KT staffer’s debut novel chosen for Emirates LitFest 2023

KT staffer’s debut novel chosen for Emirates LitFest 2023

Muhammad Ali Bandial’s book I Dream of Rain touches upon untethered bonds between father and son

Published: Fri 16 Dec 2022, 7:34 PM Last updated: Fri 16 Dec 2022, 7:35 PM

Books are a mirror of the soul” — as Virginia Woolf quoted in her book 'Between the Acts'.

This is precisely what Muhammad Ali Bandial, reporter at Khaleej Times, has depicted in his deeply personal debut work of fiction which traces the faultlines of a father-son bond that goes awry. Keeping up with the theme of the famed Emirates Airline Festival of Literature 2023 — ‘Old Friends’, Bandial’s book I Dream of Rain captures the meaningful but complex relationship between two generations. It is also a poignant tale of love, betrayal, and finding the path back to forgiveness.

Bandial grew up in military cantonments in remote areas of Pakistan, assimilating the varied cultures and practices of the five provinces of Pakistan. He worked for more than a decade as a federal government officer before switching to the private sector. He currently works as a reporter at Khaleej Times.

At the ‘Author Reveal’ for the 2023 Emirates LitFest in November, Bandial was selected as one of the speakers for the LitFest Launchpad, an initiative to