Welcome to the Wintering Sessions with Katherine May.'I am my childhood’s wildest dream,’ says Saima Mir. This episode is about the process of getting there, not just the determination and hard work, but also the intangibles: the beliefs, ambitions and understandings that you don’t even know how to articulate, but which hold you up on a decades-long journey to becoming. In this conversation, the journalist and bestselling novelist talks about shame, failure, the experience of being gossiped about - but also the inner strength and family support that allowed her to reinvent herself after leaving her first two husbands. Saima came late to journalism, but forged a successful career on TV and in print before writing her genre-changing (or will it be genre-defining?) novel, The Khan. Here, she surveys that pathway to this place, and how it built her iconic character, Jia Khan. We talked about:Shame, failure, the experience of being gossiped aboutInner strength and family support that allowed her to reinvent herselfHer best-selling novel, The KhanSAIMA LINKSOnlineTwitterThe KhanThe Best, Most Awful JobKATHERINE LINKSShop all books from The Wintering SessionsPatreonHomepageTwitterInstagramThe Wintering SessionsKatherine's writing classNote: this contains affiliate links which means Katherine will receive a small commission for any purchases made. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.