We think of the romance novel as a lesser form of literature, but I don't think that's true. Love is a very important aspect of human life and worth exploring.
Mohsin HamidI take six or seven years to write really small books. There is a kind of aesthetic of leanness, of brevity.
Mohsin HamidIn a way, every parent is sort of dependent on the benevolence of the society around them to take care of their children.
Mohsin HamidWhy the brevity? Because I'd rather people read my book twice than only half-way through
Mohsin HamidSo much of our conversation about love is possessive. "You are mine. And if you stop being mine, I will hate you." And so exploring non-possessive ideas of love and friendship is important. Which is not to say we should just break down monogamy, I'm not taking a simplistic point of view. But, in addition to these examples of possessive love that we already have so much of, let us also explore what examples of non-possessive love and affection mean.
Mohsin Hamid