
nor we need to seek any guidance. We are very much wise at this age.
All we need is a space where we can make ourselves a better version. We should understand the time frame of
our life to make our life according to time. The goal should be focused as we have to behave
like a professional. Time is precious,
refuel and refine and redefine. Chill, but don't make it a habit. Be disciplined and make a life of worth
by adding a worth to it. Have an orientation and stay focused.
Our focus will decide our success. Be prepared, be ready, our time is about to come. © Haroon Rashid
Once again I let my heart fool myself. Once again, I'm going to fall in love. Once again, I'm going to feel everything
that I have felt before,
but this time, it's totally new. Once again, I'm going to feel all those things
that I haven't felt before
but now I am going to live, more and more. Once again, I am going to feel love that I haven't felt
and now this time,
I am going to rise in love, in love, that will make me feel alive. © Haroon Rashid
I have to be what I am. I have to become for
what I am made for. I have to rise again
no matter what. The time is right, the moment is right.
I have to show the courage to lift myself up
from the petty downfalls. © Haroon Rashid
We fell asleep in one world
and woke up in another. Suddenly, Disney is out of magic,
Paris is no longer romantic,
New York doesn't stand up anymore,
The Chinese wall is no longer a fortress,
and Mecca is empty. Hugs and kisses suddenly become weapons,
and not visiting parents and friends
becomes an act of love. Suddenly, you realize that power, beauty
and money are worthless, and can't get you
the oxygen you're fighting for. The world continues its life and it is
beautiful. It only puts humans in cages. I think it's sending us a message: "You are not necessary. The air, earth, water and sky without you are fine. When you come back, remember that you are
my guests. Not my masters." © Haroon Rashid
Author Haroon Rashid is a writer, hailing from beautiful Jammu and Kashmir, India, (also known as 'Heaven on earth.'), and the author of 'We Fell Asleep in One World and Woke Up in Another.' 'We Fell Asleep in One World and Woke Up in Another' became the fastest, most popular of poems, teaching leadership all across the globe, translated into 148 languages. Many people, including celebrities, have shared his poem on social media platforms and fundraising events, making him globally renowned with an unusual success story. Among his world-famous writings are: 'Suicide Poem', 'Come Back from the Heaven', 'Skin', 'Will Meet Again', 'Human Trafficking', 'Humanity Poem', 'Faith', 'Mother', 'Spiritual Love', 'The World', 'Media', 'Human in Uniform', 'Get Up', 'Kashmir', 'Meet a Person', along with endless quotes. He has a book titled, 'Author Haroon Rashid Quotes', available on Amazon. Author Haroon Rashid has been interviewed and featured on various websites, journals, magazines, religious online blogs, art pages, newspapers and publishing websites.
Every writer is different, but he is one of those who can touch souls with even the simplest expressions of words. In Haroon Rashid's earlier days, he was much into sketching and drawings, along with a mix of his playful and fun-loving nature, maintaining a good brain in his studies and academics as well. Since the beginning, he has been drawn toward fine arts. He took an interest in painting, music and dancing, during his school life. After school, he pursued his higher education, completing a Bachelor's Degree in Commerce and a Double Post Graduate in English Literature and Public Administration, including the aforementioned, he also took an interest in Science, Psychology, Anthropology, Sociology, Geography, History and other fields of study. His graduation was a life-turning experience for him. He began gaining interest in writing as his art was mixed with world affairs and eventually his writings spoke to his heart at global levels, making him a renowned writer, par excellence. He is currently working on International Projects while spreading his aura and glory with the magic of his words, and shall continue until he takes his last breath. He may be contacted via email at: authorharoonrashid@gmail.com