About me
My name’s Mustakin Hashim. 33-year-old storyteller and novelist.
I was born in October 1990 in Dover, Kent. I moved out of Dover to study film at the University of Hertfordshire, which I can happily admit is my proudest accomplishment. When I was young, attaining a degree felt like an impossible goal, yet I am now proud to have achieved what I once thought impossible. While I had little enthusiasm for school, I deeply appreciated storytelling. It was not until a friend of mine brought up the idea of publishing my stories that I thought of sharing them with everyone. Stupidly, I asked, ‘What does publishing mean?’ as if my mind had created this illusion that novels were these supernatural objects that had been created from nothingness, and that it was inconceivable for them to be written by actual people. Here I am 25 years later, my friend’s voice telling me to publish my novel – to achieve another impossible dream.
Nothing makes me happier than seeing pictures come to life, whether that is on the screen or words coming to life in my head. My professional career is in Media Production. However, my passion lies in the artistry of creating and writing stories. I began writing at an early age, during a period when I had trouble reading, unable to bring the words to life in my mind. Despite this, I had a powerful love for stories. Incredible stories such as Moses parting the Red Sea, the T-1000 terminator shifting into liquid metal, and Neo’s bullet-dodging in The Matrix have always had an allure to me. Furthermore, Metal Gear Solid and Final Fantasy, games that even my 8-year-old mind knew were something special – something cinematic – captured my imagination, deepening my appreciation of storytelling outside of films and books. So naturally, unable to withhold my creative desires and the characters that lived within my mind, stories embedded since birth, I created my own stories of magic. My debut novel is an amalgamation of the many bedtime stories I would tell my younger brother. I hope to keep people reading into the early hours of the morning and my stories enjoyed the world over. And if you enjoy my stories, there’s plenty more to come.
In addition to writing novels, I also write screenplays. In fact, I write the screenplay first and then write the novel. This is just one of my uncanny ways of planning a novel. In 2009, I entered a feature-length screenplay competition and reached the finals. It was then I realised I could have something special here, that Aura Ignition could be more than just printed drafts under my bed or stored on a USB stick.
The year is 2023. I have published my first novel. A dream accomplished.
Outside of writing, I love anime, watching films and TV, and playing video games. I am especially excited about Final Fantasy VII Rebirth on PS5. Upon release, you may not hear from me on my socials. Just kidding. I would love to hear from you on Twitter (or X), where I am most active. After all, I can pause games. Feel free to reach out to me. I’d love to hear from you.
