PVLF 2025

Interview with Khyrunnisa A., Author of ‘Agassi and the Great Cycle Race’

Khyrunnisa A’s Agassi and the Great Cycle Race is a hilarious ride through self-identity, courage, and friendship, led by a boy who can't cycle yet.
on Jun 20, 2025

Frontlist: Joel hates his name and tennis, but signs up for a cycle race without knowing how to cycle. What drew you to explore themes of self-identity and unexpected courage through a humorous lens?

Khyrunnisa: Names are a tricky proposition and one is stuck with the name given by their parents, whether they like it or not (well, there are ways out of this, but they are not easy to navigate). My own name is constantly misspelt and mispronounced and I’ve learnt to live

with that. When I was teaching, I used to feel very sorry for students with embarrassing names. Maybe all this is in my subconscious for I’ve dealt with variations of this theme in a few other stories too. Humour is the best tool to deal with this for laughter helps take

the message across better. Or so I hope.

Regarding the theme of unexpected courage…Joel is so keen on taking up something that has no truck with tennis that he enthusiastically enters a cycle race. I thought that his determination to participate in the race while knowing nothing about cycling had the potential for humorous coaching episodes and comical complications, making the story more fun.

Frontlist: The SunLit theme is about bringing joy and light into readers’ lives. What part of Agassi and the Great Cycle Race do you think shines the brightest with that spirit?

Khyrunnisa: The part where Agassi crosses the finish line with a bang.

Frontlist: Your Butterfingers series is known for laughter and lovable chaos. How does Joel in this book compare with your earlier protagonists in terms of personality and challenges?

Khyrunnisa:I think Joel is on par with Butterfingers and the other characters I have created, for all of them face problems squarely and love to take up challenges. In fact, almost always, they are the architects of the challenges. They have their own unique and, in the case of Butterfingers, disaster-prone methods to solve them, generating a lot of laughter while they are about it. Regarding personality, Butterfingers is known for his clumsiness, while Agassi finds himself in comical situations that aren’t always initiated by him. But what is common is that the end result is hilarious.

Frontlist: Zeba, Joel’s neighbour, becomes his unexpected mentor. How important is friendship and mentorship in your storytelling, especially for young readers finding their way?

Khyrunnisa: Friendship is very important for emotional growth. It has a key role to play in my plots. If you take Butterfingers, he has a group of crazy friends who support him in his madcap schemes, and all of them are very loyal to one another. Friendship has to be nurtured and is all about caring and sharing, giving and taking. I am sure young readers know the

valuable role of camaraderie in their lives, how crucial it is to make their school life enjoyable, exciting and fun, and I hope reading my books reinforces that.

Frontlist: You’ve created comic characters and witty stories across formats. What makes you return to the world of middle-grade fiction again and again?

Khyrunnisa: The target readers for my first novel Howzzat Butterfingers! are middle graders, though I always maintain that books for middle-graders will also appeal to older readers. Howzzat Butterfingers! became successful, paving the way for the Butterfingers series. When readers get back to me saying they can relate to my characters and enjoy the real-life situations I simulate in my books, I feel happy I am able to strike a chord with them. That confidence makes me very comfortable in the world of middle graders, though I enjoy writing for older people too.

Frontlist: There’s a beautiful balance between silliness and sincerity in your writing. How do you decide where to draw the line between laugh-out-loud moments and deeper emotional beats?

Khyrunnisa: Thank you for the lovely question. Yes, I try to ensure that humour doesn’t descend into meaningless farce. Comedy should have a purpose and I always keep the storyline in mind when I get my protagonists into ludicrous situations, ensuring that the events add substance to the plot or nuances to the characters.

Frontlist: Your stories often celebrate small-town quirks and community. How does setting play a role in shaping your characters’ adventures and attitudes?

Khyrunnisa: I like small towns and, though I haven’t given a name for the town in which Agassi lives or in which Butterfingers’ Green Park Higher Secondary School is situated, I love the cosiness of a small town atmosphere and the warmth and joy that is shared by the inhabitants. Such a setting is ideal for me to introduce quirky characters, and fun but meaningful plots.

Frontlist: If you could summarise the soul of Agassi and the Great Cycle Race in one sentence to a young reader, what would you say?

Khyrunnisa: Nothing is impossible if you put your heart into it.