'The Hate U Give' author interviews Arvin Ahmadi about creating more diverse characters

If you choose links we provide, we may receive compensation.

Plus an exclusive cover reveal for Ahmadi’s debut, Down and Across

Debut authors share a special bond.

ANGIE THOMAS:What compelled you to write this story?

Viking Books for Young Readers

ARVIN AHMADI:Down and Acrossis the book of my heart.

Its the growing up story my teenage self would have loved to read and see himself in.

I was the oldest son of Iranian immigrants, so I grew up with a lot of expectations.

Anissa Photography / Joe Power

At least I felt I did.

I felt like I had to do well in school, study something practical, fit a certain mold.

But at the same time, I always wanted to forge my own path.

Harper Collins

I thought maybe my problem was grit.

I switched my college major, like, eight times and still wasnt sure what I was doing.

AA:And its interesting that we were both inspired by real-life events.

Kia Chenelle; Simon & Schuester

What exactly compelled you to writeThe Hate U Giveat that time?

I was a lot like my main character, Starr, who was living in two different worlds.

At home he was one of us.

They were blaming him for his own death.

It was honestly just a way of getting my own feelings and emotions out there.

AA:Have you ever gone back and reread that short story?

Or is it like, Oh my God, I cant even look at that anymore.

AT: You know, Ive tried and I cant.

I cant even read old drafts ofTHUG.

AA:I totally feel that.

Why did I do that!

The way that it used to be, I cant accept it anymore.

AT: For you, what was the most challenging part about writing this book?

AA:Keeping with it and finding the heart of the story.

But at the same time, I wanted it to be authentically me.

I think in early drafts Im sure it was like this with you youre writing and not looking back.

Thats why for me, revision has always been the harder part.

Thats when youre trying to find the heart of the story, that thread that will propel readers forward.

AT: That is so true.

You know, though, I kind of prefer revisions.

At least by then Ive put something down.

Im in the middle of drafting right now and I hate it.

I just feel like Im trying to make stuff happen.

[Laughter]

AA:I bet youre hating that blank screen.

AT: Its not as blank anymore so thats a good sign.

Were just writing about our own identities.

When people say that, it kind of catches me off guard.

I dont know if it catches you off guard.

What is it like for you writing about this Muslim, Iranian character?

Then I made him half-white, half-Indian.

As my friends read these drafts, they were like, Arvin, this character is you.

That was a real learning moment for me.

When I was like, you know what?

Im going to write this authentically me character and I dont care if it doesnt end up selling.

At the end of the day Ill have written a book that Im proud of and thatsmydebut novel.

Im really happy with that growth.

Thats something Ive become more confident about.

Im sitting over here nodding my head the entire time.

AA:I know!

Do you want the whitewashed diversity or the actual diversity?

Do you want a character who I say is black but nothing about them really seems black-black?

There was a lot of fear going into it.

Its stuff like that that discouraged me.

Because the incredible thing the thing I loved most aboutThe Hate U Give… Well, no.

But at the end of the day, it was a story about finding your voice.

Its about finding your voice.

That is a universal lesson.

AT: Im so excited for your book.

We need more brown characters in books!

And especially in our current political climate.

We need to show teenagers that were all human.

I think books will be more powerful than anything a politician could get on television and say.

AA:Im so behind that.

You want to see characters who look like you taking control of their destiny.

Thats how I hope our stories resonate with teens.

AT: Oh, I should ask about your journey as an author.

AA:Like I said, I switched majors like eight times in college.

I had all these interests in history and politics and math and science.

I ended up doing computer science, but Ive always written.

Even since I was 10 Ive been a voracious reader and a voracious writer.

In high school and college, it was always for the school paper as a reporter or blogger.

Senior year, I started writingDown and Acrossand did it because Id always been writing on the side.

But then I graduated and I kept working on my book every single night, every single weekend.

Id pretend to be busy on Friday and Saturday nights and avoid friends to write this book.

AT: Theyre going to find out when they read this.

AA:Theyll be like Thats why he kept turning down plans!

Yeah, I did that and I kept getting more serious.

So accepting, so much fun, people get so excited about things but its also incredibly mission-driven.

Its this amazing combination of doing something we really care about and making an impact.

AT: I love that.

Your friends might look at you funny now, though.

AA:Would you stay in on a Friday night and write?

AT: Oh yeah.

AA:Hell yeah.

AT: Im an introvert!

So many people tell me, I want to write but I cant find the time.

I have the same 24 hours in my day that you do.

Its just I have to fight for that time and fight to do it.

Sometimes that meant not going to this event or hanging out with a friend on this night.

Sometimes that meant its just me and my computer.

Its worth the sacrifice.

Thats really the main thing.

AA:Its a labor of love.

At the end of the day, this book feels like your baby.

Thats how I feel about my books and I imagine you do too.

What are you working on now, Angie?

Ive been seeing little tweets, hearing murmurs.

Obviously you mentioned that drafting is killing you.

Tell me more about what youre working on.

AT: Im working on my second book at the moment.

Its about a 16-year-old girl who, like so many 16 year olds, feels powerless and helpless.

But she finds her power and her voice through hip-hop.

I kind of call it my ode to hip-hop.

Its about a girl whos lost everything and then she finds everything through hip-hop.

AA:Thats awesome.

Did you readthe profile of Jason Reynolds the other day?

AA:He was saying how hip-hop was how he found his voice.

It was his poetry and literature growing up.

AT: It doesnt get nearly enough props for that.

We dont give it enough props for giving kids what they needed when young adult books didnt.

Instead of reading books, I listened to hip-hop.

I let Nas tell me stories.

I let Tupac tell me stories.

I hope that with this second book, I kind of merge my two loves.

My love for books and my love for hip-hop.

AA:Oh, thats amazing.

They had to go to hip-hop or poetry.

Now those books are there, and theyre going to be readers for life.

Are you working on your next book?

Mine, in a similar vein, is also about my other love.

Youre a writer, Im a writer.

You really care about hip-hop; I really care about technology.

I think about that all the time, in terms of the future.

AT: That sounds incredible too.

Basically you are going on my always-read list.

You have no idea how much that means.

Ive been gushing about your book for weeks.

My copy is making the rounds.

Obviously you are on my always-read list as well.

AT: Well we always know weve got each other.

AA:Well keep each other in business.

Im so excited for your book, and I cant wait for everybody to see this cover.

Im just ecstatic for you.

AA:Im ecstatic for you!

AT: Thank you so much.

And I cant wait to see everything that happens with you and this book.

AA:She said it.