About this episode

Hafeez Lakhani discusses his debut novel 'Abundance' and the long journey of its creation with host Barbara DeMarco-Barrett.

Hafeez Lakhani was born in Hyderabad, India and raised in suburban South Florida. His fiction and essays have appeared in Crazyhorse, Exposition Review, Salt Hill, Tikkun, The Cortland Review, and The Southern Review, and have garnered fellowships from PEN America and The Center for Fiction. He was twice recognized with a Notable Essay in Best American Essays and twice nominated for a Pushcart Prize. He was profiled by the Huffington Post as one of “Eight Fantastic New Writers to Look Out For.” His debut novel, Abundance, following five members of an American Muslim family across Miami, New York, Monaco, and Gujarat, was a People Magazine Most Anticipated Book of 2026. Hafeez and Barbara DeMarco-Barrett talk about how he knew the novel idea had legs and how he committed to it for the long haul: 12 years in the making! They also talk about when you know a novel is done, how to use your critique groups’ feedback, using a Venn diagram, not going to an MFA program, and much more. For more information on Writers on Writing and to become a supporter, visit our Patreon page. For a one-time donation, visit Ko-fi. You can help out the show and indie bookstores by buying books at our…

People in this episode

Host: Barbara DeMarco-Barrett

Guest: Hafeez Lakhani

Topics covered

• writing process
• novel development
• critique groups
• American Muslim family
• long-term commitment

Keywords

• Hafeez Lakhani
• Abundance
• writing process
• novel
• critique groups
• American Muslim family
• long-term writing

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: PEN America, The Center for Fiction, Huffington Post

Books & works: ABUNDANCE, Best American Essays

Places: Hyderabad, South Florida, Miami, New York, Monaco, Gujarat

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