The AuthorsWiki team would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to author Affan Shaikhsurab for generously sharing their valuable time for the interview. We are excited to inform you that the author’s book, Build Your Own Programming Language, which was published some time ago, is available on leading ecommerce stores. In the interview, the author shared their experiences and some special moments with our team. We hope our readers enjoy this exclusive interview with the author.
AuthorsWiki : Do you briefly introduce yourself in your own words?
Affan Shaikhsurab : Yeah, so I’m Affan Shaikhsurab 21 year old cse undergard from india. I’m basically someone who just likes to build stuff. I’ve been building since I was a teenager, like small apps, tools, random projects—some failed, some went nowhere, but all taught me something. I love figuring out how things work, especially the hard stuff. That’s why I even ended up making my own programming language. I’m not from any big college or anything, but I’ve always been curious, like I just can’t sit still without making or learning something. So yeah, just a regular guy trying to build cool things and understand the world better one step at a time.
AuthorsWiki : Apart from writing, what is your occupation for livelihood?
Affan Shaikhsurab : Right now apart from writing, I mostly work on building software products sometimes my own, sometimes for clients. I run a small dev agency kinda setup where we take on projects like websites, learning platforms, or tools, and I also do freelance work here and there. I try to keep things remote so I get the time and space to work on my personal projects too. Writing books is more like sharing what I’ve learned along the way, but for livelihood, it’s mostly coding, shipping projects, and helping others build their ideas.
AuthorsWiki : Tell us something about the your first book?
Affan Shaikhsurab : Yeah, so my first book is all about how to build your own programming language from scratch. It’s not a theory-heavy CS book, it’s more like a guide based on my own journey. I was just bored one day after building so many apps and tools, and I thought, “How do these programming languages even work?” So I started digging, step by step, and eventually ended up building my own.
The book is for anyone who’s curious—especially developers who want to understand what happens under the hood. It’s written in simple English, no fancy stuff, and with a lot of real code and examples. I wanted it to feel like you’re building something with a friend, not reading a textbook.
AuthorsWiki : Would you like to tell us about your published books?
Affan Shaikhsurab : Yeah, so my first and currently only published book is called “Build Your Own Programming Language”. It’s kind of a mix of my personal journey and a step-by-step guide. The idea came from a phase where I had built a lot of projects but hit this point where nothing excited me anymore. Then I got curious—how do programming languages actually work?
This book is basically what I wish I had when I started. It walks you through the process of building your own toy programming language, slowly and simply. It’s not written for experts or professors it’s for normal developers like me who just want to understand things deeply. The goal isn’t just to create a language, but to help you become a better programmer by understanding how everything connects under the hood
AuthorsWiki : Where did you get inspiration for book publishing?
Affan Shaikhsurab : I was trying to build my own programming language and had to spend months figuring everything out on my own digging through blogs, videos, GitHub repos, sometimes with zero clarity. And I remember thinking, “Man, I wish someone had just explained this to me in a simple, beginner-friendly way.”
That’s when I thought, why not make that for someone else?
I didn’t plan to become an author. I just wanted to document the journey and make it easier for the next person who’s as curious as I was. That’s how the idea for publishing the book came—sharing what I wish I had when I started.
AuthorsWiki : How do you manage time to write a book?
Affan Shaikhsurab : Honestly, I don’t have some perfect routine or fancy productivity system. I just write whenever I feel that “click” like when something makes sense in my head and I know I can explain it well.
Most of the time, I break it into small steps. I don’t sit down thinking, “I have to write a book today.” I just try to write one small thing a paragraph, an idea, a diagram anything that pushes it forward. Even 15 20 minutes a day adds up over time.
Sometimes I go days without writing, and sometimes I write for hours. I just try to stay consistent in the long run, not perfect in the short term.
AuthorsWiki : What is your favorite writing method, in which you do the most writing?
Affan Shaikhsurab : I usually write the most when I explain things to myself like I’m teaching someone else. I imagine a friend in front of me who’s curious but doesn’t know anything about the topic, and I just talk through it like how I would explain it casually over a cup of tea.
I don’t start with outlines or super strict structure. I start with raw thoughts, brain dumps, broken sentences whatever comes to mind. Then I slowly shape it. I write in Notion or any basic editor, sometimes even on my phone. My favorite method is to just get it all out first, and then clean it later.
So yeah, I keep it raw, simple, and very me.
AuthorsWiki : When did you start writing and how did your interest in writing begin?
Affan Shaikhsurab : I actually started writing when I was around 18 or 19. At first, I didn’t even think of it as “writing” I was just trying to explain things I was learning in tech, like how something works internally. I’d break it down in my own way, and slowly I started enjoying that process.
The more I explained things, the more I realized I liked writing especially when I saw that other people found it helpful too. That pushed me to write more: blogs, articles, and eventually this book.
It all started with curiosity and a habit of talking to myself through complex topics. Writing just became a natural extension of that.
AuthorsWiki : Special achievement in your life, which you would like to share with us and your readers too?
Affan Shaikhsurab : One special achievement I’d say is creating my own programming language from scratch not because it’s something huge in the tech world, but because it felt impossible at first.
I used to think you had to be some kind of genius to even understand how languages work, let alone build one. But step by step, with a lot of trial and error, I actually made one. And not just that , I ended up writing a book about it to help others who feel the same way I did.
Another thing I’m proud of is contributing to big open-source projects like Flutter and Python. I never thought someone like me could be part of those communities, but I did it.
These things aren’t flashy, but for me, they were proof that consistency beats talent, and that if you stay curious and keep going, you’ll end up doing things you never imagined.
AuthorsWiki : Are you planning to write or publish a book in the present or future?
Affan Shaikhsurab : Yes! I’m already working on my next book it’s called “One Step.”
It’s not a technical book like the last one, but more of a mix between my personal journey and the idea of taking small, consistent steps toward big things.
It’s about how we overthink, how we get stuck, and how just showing up — even with tiny progress can completely change our lives.
So yeah, it’s still in the works, but it’s coming. One step at a time.
AuthorsWiki : Want to give a message to your readers and fans?
Affan Shaikhsurab : Yes 🙂
If you’ve read my work or supported me in any way thank you from the bottom of my heart.
I just want to say: don’t wait to be perfect. Don’t wait to feel “ready.” Just start with whatever you have, wherever you are.
Build things. Break them. Learn. Share. Keep that curiosity alive.
And remember it’s not about doing something big all at once, it’s about taking one small step every day. That’s how everything changes.
AuthorsWiki : Every writer has his own Ideal, do you also have an Ideal writer? And your favorite books that you will always want to read?
Affan Shaikhsurab : Yeah, definitely. I do have a few.
One of my biggest inspirations is Donald Miller , especially his book A Million Miles in a Thousand Years it completely changed the way I look at life and storytelling. Another one is The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho that book really hits home every time I read it. It’s simple but so deep.
Some books I’ll always carry with me and would want to re-read are:
- The Alchemist
- A Million Miles in a Thousand Years
- The Go-Giver
- The Top 5 Regrets of the Dying
These aren’t just books they’re reminders of how to live with purpose, curiosity, and a bit of courage.
AuthorsWiki : Apart from writing, what are your other hobbies, which you like to do in your free time?
Affan Shaikhsurab : Apart from writing, I love building things like apps, tools, even programming languages. I’m always experimenting with ideas. I also enjoy reading deep, thought-provoking books, having long conversations about life and meaning, and sometimes just taking a quiet walk with some music on. I like observing things, people, patterns all that. It’s those small moments where ideas usually pop up.
AuthorsWiki : Would you like to remain in the writing world even in future?
Affan Shaikhsurab : Yeah, definitely. Writing has become a part of me now it’s like thinking out loud but in a way that others can understand too. Whether it’s a book, a blog, or just a note to myself, I think I’ll always write in some form. It helps me process what I’m building, what I’m learning, and even what I’m feeling. So yeah, I don’t think I’ll ever stop.
How to Buy Author’s Book-
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It was a pleasure speaking with Affan Shaikhsurab, whose journey and reflections offer a meaningful glimpse into the creative life of a writer. We sincerely thank them for sharing their time and wisdom with the AuthorsWiki community.
If you enjoyed this conversation, feel free to explore more about the author’s work through the links above, and don’t hesitate to share your thoughts in the comments below.
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