“I wrote this book to inspire others to recognize that they have the right to live their best life, without constraints. The challenges of coming out can be even greater when you are dealing with cultural norms that see being gay as unnatural or immoral. When being part of the LGBTQ community is seen as a violation of a family or individual’s honor, then coming out can even be life-threatening,” said Asad Jung, author and filmmaker.

Asad Jung was born and raised in Pakistan, before immigrating to Los Angeles, California. He is a graduate of Loyola Marymount University, where he studied business and mass communication, and UCLA, where he studied film and television. His work in film highlights situations outside of the normal happy endings, including a serial focused on a young single mother raising a deaf child in Pakistan.

During his both his film and writing careers, Asad continues to shine the light on his homeland, including what makes it unique but also the cultural challenges those who are different may face. Growing up with a neurological condition, Asad faced multiple personal challenges in pursuing his dreams, which served as inspiration for Cosmopolitan: An Novel of Love and Self-Discovery.

“I believe that each journey cannot be defined by one personal challenge or another. Sometimes we face multiple challenges as we come to the point in our lives where we can embrace our authentic selves. Cosmopolitan is just the story of one man, but there are thousands of these stories out there. It is our job as writers and filmmakers to share these stories and facilitate understanding among individuals,” said Asad Jung.

Asad Jung currently divides his time between Los Angeles and Pakistan, where he works on both his family business and his production company. Cosmopolitan is his first novel, with more in the works.