Tell us about yourself and your background?
I am a Pakistani-Danish Author. I grew up in Copenhagen and lived in London where I worked as marketing manager in the financial industry for nearly a decade before moving to Germany.
Farah Cook publisher author, has a nice ring to it! Tell us about this journey?
Well, it has been a hard and long journey. I decided to quit my job in marketing and experiment with self publishing for two years, which resulted in a trilogy, The Viking Assassin. The books did well and received fantastic reviews on amazon.com, but self publishing meant 90% marketing and 10% writing. Consequently I realised that I wanted to write 100 percent and decided to do an MA in Creative Writing full-time.
I worked many hours late at night on creative assignments and was offered a PhD at the university of Surrey. However, I declined and instead decided to apply for a highly competitive writer’s course in London and got accepted. I spent six months drafting my novel while doing the course.
Finally, I pitched my manuscript to a pool of agents and secured one from London’s top agencies. However, let me point out nineteen publishers rejected my first book. But I kept going and wrote a new novel. ‘Care for Me’ will be out in October 2021.
You moved to Frankfurt from London with your young family. How has the transition been?
The transition was smooth and handled by my husband’s work. Also, the timing was right, similar to many who moved from the U.K. to Germany due to Brexit. In addition to that I have made some great friends in the two years we have been here.
We sure there have been high’s and lows. What have been some obstacles you didn’t expect and some of the victories that surprised you.
Low: It surprised me that my older son’s school did not take the bullying he was subjected to seriously. We addressed the matter several times with this school, but getting bullied in Germany is not as serious as it is in the U.K.
High: A victory was getting my younger son into nursery. He was offered a place immediately despite the long waiting lists. As a result, he’s learned German fast and made lots of local friends.
What tips do you have for people moving to Frankfurt and its surroundings?
Make sure you connect with like minded people. Actively seek expats and international environments. It takes time to befriend Germans. Learn the rules and adapt to the German culture. They are quite anal and unforgiving about their systems and procedures.
What/where is your favourite place/thing to go/do since moving?
Travel and culture. Living in Germany means I can sit in my car and drive anywhere. (France, Switzerland, Denmark, Spain, Italy, Croatia etc.) Germany has a lot of big cities. Berlin, Cologne, Munich, Hamburg, and Frankfurt with their own culture and traditions.
What are your must do’s for people who have newly moved here?
Take part in the local festivals and annual Christmas markets. Visit other cities and experience the diverse German culture. Food is greatly celebrated in different places and needs to be enjoyed. Visit the local bakeries and try new things. Every Sunday Germans go to the bakery for their three o’clock cake which they take with tea and coffee at home..
What do you miss most about home? Or the places you’ve lived?
Flexibility. Germans are very set in their ways. Not everyone is obliged to follow all the processes and all the procedures all the time which the society imposes.
What is your favourite place in Frankfurt?
Münchner Strasse in the Bahnhofsviertel. It is the only place where Frankfurt has a bit of a very big city.
What do you wish Frankfurt had? What is missing in Frankfurt?
Many more inhabitants, many more theaters, many more museums, many more bars and restaurants. Why is Frankfurt not New York?
Any tips or advice for newcomers to Frankfurt?
Frankfurt´s museums, especially the MMK and the Schirn have very fine Opening-Partys, maybe you will find new friends there.
Stay tuned for more stories from those choosing to make Frankfurt and its surroundings home! In the meantime, have read of the other incredible people we’ve interviewed, the people who inspire us and the reason we love The Homesick Project. Perhaps it’s comfort you seek or perhaps it’s inspiration one things for sure though we all here so lets be in it together!
One final note keep your eyes open for Farah Cooks novel coming out October 2021, it’s a crime thriller page turner!