A WREXHAM-BORN writer has challenged views on arranged marriages.
Mum of two, Halima Khatun, who now lives in Stockport, Greater Manchester, is hoping to shed light on the intriguing and misunderstood world of modern British-Bengali matchmaking, with her debut novel.
Mrs Khatun has entered the Page Turner Awards, where published and unpublished fiction and non-fiction from all genres can enter their writing to get discovered by high-profile judges from the literary world.
Her book, which is titled 'The Secret Diary of an Arranged Marriage' is based in Manchester, however her hometown of Wrexham has provided a lot of inspiration for the early elements of the book.
Mrs Khatun stated that the novel is about an ambitious British-Bengali girl who hopes to find her dream man via the arranged marriage process.
She said: "As she meets a motley crew of men through the matchmaking efforts of her mum, pretend auntie, and profiteering opportunists, she’s sure she’ll land a husband, but will he be the one?
"I really hope that my novel is shortlisted.
"Readers have said that it's an important story that simply needs to be heard.
"Not only does it provide humour at a precarious time, it brings society closer together by breaking down barriers."
Mrs Khatun hopes to challenge the negative perception of the arranged marriage process, by sharing an insider’s point of view and highlighting the similarities the age-old tradition shares with modern-day dating.
The story takes inspiration from true events.
Mrs Khatun stated that she would 'love' to have the support of Wrexham residents.
Readers can vote for her book and add any constructive feedback to her story, which could improve her chances of getting noticed by the judges.
The Page Turner Awards, which is sponsored by ProWritingAid, provides writers and authors the opportunity to enter unpublished or published fiction and non-fiction books, where a group of literary agents will read the work.
Two writers are guaranteed to be published.
To find out more about the Page Turner Awards, visit https://pageturnerawards.com
Submissions are open until June, 30 2020
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