An Interview with Shireen Collam

Shireen Collam was born on November 18th, 2006. She lives with her parents, younger brother, and cat in Huntersville, North Carolina. She enjoys a variety of activities. Hoops is her first novel.

Tell us the story of your book’s title. Was it easy to find, or did it take forever?

The title was easy to come by. Long before I sent the manuscript, I drew a placeholder for the cover. It was a picture of Hoop-Clown holding a hoop, and that’s where I got the title. The word hoops is an uncanny word in general; I was genuinely surprised when I saw it was only used for basketball books.

How did it feel when you first saw your book cover? Or when you first held your book in your hands?

When I held the book in my hands, I felt a bit of relief. Mainly because this story isn’t the best nor a favorite of the ones in my head. The cover is amazing—I loved it from the start.

Who/what made you want to write? Was there a particular person, or particular writers/works/art forms that influenced you?

Writing never came naturally, but I’ve always been an avid reader and have interesting dreams. It was more or less the fact that I wanted to gain a skill that I had a tough time doing so I could create what I loved.

What other professions have you worked in? What’s something about you that your readers wouldn’t know?

I’ve written for the school newspaper and the Srishti magazine. I was always embarrassed that I was the only older kid in school who’d write stories for the paper.

What was the most rewarding/meaningful part of publishing your book?

I could say that it meant that I didn’t have to hide the fact that I was autistic, but I’m still not quite sure.

If your book had a soundtrack, what are some songs that would be on it?

“The Chapel” – Madelyn Mei

“Welcome Home, Son” – Radical Face

“Hidden In The Sand” – Tally Hall

“The Adults Are Talking” – The Strokes

“Sea Of Stars” – Purrple Cat

“Buttercup” – MixAndMash

“Fluffing A Duck” – Kevin MacLeod

“The Moss” – Cosmo Sheldrake

The Pokémon Theme…

What is one thing you hope readers take away from reading your book? How do you envision your perfect reader?

There’s no perfect reader; I hope that enjoy my book, but I cannot force a reader to like the story! I hope they gain a new perspective.

What new writing projects are you currently working on? Or, other projects that are not writing?

I’m working on a couple of stories as always, but I’d like to keep them a surprise until I’ve written the gist of them down. Other than that, I’m making all my characters into dolls and making other miniatures and homes. I’m dreaming and finally logging my dreams instead of remembering it all.

Are you a writer, too? Submit your manuscript to Atmosphere Press.