Arslan Athar is a Lahore based writer and the founder and editor of The Desi Collective. 

The Desi Collective is a quarterly magazine for young and aspiring writers in South Asia. To date the magazine has already published three issues and is on its way of having a digital version as well.

Athar has also been selected for the South Asia Speaks programme. It is a mentorship programme for early career writers in the region.

Mashable Pakistan talks to Arslan about what writing means to him, his journey that resulted in The Desi Collective and where the magazine is headed.