Author writes her own success story

Sonia Faruqi studied policy and economics at Dartmouth College in the US and had a successful career in an investment banking firm on Wall Street until she was let go in what she describes as a hemorrhaging American economy.

Suddenly with more time on her hands than she had enjoyed in years, she thought it would be nice to volunteer at a farm. She had seen the videos shot secretly by animal activists, but nothing had prepared her for the reality of what animals are subjected to.

On her first farm, she didn’t last the two weeks she had signed up for.  And yet, horrified and repulsed as she was, she was driven to find out more. She spent the better part of two years visiting and working on farms across Canada, the us, Mexico, and the Far East. She hitchhiked, stayed with strangers and risked her life on more than one occasion.

“I had to decide if I wanted to get back into what used to be my world or follow my heart. In the end, the decision was simple. I couldn’t just sit back and do nothing. Not after all that I had witnessed. I had to get the truth out from my perspective.”

The result was Project Animal Farm.

A lot of first-time authors struggle to find a publisher, but her book was picked up by Pegasus Books, and published to wide acclaim. Reader reviews were overwhelmingly positive.

Faruqi, who had moved to the US at 18 to study, came to Canada when she was 24 when her parents moved here from Abu Dhabi.

“My brother went to UofT. We all feel Canada is a great country, that we are fortunate to be here.”

To those who look to her for guidance on how to succeed in their chosen fields in their new country, she stresses the importance of being persistent.

“Don’t give up. Not when people say you are wasting your time, not even when if takes longer than you anticipated. Stay true to your dreams, your passion.

“Speaking for myself, some writers pay a lot of attention to reviews. I feel very blessed that mine were very positive – but I find the straight-from-the-heart comments from readers the most rewarding. They made a huge difference and they are the reason I will continue to advocate for food reform.”

Sonia Faruqi’s latest book, The Oyster Thief, also received critical and reader acclaim.