Sakina Yazid: Voice of the unheard – An insightful interview on writing and society
Sakina Yazid is a rising voice in contemporary Arewa literature, with her books gaining widespread popularity. Her stories are shared across nearly every Arewa page and WhatsApp group, making it almost impossible to miss her work. Focused on the lived experiences of women silenced by cultural norms, her writing brings to light the realities of those whose voices have long been unheard.
Yazid’s storytelling stands out for its authenticity. She avoids exaggeration, grounding her narratives in thorough research and a keen imagination. What sets her apart is her deep exploration of characters’ inner lives rather than superficial descriptions of physical appearance. Unlike traditional Hausa novels that often emphasize beauty and wealth, Sakina Yazid’s work centers on simplicity, personality, and relatability, allowing readers to connect with her characters on a more profound level.
NP: Your name, state of origin, educational background, marital status
My name is Sakina Muhammad Yazid, popularly known as (Innar su Amal). I hailed from Kano state. I have a degree in biochemistry, and I am a teacher, fashion designer, and spices vendor. I’m married.
NP: What inspired you to start writing fiction? Can you tell us about the moment you knew you wanted to be a writer?
I can’t say there’s a thing that inspires me to write, I’ve been writing ever since I was a child. I just love to write. The moment that I learned to hold a pencil for the first time was the moment that I realized I wanted to be a writer.
NP: Do you follow a specific routine when writing? Is there a specific time you use for typing, or do you just grab your note when an idea comes to your head?
I don’t follow a specific routine, I just write when I feel like it.
NP: Most of your book ideas feel very realistic. Are your stories inspired by real-life events, or do you create the characters purely from your imagination?
All my stories are from real-life events, the things that keep happening in our society,y, and the issues that we are deliberately refusing to discuss.
NP: You’ve become quite popular on WhatsApp and Facebook, with many people reading your work. How did you achieve such rapid and widespread popularity?
I am not sure I know how I got the rapid popularity, the only thing I did was write. Maybe it is the quality of my work.
NP: Two of your books feature a recurring theme where older men marry women younger than their children. What inspired you to explore this theme?
I wasn’t exploring the theme of ‘older men marrying younger women’. Rather, I was more concerned with women’s emotional responses to polygyny in different circumstances and how our society responds when a woman expresses her genuine emotions in relation to the responses shown when a man expresses his emotions.
READ ALSO:Lubna Sufyan: The introvert behind Wattpad’s most compelling heartfelt stories
NP: What are some of the biggest challenges you face as a writer?
My biggest challenge is in research, getting people with real-life experiences that correspond to my storylines to open up and be genuine about it. But Alhamdulillah, so far so good.
NP: What do you find most rewarding about writing fiction?
Well, I also write non-fiction. What I find most rewarding about writing, in general, is that I can initiate a discussion on topics we won’t discuss otherwise. Those discussions help us grow as humans and make our interactions more social.
NP: Who are your mentors? Who is your support system? What and who pushes you to continue writing even when you feel like giving up?
When it comes to writing fiction my mentor is Lubna Sufyan.
My fans are my strongest support system, the fact that someone out there is waiting for you to write is rewarding enough. The way people find themselves and their lives in my stories is just so fulfilling and rewarding.
NP: Do you have a favorite book among the stories that you’ve written? Why is it your favorite?
My favorite book among my writings is MATAR MUKHTAR. Because Matar Mukhtar touches on a topic that we as a society are not discussing, and each time we want to discuss it, we dwell on issues surrounding the main topic rather than the topic itself.
NP: You do engage with your readers via social media. Does their feedback or reviews determine the direction of your work?
The feedback of my fans doesn’t affect the direction of my stories. Despite that, the feedback is priceless to me, it educates me a lot. I gain insight into how we generally think as a society from that feedback and also get more themes to write about. I find answers to a lot of my research questions in those feedbacks.
NP: How do you monetize your writing talent?
I monetize my writing in a lot of ways that I may not be able to explain here. One such way is having readers subscribe to my stories, which I release in series form.
NP: Your readers would like to know your upcoming projects or work in progress.
My upcoming work is DIARY OF A NORTHERN SPOUSE Season 2
NP: Sometimes, in the course of writing, authors do experience a blockage of ideas or characters; how do you handle writer’s block?
Whenever I experience a blockage I take a walk or talk to someone.
NP: What are some of your hobbies or interests outside of writing?
Apart from writing, my hobbies are teaching and reading.
NP: If you could meet any fictional character, who would it be and why?
The 2 Aisha’s; The Aisha in DIARY OF A NORTHERN SPOUSE and the Aisha in UWAR SADDIKU. I would just love to hear from them where they get their courage and resilience.
What is your best food?
Anything rice.
NP: What is your best jewelry or accessory? Something you can’t go out without?
I don’t wear much jewelry; if you know me, you know that much about me. But if I’m going out I always carry a pen and notepad or some sort of paper with me.
NP: Thank you for your time
Thank you for having me.
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