My UAE: The writer Shahd Thani’s love of stories

Shahd Thani, who hopes to be a published novelist before she hits 30. Reem Mohammed / The National

As a blog novelist writing Emirati love stories, Shahd Thani has faced her share of criticism.

Thani, 29, writes the popular blog The Rambling of Sha, where she's releasing a chapter a week of her second novel, Yet Another Emirati Kinda Love Story, about Mansour and Amna, a young Emirati couple.

The Dubai-born Emirati, whose father wrote for Al Bayan newspaper for many years, has ambitions to be a published author by the time she turns 30 in July.

“Most people say: ‘I want to be married before I turn 30.’ For me I want to be published,” she says.

Thani has a degree in English literature and translation from the University of Sharjah and a master’s in strategic marketing.

Her first blog novel, Just Another Emirati Kinda Love Story, began in Japan, as all her works do, and told the story of an unmarried Emirati couple.

“The idea of an Emirati guy buying something for his Emirati girlfriend was kind of shocking to some people, and I got attacked in the beginning. I put up the next chapter and put this very religious person who had married the traditional way, but he was not ­happy. I just wanted people to see the contrast and think.”

Thani writes in English. “One of my friends has a theory that you have the language you speak in, and you have your creative language. My stories come to me in English.”

Thani’s blog attracts thousands of readers, with some dedicated fans often urging her to take the story in a certain direction.

Her love of writing, she says, comes from her mother reading to her as a child, as well as reading her father’s newspaper columns.

“He talked about us sometimes, his daughters, and the questions we would ask him. We were ­always encouraged to read and write as children; we are a very creative family.”

What's your favourite book?

Wuthering Heights. In an age when Jane Austen was writing very demure things, Emily Brontë came out with something so wild that people wondered how a woman could be writing it.

Where and when are you at your most creative?

Usually in the morning. I’m in my bedroom and I’ve got my skinny vanilla venti coffee from Starbucks. It’s my writing elixir.

Where do you like to travel?

Japan, Bangkok and Hong Kong. I go two or three times a year. In Tokyo, there’s still so much to discover – I love the Shibuya area.

What was the last movie you watched?

Gone Girl. I tried reading the book, but I never finished it. I was in shock at the film. It was very scary. I wondered how she wrote it. How did she come up with the story? It's so brilliant.

What's your favourite part of the UAE?

I’m a Dubai Mall type of person. I think I should write into my marriage contract that I should see the Burj Khalifa in my horizon all the time. I like the structure.

Who do you admire?

My parents. I am still learning a lot from my father, and my mother is my rock.

What’s your favourite genre of literature?

Epic fantasy, such as the Game of Thrones series and books by Terry Brooks.

Where do you get your inspiration from?

I really, really love people watching. I love it when people are talking and I can’t hear them, so I just make up the conversation. My sister and I make up the conversation when we see two people chatting. I take up one role, she does the other.

Do you have any hobbies?

I like working out. I love Zumba classes – the crazy dancing.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given?

To never stop writing. It came a lot from teachers at university. I don’t think I ever will – I want to be a great Emirati novelist.