1.- Could you introduce yourself to Jamreads’ readers?
Hello! I'm Madeehah, a writer from London, UK. I work as a pharmacist by day and write sci-fi and fantasy fiction whenever I can find the time. I’ve written several short stories published in various corners of the internet, and you can find these on my website. ORPHAN PLANET is my first book.

2.- When did you start writing fiction?
As long as I can remember, I have been reading, and this love for reading sparked my love for writing. My interest in writing fiction really blossomed in my early teens when I discovered online writing communities based around games as well as fanfiction. I still have notebooks from this era filled with ideas, excerpts and half-started ‘novels’.
As an anxious child, writing provided a release from worries and concerns that filled my head (though I did not realise this at the time). Now I am older, I’ve reflected that writing truly is part of me in a way I did not appreciate before, and being away from it for too long feels like a part of me has withered away. You can read more about my musings on writing and emotions in my essay, A Tender Kind of Alchemy.

3.- Could you tell us a bit of your experience with the Future Worlds Prize?
I entered the Future Worlds Prize for SFF writers of colour back in 2021, and it was very much on a whim. I saw the open call on social media and figured, why not? ORPHAN PLANET began life as a half-baked ‘manuscript’ of various scenes parsed together. Looking back, I’m still shocked that it was shortlisted because the quality could not have been further from the finished product as it stands today. This goes to show: take the chance!
When I submitted, I had no expectation I would get anywhere with my entry. I was shortlisted along with other very talented and exceptional writers. Unfortunately I was not able to go to the prize ceremony in my cohort, but I have since met some of the other FWP writers and am grateful to know a bunch of fantastic people.
After being shortlisted, I had the opportunity to be mentored by an industry professional: Nadia El-Fassi, an editor at Orbit Books. It was a great experience to gain her advice and insight into not just publishing, but entering the publishing world as a writer of colour. The Future Worlds Prize is a fantastic opportunity to get your writing out into the world; I may not have sealed a publishing deal or an agent but I certainly have had my own successes that I can attribute to this prize. I’ll say it again: take the chance. You never know where it will take you.

4.- Which influences would you say are the most relevant in your novella?
Long before COVID-19 lockdowns, I was fascinated by the idea of a single person living alone on a barren world, perhaps taking my musings on the experience of loneliness to its extreme. One of my favourite sci-fi films is The Martian, whose influence can possibly be seen throughout the novella. Mark Watney, however, had the whole of humanity organising for his return. In some ways, it is an optimistic tale. In ORPHAN PLANET, very few people know of Elif's existence. She was born on Maiora-I, and this barren yet turbulent planet is her home. She feels a connection to it that she doesn't feel with other people. It takes a different perspective on the experience of loneliness.
Humans are not strangers to total isolation, but it is probably not the most optimal condition to live in. As part of my research, I watched documentaries on those living completely alone in the forests of Siberia, miles and miles away from any other human being. I also read A Woman In The Polar Night by Christiane Ritter, a memoir from the 1930s of a woman who joins her husband in Arctic isolation during the long, dark winter months. All of these stories gave me an understanding of what Elif's true reaction would be to another person disturbing her peace.

65- Could you tell us about the process of submitting and getting your novella acquired as part of the Luna Novella series?
You could call it fate, luck, divine providence or just the right timing. I'd brushed off the second draft of my finished manuscript, fresh from a round of beta readers and decided I wanted to try submit it to open publishers. The market for novellas is very small so I kept an active eye out on social media for any open calls. Luna Press is the first publisher I submitted ORPHAN PLANET to. I never would have thought my manuscript would have been chosen and I’m very grateful that Francesca liked the story as much as I did! As I said previously, take the chance. You really never know where your efforts will take you.

6.- Do you think is there an aspect that is usually overlooked in sci-fi? Why?
I was scared of writing science fiction, which is strange to say now that I have a sci-fi book out. It intimidated me as I thought sci-fi meant you had to be precise and detailed about the science aspect of the story. Despite having an unending fascination with outer space, I am terrible at understanding physics and the mechanics of astronomy. This roadblock was overcome when I discovered ‘soft sci-fi’, or sci-fi that had an emphasis on characters and their emotions, most notably Becky Chambers’ Wayfarers series. This had a profound impact on how I viewed science fiction as a genre, and what I thought I would like to write.
I also gained valuable insight into writing speculative fiction during my MA in Creative Writing. My tutor would comment that my far-fetched stories needed to be grounded in the ‘human centre’, i.e. what makes this story relatable to the reader, even if it was set on a spaceship populated by aliens in the outer reaches of the void. To me, this human centre is built upon our emotions and how we process these, and how this feeds into our actions.
I don't read as much sci-fi as I perhaps should. My reading taste is quite eclectic; I rather like sinking into a novel based in reality that explores a character’s internal world. And I love it when a sci-fi or fantasy book brings that to their novel filled with otherwordly wonders. I'd like to see more internal worlds explored in science fiction.

7.- Would you say getting Elif’s voice was difficult? Could you tell us more about this character?
Elif was not a difficult character to write. Her early years were peppered with curiosity and a natural optimism that flows through children much more easily than adults. The later half of the novella shows her grow into a thoughtful, reflective and resourceful young woman. But she had never met another person in the flesh, so when this opportunity arises it turns her otherwise positive personality on its head and brings to light how much of a recluse her circumstances had caused her to be. It was fun to write her metamorphosis over the years, though definitely challenging to fit it all into a novella length story!

8.- How do you feel about debuting in a few days?
I honestly haven't had time to process it. Friends and family keep asking me how it feels and I don't have a good enough answer. I'm obviously over the moon that I have a published book but unfortunately the chaos of mundane adult life has overtaken me that I haven't had a chance to feel the excitement. Hopefully I'll get to celebrate better come the summer!

9.- What can we expect from Madeehah Reza in the future?
At the moment I'm working, ever so slowly, on a couple of fantasy novels. I've been so used to writing short stories for several years that it's been a challenge to get back into longer form works. I'm excited to see what the future should hold for me but for now I'm just going to enjoy the fact that my childhood dream of publishing a book is finally realised.