Workshop and Q&A with Iqbal Hussein

Iqbal Hussain has been writing stories since he was a child. He loves stories to do with families and a bit of magic. He lives in north London with his partner and teddy bear-like labradoodle, Milo. When Iqbal isn’t writing stories, he enjoys composing music on his piano. 

One day, he’d like to bring together his love of words and music to write a musical – maybe something scary like Dracula! Iqbal is originally from Lancashire, and still very much thinks himself of as a Northern boy.

Eleven-year-old Zubair has six older brothers, known as the Six. This means a noisy, busy household – and Zubair loves it. But ever since his dad crashed his taxi, and has been unable to work, Zubair’s parents are often arguing. When Zubair’s gran arrives from Pakistan to help out, she gives him a mysterious amulet. And Zubair discovers that being the seventh son means that he has the power to time travel! Can he use his new skill to go back in time and help fix his family – without ripping apart their lives in the process? 

This debut novel brilliantly captures both contemporary family life in Lancashire, and the devastation of the Partition of India and Pakistan in 1947. Zubair is a relatable character, being bossed around by almost everyone in his life, and then taking the initiative to fix things. He loves his family, which is an important character trait to celebrate, and many readers might recognise the loud, busy home life. Zubair doesn’t want anything to change, but part of growing up is learning to accept change – and seeing that divorce isn’t anything to do with the children. Ideal for upper primary and lower secondary pupils.