Nadia\u2019s novel has readers hooked with its bold title, but it wasn\u2019t her first choice.
\n\u201cThe book went through two other working titles. Each changed with a new draft. When the publisher asked me to come up with something more in line with the \u2018samoosa run\u2019 featured in the story, I had a hard time letting go of the last title. But I\u2019m a firm believer that everything happens for a reason.\u201d<\/p>\n
After pacing her bedroom for over an hour, inspiration struck. Not Another Samoosa Run!
\n\u201cCheeky. Catchy. And it encapsulated the idea of being tired of all the same expectations and scripts.\u201d<\/p>\n
Stories rooted in reality<\/strong><\/p>\n For Nadia, the novel is deeply personal. Not autobiographical, but emotionally true. \u201cI love writing from a place of knowing. I\u2019ve always felt that doing so adds authenticity to a narrative.\u201d \u201cIt\u2019s always a challenge to balance what\u2019s expected of you with what\u2019s right for you and to find humour in it. But it\u2019s important that we do.\u201d<\/p>\n That humour, by the way, wasn\u2019t planned. \u201cI did laugh while writing some of the scenes. Particularly, Aadil\u2019s visit to a spiritual healer happened rather unconsciously. I\u2019ve learned to laugh through difficult situations, so perhaps my natural way of coping found its way onto the page.\u201d<\/p>\n From rebel to writer<\/strong><\/p>\n Look closer, and it\u2019s clear Nadia has always told stories that challenge gently but purposefully.<\/p>\n \u201cI suppose it has always been my intention to explore and, to some extent, expose the kinds of issues modern Muslim Indian women face in traditional households and communities.\u201d<\/p>\n A rebel against convention, she\u2019s no stranger to the margins. \u201cThere\u2019s always the fear of being ostracised in my community for expressing views that differ from the majority, but luckily for me, I\u2019ve been on the outskirts for quite some time already.\u201d<\/p>\n Interestingly, Tasneem wasn\u2019t always the star. \u201cIn the earlier drafts, the main character was actually Aadil. But over time, Tasneem\u2019s voice took over. She had the potential to make a much greater impact on the page.\u201d<\/p>\n And if readers walk away with just one thing? \u201cTo choose yourself, over and over again.\u201d<\/p>\n No writing degree. Just a spiritual nudge.<\/strong><\/p>\n Nadia\u2019s publishing journey didn\u2019t begin in a creative writing workshop \u2013 it began with a moment of clarity in 2019.<\/p>\n \u201cAfter a very difficult personal year, I embarked on a spiritual journey that opened my eyes to a deeper sense of purpose.\u201d<\/p>\n She turned to her childhood for answers. \u201cWhat did you love doing then? What brought you joy? For me, it was reading, and the dream of one day writing something meaningful.\u201d Magic, mess and midnight drafts<\/strong><\/p>\n Nadia\u2019s writing process? Pure intuition. \u201cMidnight magic for sure. I\u2019m an intuitive writer, so once the idea or words feel right deep down in my soul, it simply flows.\u201d<\/p>\n She\u2019s an admirer of Jane Austen. \u201cOh, my word \u2026 I\u2019d be so embarrassed for her to read my book!\u201d she laughs. \u201cShe\u2019s the queen of prose, and I\u2019m but a humble peasant in comparison.\u201d<\/p>\n And when it comes to short stories vs novels? \u201cShort fiction is a lot more difficult,\u201d she admits. \u201cWith a novel, you have more freedom. But it also demands discipline to finish and revise.\u201d<\/p>\n Mothers, daughters, and a legacy of strength<\/strong> \u201cShe\u2019s a strong woman. Someone who stood up to authority and defied convention at a time when it wasn\u2019t easy to do so.\u201d<\/p>\n Her mother\u2019s unwavering support gave her room to dream.\u00a0\u201cShe\u2019s always supported my dreams. When I told her I wanted to write a book, she didn\u2019t even blink.\u201d<\/p>\n Now, as a mother of two daughters herself, Nadia hopes her girls take more than plot from the process. \u201cI hope what they take is the importance of perseverance.\u201d And from the story itself? \u201cMarriage is not the solution to your problems. Gain independence first. Know yourself fully before entering a serious relationship. I think they\u2019ve picked up on this by now \u2026 I\u2019ve been telling them for years. They\u2019d just roll their eyes and say, \u2018We know, Mom, we know!\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n A creative soul through and through<\/strong><\/p>\n From founding a modern Muslim women\u2019s magazine to painting and fiction writing, Nadia\u2019s creative path hasn\u2019t been a straight line, but every step has brought her closer to herself. So, what does home mean to her? \u201cBeing at home within yourself draws the right people to your kitchen table. Those who truly appreciate you. It\u2019s the moments you share with the right people that make a place truly special and meaningful.\u201d<\/p>\n If Not Another Samoosa Run! is about choosing yourself again and again, then Nadia Cassim is living proof that it\u2019s never too late to begin. With heart, honesty and humour, she\u2019s writing her own script \u2026 and we\u2019re so glad she\u2019s letting us read along.<\/p>\n Nadia\u2019s samoosa recipe for self-discovery (excerpt from the book)<\/strong> Filling (enough for a dozen lifetimes)<\/strong> Wash and drain through. Braise in frying pan on high heat for five minutes, then add journaling, strength, meditation and grounded empathy. Take deep breaths. When the mixture is aromatic, add yoga and simmer on low heat until all hurt has evaporated. Add flowers and healthy boundaries. Cool until room temperature, then add bite-sized pieces of confidence and adventure. Sprinkle with edible glitter. Get your copy of Not Another Samoosa Run! from Exclusive Books for R320.<\/em><\/p>\n Text: RIALIEN FURSTENBERG. Image: DCJ ART STUDIO.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" With warmth, wit and just the right dose of cheek, Nadia Cassim delivers Not Another Samoosa Run! \u2013 a heartfelt novel about love, faith, family expectations, and what it means to write your own story … even when others have one ready for you. \u201cIn Tasneem\u2019s close-knit Muslim Indian community, the stigma of divorce is […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":121,"featured_media":22197,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[40,20],"tags":[1318,54,8484,8483,8485,8486],"class_list":{"0":"post-22196","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-people","8":"category-personalities","9":"tag-exclusive-books","10":"tag-get-it-joburg-west","11":"tag-nadia-cassim","12":"tag-not-another-samoosa-run","13":"tag-samoosas","14":"tag-secrets-second-chances"},"yoast_head":"\n
\nLike her protagonist, Nadia is divorced, fiercely independent, and well-acquainted with the tension between tradition and self-truth.<\/p>\n
\nThen came a Facebook post \u2026 a Kindle writing competition. \u201cIt was so out of the ordinary that I took it as a sign.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nNadia dedicated her novel to her mother \u2013 a force in her life and an early example of courage.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cMy heart has always belonged to the arts. Bringing something into being from a place beyond the physical is what makes me happy. What gets me up every day.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/joburg-west\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/21\/2025\/09\/103655-260x400.png\")
<\/p>\n
\nThe dough<\/strong>
\n3 cups resilience; self-reflection (as needed); a generous pinch of discernment
\nSift together resilience and discernment, and make into a stiff dough using self-reflection. An inexperienced cook may find that adding a teaspoon of curiosity to self-reflection will help form a more workable dough.<\/p>\n
\n500g thoughts; 2 hours yoga; 1 teaspoon grounded empathy; \u00bd hour journalling; \u00bd teaspoon strength; 1 tablespoon meditation; 1 bunch of flowers (arranged in a pretty vase); 2 tablespoons healthy boundaries; 2 tablespoons confidence; 1 tablespoon adventure; sprinkle of edible glitter<\/p>\n
\nAssembly
\nGather wise elders and supportive friends. Fill samoosas around a table decorated with joy, laughter and love.
\nEnjoy in peace with a good cup of chai.<\/p>\n