'Where the person becomes more important than the work, rot is sure to set in'

Writer, storyteller and critically acclaimed translator, Musharraf Ali Farooqi’s latest book, The Merman and the Book of Power is a reimagined qissa (tale) of a merman, extensively exploring the many myths and fables surrounding it.Qissa is a storytelling form quite common to Urdu, Persian, and Arabic oral and written literatures. The book masterfully merges various mythical creatures, apocalyptic events and complex parallel histories into a single mesmerising tale that is sure to leave the reader wanting for more. In this exclusive interview, Farooqi talks about the qissa genre, his journey of creating The Merman, the future of illustrated novels in Pakistan and why a writer should never stop reading the classics.