BOOK REVIEW | THE LITTLE BOOK OF LYKKE by MEIK WIKING

Hey poodles!

I'm super chuffed to be part of the #look4lykke blog tour hosted by Penguin Life and Meik Wiking. Today is day four of the tour and I'm bringing you my thoughts on this charming book. Keep on reading for a Happiness Tip at the end and be sure to check out the other bloggers!

A little bit of context:

I'm a twenty-one year old recent English graduate based in East London. I live at home with my family and I walked to my lectures. My 'home' is a three bedroom flat in a two floor maisonette overlooking a seemingly busy road. Of the thirty-five flats in the building, I know a total of five families intimately. For someone like me, reading about the pursuit of happiness, admittedly, seemed like something you reminisced of and not actively created.

Meik's The Little Book of Lykke suggests otherwise. Following on from the success of the bestselling The Little Book of Hygge - an insight into the Danish concept of 'cosiness' - Meik sets out to show that despite Denmark being the 'World's Happiest Country', lykke - happiness - can be sought in places across the globe.

"The days, it is easier to notice the fighting and rather than what is fine. It is easy to point towards the grey skies and dark clouds, but perhaps we all need to be more like Samwise the Stout-hearted... and see what is good in this world of ours."

Using his research from the Happiness Research Institute in Copenhagen, Meik presents a collage of case studies and stories, facts and statistics, tips and photos. Reading his findings is an overwhelming discovery of the ways people lead happy lives wherever they are in the world - be it Australia, London or Detroit.

"The street-community resources grew to include a shared cargo bike, the Hulbert Street Book Exchange (bring a book, take a book) and a pizza oven on wheels (owned by no one yet shared by all), which led to weekly pizza dinners. And goats. Yes, goats. Two houses agreed to take down the fence between their lots and made room for them."

What this book does wonderfully is show how easy it is to create a street community and the benefits of one for a sense of trust and security, your children's safety, your money and most importantly - happiness. So not only are you longing to visit Denmark for a taste of a candle-infused dinner by the fireplace after reading this but you're inspired to ask after your neighbour instead of scurrying past home.

I also couldn't help comparing the lifestyle of the Danes - or the French when it came to food and the Japanese for health - with the lives of Londoners. Naturally, I was surprised to find that the UK's population was the twenty-third happiest in the world. I did not see that when we grumbled about the weather or paid taxes or even hosted dinners. One of Meik's tip to plant a community is setting up a community garden. I help my mother every week at her plot in our local farm and yet the garden is rife with suspicion, sabotage and theft. 

"In Danish, the word for community is fællesskab. Fællesskab can be split up into "fælles", meaning 'common' or 'shared', and "skab" which can mean either 'cabinet' or 'create'. Not only is community our common cabinet (our shared supplies), it is also something we create together."

Perhaps, part of this is due to the environment I live in. The city - as Meik will agree - nurtures its own breed of hostility, guardedness and impatience. In comparison, I have visited towns in the small state of Vermont - so small, a member of the US Embassy didn't recognise it - and the even smaller Welsh book town of Hay-on-Wye and I have marvelled at their love of sharing stories and hosting welcomers. For their former, their proximity to each other and stunning natural landscapes every season got them out of their houses whilst the latter united over a shared love of reading. These interactions are partly why I hope to leave the noises of the city and settle in the countryside, blanketed by forests with neighbours to call on. 

If anything, The Little Book of Lykke has made me a little less skeptic that happy people are the stuff of dreams. I'm grateful of that.

Is your country a 'happy' place? How would YOU measure your happiness?

The Little Book of Lykke is available to order now from Amazon! Click the link here to purchase.

How to Grow Engagement On Instagram

If you've felt the effects of the Instagram's algorithm recently, I understand. It's an inconspicuous being that wrecks how many unique visitors will see your posts but I have cracked several ways that will promise more engagement. My Instagram, @pardonmywritings, is a bookstagram. If you haven't come across the 11,969,203 posts under #bookstagram, they are styled photos of books. Some of the tips below therefore refer specifically to bookstagrammers.

1. Find your niche.

Find what ticks for you and make your page an expression of everything you love. For me that was books and the power of the written word hence my username, @pardonmywritings. You can only find what your niche is by experimenting however. I love to travel my city and always end up with a lot of photos of bookshops and parks in London. After posting about books strictly for a year, I had a sudden urge to share these other interests and I'm much happier with this amalgamation.

2. Interaction is key.

You can't expect to post a beautiful picture of The Wrath and The Dawn and gain a hundred likes in twenty minutes. Maybe in a pre-algorithm era. Legend has it that replying to comments beneath your post, interacting with pages you follow and commenting on posts under the hashtags you used within the first hour boosts your posts up on Instagram. Replying to comments also shows that you care that someone has taken the time to respond to your post. 'How do I get a lot of comments?' you may ask. Ask questions in your captions that will prompt responses. Questions like 'what's on your tbr?' or 'what did you think of Kite Runner?'

3. What you post matters. 

This is said with a heavy heart because Instagram was (read: should be) about people expressing themselves. However it is really about posting your best selves. How many times do you retake the same photo? Or edit it with filters and apps? I'm guilty of all of this. Also, long captions without paragraph breaks can be a turn-off so capture attention with short engaging captions. 

4. Good quality photos.

A clear and bright photo will be more eye-catching so use lighting to your advantage. I prepare and take most of my photos between 10am and 12pm when natural sunlight filters into my room. Others have purchased light boxes to take photos late in the day but again: experiment. Grainy or blurry photos are also not pretty but you don't need to sell a kidney to own a camera. I use my iPhone 6S and while I bought a camera, I'm still, urm, learning to use it. Editing will be your best friend if you know how to. I use three apps: Photoshop Express, VSCO and Afterlight. Experiment filters. Find a editing process. Stick To. It.

5. Consistency is important.

This refers to your feed. If your post carries someone to your page, having more posts in similar styles and colours will appear aesthetically pleasing when scrolling down. Maintaining your posting time and frequency means that your followers can expect your posts. I usually post daily, between 17:00 and 19:00, because more of my Western and Eastern followers are online and I'm free enough to respond to comments and generally interact on Instagram. It's okay if there is a day or two when you can't post but consistency is key. 

6. Have something to offer.

Even though posts of Harry Potter and stacked bookshelves are an easy 1000-likes because they appear on the Explore page, strive for meaningful posts with something to offer. If you consider yourself a blogger, think of yourself as a business or a service. Posting about a book or bookish candle or second-hand bookshop are all recommendations - good or bad - that get people thinking they need to follow you. Be aware of trends and news in the publishing industry like which book was newly released, won the Man Booker prize or found itself in controversial debates. Doing all this may seem like a chore and you may decide you don't want your Instagram going in the direction but if you do, it seems more professional.

7. Be positive.

The important thing is to maintain a positive personality. It doesn't have to be fake but being positive means followers can approach you or are inspired by you. This may be hard especially when you feel disappointed that you're not getting enough attention in return for the effort you put into your posts. But you have to act as though the muggles haven't got you down. Believe me, complaining on your Instagram posts or stories that the algorithm sucks doesn't invite people to check out your posts. It may be out of pity but you want active followers, not sympathisers. If you feel uninspired, take a break from posting to regain motivation. 

8. Hashtags are your friends.

Instagram usually allows thirty tags. Use a mixture of generic ones like:

#instagood #vscocam #photooftheday #literature #reading #books #bookish #booklover #bookworm #bibliophile #bookstagram #vscobooks #igreads #bookphotography #instabook #goodreads #blogger #currentlyreading #blogger #bookgram #classic #epicreads

But having smaller tags help to get your posts seen if you're a smaller account. I would change a few up based on every post such as including the book's title, author or publisher or the props you're using in your post for example #eating #nigellalawson #food #vintageminis #vintagebooks #penguinbooks #penguinstagram to start discussions with people reading or posting the same.

9. Use Instagram story for marketing.

To the best of my knowledge, Instagram Stories isn't affected by the algorithm in the same way as Instagram posts are. Stories is similar to Snapchat whereby your posts disappear after twenty-four hours. Every time you post to Story, your profile icon will appear at the header of yours and others' Instagram interface. A good way to promote a new post is to announce it on Story with fancy handwriting and stickers and again a couple hours later for followers who may have missed it. Stories are a great way to interact with followers in a way that doesn't restrict you to post a really good quality photo.

10. Getting partnership opportunities.

One of the most asked questions I get is how to establish yourself as a book blogger in order to get rep packages or free arcs from publisher or authors. It's not something that has happened to me overnight. I would say that doing all of the above helps establish oneself as a book blogger. Reviewing books, reading and having opinions whilst interacting with your followers promises to publishers, authors or literary companies that you're someobody who maintains an engaging page. Follower counts does matter to some sense because I was getting approached more after reaching 5000 followers but that is not to say someone at 2000 or 500 cannot work with an author or bookish shop.

I hope all those tips help! Let me know what you already know and what you're going to try. Whatever you try, I can't insist enough to make Instagram a reflection of YOU and what you love. What is your experience with the algorithm? 

You can find me here:
•Instagram - @pardonmywritings

•Twitter – @pardonmywriting

•Facebook – Pardon My Writings

•Blog - PardonMy Writings

•Goodreads – Rima Rashid

Author Feature | Anam Iqbal on The Whyte Divide

A special book came out into the world in April this year. Not only is The Whyte Divide a young adult, crime-romance novel but it is a saga involving betrayal, tests of loyalty, lust and loss, bonds of friendship, young love and romance. Nineteen year old Leonardo Whyte, one of the Whyte Brotherhood's best assassins, is on a mission to avenge his father's murder until he meets the daughter of his sworn enemy and must decide his own future. I'm passing the reigns over to Anam Iqbal today to talk about her inspiration behind the world of The Whyte Divide and her journey of becoming a published author as a person of colour:

My love of writing stemmed from freedom.

As a child, I was incredibly shy and often struggled to voice my thoughts and opinions: they would either stay buried deep inside or expressed on the pages of diaries. When I wrote, it felt like magic, like anything was possible and not a single dream was out of my reach, like I could express whatever I wished without any judgment at all. It was simply freedom.

However I’d never thought about sharing my work with people: my writing was always a grave secret, one that I guarded fiercely and kept ever hidden; my heart would shudder at the mere thought of someone reading my work over my shoulder. It wasn’t until the age of seventeen that I reflected on this secrecy and tried to understand why I was so reluctant to allow any light to shine on my creativity.

It was then that I realised I had never before read a book by someone of colour, someone of a non-white background, someone who wrote about non-white characters. And because of that, I’d simply begun to believe that people of my background, skin colour and religion didn’t write books, didn’t exist in epic stories and that my work could never be good enough to be published.

That was a turning point for me: the realisation that there were such self-doubts, negative thoughts, fears and stereotypical views about my own identity holding me back from achieving my dream – which was, in fact, to one day write something adventurous, rich and beautiful and share it with the world. It was thus at the age of seventeen that I decided to write my first novel. I was doing my A Levels at a London college at the time and was inspired, on a bus ride home, with the idea for The Whyte Divide, a Crime Romance novel. It was a stressful year with plenty of essays, revision and workload, and the gangster love story in my mind became an escapism for me.

I spent the next few years writing about the intense, riveting, sexy and dangerous characters in my mind. I carved out their features, personalities and ambitions on the notes app in my mobile, in my diary or on the sides of lecture notes at university. And when I was unable to do any of these things because of my hectic life as a student, I simply daydreamed of Leonardo Whyte's scheming smirks, Eleanor Archer's skill with blades, Faith Hunter's fierce female strength and Denzel Whyte's ruthlessness as London's most powerful drug lord. 

Through the diverse characters in my novel, I was able to express so many of my own thoughts as well as those I’d heard from the mouths of others: moral dilemmas, social pressures, alienation, the desire for an epic young love, the longing to discover truths, the reality of living in a diverse world, and most of all the thrill of going on an adventure… After eight years and much editing – which included writing the entire novel from scratch four times! – it was finally published and made available to the world. It was truly a dream come true: a dream that required a lot of hard work, patience and – perhaps most importantly – self-belief.

There are certain writing tips I’ve picked up from my experience of completing and publishing my debut novel, and I’d love to share them with other writers:

• Draft the story in as much detail as you can before you start writing. Having a solid draft of where the story is heading will give you the motivation to keep going and it also means less rewriting ahead!

• Plot your story without fear. The fear of being judged will limit your creativity and may even lead to Writer’s Block! And even if you find a way to continue writing, fear will distort your character’s voice and make it inauthentic. Therefore stay away from any negative, judgmental energy (or thoughts) whilst writing. Find a positive writing space for yourself – this is very personal, and can be absolutely anywhere!

• Start writing. Sometimes you have to do this even when you don’t feel ready, or else you’ll never start. You can always edit a bad page but you can’t edit a blank page.

• Don’t get bogged down in the editing process as you write. It will slow you down a lot. You can always go back to edit later. Separate the process of writing and editing into two different stages. (The editing process itself is lengthy and most writers have extensive re-writing in store for themselves, so keep that in mind as well. Completing the first draft by no means indicates that your work is done!).

• Set yourself a target of how much writing you wish to do everyday, and monitor yourself to achieve it. If you write based on whim alone, chances are you’ll never complete your novel! The truth is that completing a manuscript is painstakingly hard work and requires dedication: sparks of inspiration or your burning passion to write won’t always be there to accompany you. (The final draft of The Whyte Divide was 170,000 words and I had to ensure that I worked on it consistently everyday for a year in order to complete it).

• Work hard but also be kind to yourself. Remember to set yourself realistic writing targets because if you don’t, you are only setting yourself up to fail, which will lead onto negative thoughts and feelings of failure. Keeping a positive outlook is perhaps the MOST IMPORTANT thing to keep you going. And whenever you do finish a chapter or section you had planned to, treat yourself and be proud of your work!

• Self-belief. Whilst writing a book, you will undoubtedly experience many highs and lows. Some days, you’ll think that your novel is surely a unique and compelling masterpiece; other days, you’ll feel that you’re wasting your time on writing a pile of rubbish that no one would ever want to read. And it doesn’t get much easier when a writer completes their manuscript, for most writers experience abundant rejections from literary agents and publishers, who are simply in a highly competitive business. But it is important to never lose hope. Never stop believing in the beauty and power of your words. Writing is deeply subjective, and there will always be someone out there in the world who resonates with your work. Who knows, next time it could be the perfect literary agent for you, or you could self-publish your novel to find a large online readership that was just waiting for something your novel delivered!

• Never stop dreaming. Your manuscript’s every sentence can be stunning and lyrical, but it won’t mean anything if your story has no heart. Dreaming is the secret ingredient to bring life into your writing. Dream both while you sleep and are awake. Experience as much as possible, speak to abundant people, read widely, do strange things, love deeply, feel openly, let your imagination run without bounds. And it is through these experiences that you will breathe life into your characters and their journey.

It requires a lot of hard work to write a book – and writers do it without any knowledge of whether they’ll ever get any compensation for their time and effort. But most writers don’t write with the thought of what they’ll get in return, they write because they feel a burning sensation within themselves pushing them to write, and when they ignore it, they feel it nagging at them until they pick up their pens. In my opinion that is all you need to call yourself a writer – to feel that nagging sensation. Give in to it, and I promise it will be worth it in the end. 

It is such a beautiful feeling to be here now, so many years later, as an adult, when my novel is published. Now, I am able to turn back to the seventeen-year-old girl that I was, who had dreamed of writing a book some day, and tell her that I made it, that I didn't give up, that I managed to ignore all the voices that told me I couldn't do it (including my own at times), that I pulled through all the lonely nights writing and busy days editing all for her: the teenager who once sat on the top deck of one of London's famous red buses, on her way home from a long day at college, when her wild imagination took her somewhere else entirely...

Anam Iqbal

The Whyte Divide is available to order from Amazon now.