June 23, 2020

“Sometimes people come to me, and after realizing I am an author, they apologize and say, ‘I am sorry, you shouldn’t have shined my shoes.’ I tell them this is my job and I don’t see any differences between myself and the person who should have shined your shoes. Or I have friends on social media who know me as a writer, they come to leave their shoes to mend with me by chance, and say, ‘Is that you Xalo Rauf? It is unfortunate that you have to do this job!’
I cannot say I am proud of being a cobbler, but why is it unfortunate to do this job? What should I have done? Was it good to be a goldsmith? [Laughing] It seems like I had to have a better life as a writer, but cobbling and writing are two different aspects of my life. I have tried to stay well-read and be a successful satirist. I have published satires in most of Eastern Kurdistan’s weekly publications. I have now published my first satire book called ‘Tenzila’ and I am still a cobbler. This is me and my life. I always say, ‘So much satire I could have written…”