An interview with Sara Hamdan
Author, former New York Times journalist, Google editor, and Netflix story contest winner
Sara Hamdan is a Palestinian-American author, journalist, and award-winning writer based in Dubai. Her debut novel, What Will People Think?, comes out in May 2025. Sara was raised in Greece, studied in California and New York, and now lives in Dubai. “As a Palestinian-American third culture kid, storytelling helped me navigate identity early on. I’ve always written to understand the world—and my place in it,” she says.
How did you end up in your current line of work?
I grew up wanting to be Ellen or Joan Didion. Journalism seemed the closest thing, so I got my Master’s at Columbia and wrote for The New York Times for half a decade. But fiction was my first love—and now, finally, I'm back to it.
How has the ELF Seddiqi First Chapter Fellowship helped you?
That fellowship changed everything. I met my brilliant mentor, Icelandic crime author Yrsa Sigurdardottir, who helped me whip my draft into polished shape. The community, structure, and industry access gave me the confidence to call myself an author—not just an aspiring one. And I came out of it with a set of incredible friends.
What was your exposure to the publishing industry before that?
I’d queried a handful of times in the past without understanding the landscape. Nothing like several cold rejections to give you a wake up call for how badly you want your dream. I’d never met an agent or attended a book festival before ELF, though I’d written plenty—journalism, a short story that won a Netflix competition, and more recently, fiction.
Please tell us about your debut novel!
My novel What Will People Think? comes out May 2025. It’s a funny, heartwarming story about a Palestinian-American woman in NYC who moonlights as a standup comic. It’s about love, identity, immigrant families—and following your dreams while trying not to disappoint your mom.
What do you hope to achieve from this book?
I wrote it from the heart. But I also saw a gap in mainstream fiction: stories about Arab women that are warm, funny, and relatable. I wanted to offer joy and representation to the narrative. If it succeeds commercially, that’s a happy bonus.
Is a book-to-film adaptation something you hope to achieve?
Absolutely! That would be a dream. I’d love to make people laugh with a visual version of the story. A rom-com with heart and hijinks… Hollywood, call me.
Where do you find inspiration for your work?
In coffee shops, conversations, and standup comedy routines. I love observing people. I’m drawn to the messiness of identity, especially for those straddling multiple cultures. Humor is my favorite way to explore complexity.
What fosters your sense of identity?
Being a Dubai-dwelling, Greek-raised, Palestinian-American means I never fully belong anywhere—which oddly helps me feel rooted everywhere. I carry my cultures with me through food, language, and stories. Being unique is lonely sometimes, but it’s also wildly creative.
What defines home to you?
It’s less a place, more a feeling: when I can be fully myself and still be understood. Also, wherever my favorite mug and my husband and kids are. My home is in the people I love.
What has been the most challenging part of your career so far?
Letting go of the need for external validation. As a journalist, your byline speaks for you. In fiction, you write for years in silence and hope someone, somewhere, will care. It’s lonely—and deeply vulnerable.
What about the most rewarding?
Hearing from early readers who said, “I saw myself in your book.” That makes every self-doubt spiral worth it.
Where can people read more of your work?
My winning Netflix short story is called Midnight Prayer, and I have a piece in the Crime Writers Association anthology from 2024. You can also find my journalism in The New York Times, Forbes, and Condé Nast Traveller. More on www.sarahamdan.com.
Working in a career like this - where income can be unpredictable - can be quite daunting for those without an existing financial base. How do you approach financial uncertainty in a creative career?
I built a safety net first: I worked for twenty years in journalism and then tech, writing creatively in stolen moments. That’s partly why it took me ten solid years to get published. I would also say that stability doesn’t always mean security (I have a lot of gray hair from surviving media and tech layoffs). Pursuing your passion is also a form of investment.
What’s your advice on marketing for authors?
Show up where your readers are—Instagram, TikTok, Substack—and treat it like storytelling, not selling. I also recommend starting a newsletter; it’s your direct line to people who care about your work.
What do you wish you'd known before entering the world of book publishing?
That it's painfully slow. Journalism was a hurry-up-and-wait world—publishing said “hold my coffee.” I wish I’d known how important a community is to stay sane.
If you could write a letter to your younger self, what are the three main things you’d like to tell her?
Being different is your superpower.
Surround yourself with people who give you good energy.
Write the thing—even if no one’s watching.
What advice would you give to young authors seeking to build their careers?
Read widely. Finish what you start. And remember: you’re not behind, you’re just building the story that only you can tell.
What are your top three tips for fostering creativity?
Take walks.
Let yourself be bored.
Make bad art on purpose—play first, edit later.
If you could visit any fictional world, what would it be and why?
Stars Hollow from Gilmore Girls. I want to live inside those quirky, cozy fall vibes—with endless coffee and town meetings.
What types of stories do you enjoy most? Any particular favorites?
Stories with heart or humor—think The Rosie Project, Crazy Rich Asians, Americanah. I love character-driven plots with emotional depth and snappy dialogue.
If you could pick any superpower, what would it be and why?
Instant language fluency. I’d love to speak every language on Earth—and eavesdrop across continents.
What might surprise people about you? Do you have any hidden talents?
I used to work as a hotel reviewer. Best job ever until all the influencers took over.
If the story of your life were to be turned into a book or a film, what would it be called and why?
Please Hold While I Reinvent Myself. Because every few years, I do.
If you could curate a dream dinner party guest list - with anyone you wish, living or dead - who would snag one of 10 seats around the table (and why)?
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. For her grace, wisdom, and that incomparable voice. I’d just listen.
To learn more about Sara and her work, you can visit her website here. You can find her on Instagram at @bysarahamdan - and order a copy of her book here!
