‘I read about 50 books a year’

risingbd, country’s leading and popular news portal, is publishing stories on persons who have shown success in various fields. As part of its efforts, Nabila Nowshin is writing stories under the banner ‘in series#30days30souls’. Recently, she talked to Sharfin Islam who is a student and a huge book lover. During the conversation, Sharfin Islam talked about her childhood, education life, reading habit and more which are given below.

Hello, how are you?
Hi, I'm doing pretty well, given the circumstances!

What’s your full name and nickname?
I'm Sharfin Islam.

Where did you sit for your O and A Levels?
I sat for my O levels from Scholastica and A levels as a private student.

Where are you currently studying what is your major?
I'm currently doing my Undergraduation in BBA Marketing.

Where did you grow up? Tell us one memorable moment from your childhood.
I was born and raised in Dhaka, though my family is from Chattogram.
One of the funniest memories from my childhood is from back when my family and I were visiting Nepal. I had a lollipop in my hand and a little monkey came up to me and stole it right from my hand. Looking back at it, it's one of the most hilarious things that has happened to me!

Do you want to give any advice to your 18 years old self?
If you ever find yourself questioning an action or trying to make a decision, think about your priorities. It's okay to make decisions emotionally but that doesn't necessarily mean it'll always be illogical.
Was there anything that you’ve wanted to achieve when you were a kid and now you’ve done it? If yes, then what is it and how did you do it.

I've always wanted to create something of my own beautiful enough to be showcased. This was before the era of social media, and I've never really been artistic.
My Instagram is now my proudest piece of work where I'm able to put up and experiment with my skills, and I think 12 year old me would've been really proud.
 

In this moment we all know we have some precious free time. So, what are you doing with this time? Are you being productive? Share it with us! We would love to know about your activities.
Not to sound ungrateful, and contrary to most of my peer's situations, I actually don't get much free time. With work and assignment taking up half my day, the rest is spent with my family, on Instagram, or reading!

What is your dream job?
Extremely far-fetched, but I'd love to work from the Reader's Digest someday!
You know what they say, shoot for the stars and you're bound to land somewhere at least near!

I see you are a bookworm. You read a lot of books every day. Did you count on average how many books you read in a year?
According to my Goodreads, I read about 50 books a year!

What kind of books do you like to read the most?
I'm okay with all genres as long as they're fiction.

Which one is your favourite book?
A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

After reading a book, you give a review, which is really helpful for people. Do you have any plans to write a book yourself someday?
Not really, to be honest. I'm more of a reader than a writer.

Besides reading books, what do you like to do the most in your pastime?
I love bingeing shows on Netflix.

So, in series #30days30souls you are one of those 30 people. How do you feel taking part in this?
I'm honoured to be a part of this and I'm glad to have been given a platform to share my experience. Thank you!

And also, there are 29 more people like you who are passionate about their work and doing great for the world. Do you want to give any message to them?
I have a soft spot for people who are passionate about something in life, especially if they take the time to quench it. You all are so admirable, and I hope to learn a lot from you!



Dhaka/Mukul