Today, I’m so honoured to welcome Hala Alyan to the podcast. Hala is an award-winning Palestinian American writer, poet, and clinical psychologist whose work has long explored the intimate spaces between memory, home, displacement, and the inner worlds we navigate. Many readers know her through her poetry and her acclaimed novels Salt Houses and The Arsonists’ City, but her latest book, I’ll Tell You When I’m Home, brings us into an even more intimate landscape. Structured in twelve chapters - each corresponding to a month of pregnancy — the memoir unfolds at the pace of a body hoping, fearing, changing, and remembering.In this conversation, we explore how Hala writes about belonging, grief, and the complicated terrain of family and identity. We also spend time with the memoir’s deeply personal themes: infertility, baby loss, and the ways these experiences reshape identity and belonging - how they alter one’s relationship to the body, to lineage, and to the idea of home. Hala writes with remarkable honesty about her struggle with alcohol addiction and the difficult, courageous work of recovery, and she is equally candid about the complexities of marriage: the tensions, the ruptures, and the quiet forms of repair that make long-term partnership both challenging and deeply human.We also reflect on the past two years, and how this moment for Palestine — the grief, the witnessing, the insistence on remembering - has shaped her understanding of heritage, responsibility, and where we locate ourselves in times of collective pain.It’s a thoughtful, layered, and profoundly honest conversation, and I’m truly grateful to share it with you.Support the show

This week, I'm joined by Ova Ceren, whose debut novel The Book of Heartbreak is a raw, tender, and compelling exploration of love, loss, and healing amid a fantasy world of angels and the other side. With lyrical prose and unflinching honesty, Ova takes readers on a journey through the intensity of different types of love and loss, while also throwing us into a family of secrets, unspoken histories and a journey of self-discovery. Ova Ceren writes bittersweet tales of heartbreak and magic, often inspired by Turkish and Ottoman folklore. Blessed (or perhaps cursed) with a mathematical brain, she earned a degree in Computer Science and a master’s that led her into a career in IT, taking her from Türkiye to Britain. After years of wrestling with algorithms in corporate jungles, she finally eloped with a debut novel instead.Ova now lives in Cambridge, UK, with her husband, son, and a spirited flock of runner ducks.In our conversation, we talk about what inspired her to write such a story, moving into writing from being a software engineer, the fantasy genre, heartbreak, Turkey and Turkish history and so much more. I'm so pleased to be sharing this conversation with you. Support the show

Today I’m joined joined by Saima Begum, a British-Bangladeshi writer whose voice is courageous, lyrical, and intent on bringing untold histories out of the silence.Saima Begum lives in London, and though The First Jasmines is her debut novel, she has already made her mark - she won the MFest Short Story Competition in 2021. Her novel The First Jasmines (published 31 July 2025 with Hajar Press) is set during the final stages of the Bangladesh Liberation War, in 1971, and follows two sisters, Lucky and Jamila, who are captured by Pakistani soldiers and held in a detention-camp.  Locked in a single room by the river, they see outside a barred window the white jasmines blooming day and night, even as the brutal violence of war rages all around. What emerges in The First Jasmines is not just a story of war and the suffering inflicted, but a deeply human account of survival, memory, and the afterlives of violence. Begum explores how women in the detention camp develop inner lives even under extreme oppression: how they talk among themselves, remember their lives before, reflect on motherhood, marriage, beauty, bodily autonomy, and struggle for dignity.  In Begum’s words, she felt she “didn’t see that reflected in the literature” about Bangladesh and its war - this gap compelled her to write. In this episode, we talk about silences, the stories we inherit, womanhood, identity, survival, hope and so much more. I'm honoured to share this conversation with you. Support the show

This week, I'm thrilled to be in conversation with Professor Sunny Singh.Sunny Singh was born in India and over the years her life has spanned continents and languages.  She earned a BA in English and American Literature at Brandeis University, followed by a master’s in Spanish Literature from Jawaharlal Nehru University, and a PhD from the University of Barcelona. Over time, she has written novels, creative nonfiction, essays, and short stories; she also serves as Professor of Creative Writing and Inclusion in the Arts at London Metropolitan University. Beyond her writing, Sunny has been a powerful force for literary equity. In 2017 she launched the Jhalak Prize, a prize for writers of colour in the UK and Ireland, and continues to engage deeply with questions of decolonisation, representation and the literary ecosystem.  In recognition of her contributions to letters, she was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. Her new short story collection, Refuge: Stories of War (and Love) (released August 2025) is a striking, ambitious volume that brings into conversation the most urgent and often silenced narratives of conflict, displacement, and resilience.  Over its dozen or so stories, the collection moves across continents and histories - touching on war zones, refugee lives, gendered violence, memory, and the possibility of tenderness even amid devastation. What sets Refuge apart is how it refuses easy binaries: perpetrators sometimes carry scars of suffering; survivors negotiate moral compromise and loss; the stories do not dwell on revenge but insist on empathy, nuance, and the endurance of human dignity.  Still, the collection does not shy away from brutality—sexual violence, war crimes, colonial legacies—and the way these violences embed themselves in bodies, histories, homes and memory.  And yet the final gesture of many of these stories is not surrender. They gesture toward renewal, connection, and the redemptive potential in telling the stories we fear.Support the show

For today’s episode, I’m joined by Tasneem Abdur-Rashid for the third time in three years! Tasneem is a communications professional, writer, and author of the powerful new novel Odd Girl Out. Tasneem’s work explores identity, faith, family, and belonging, with characters and stories that speak to experiences rarely seen in mainstream publishing.Odd Girl Out follows the story of 15-year-old Maariyah who is navigating friendship, love, and the weight of expectations, while also confronting the unspoken challenges of mental health and community pressures. Her life is uprooted following the divorce of her parents, and she leaves behind a life of glitz and glamour in Dubai, for the rather less impressive, London. It’s a novel that is both deeply relatable and refreshingly bold in its honesty.In our conversation, we talk about the inspiration behind the book, Tasneem’s journey as a writer, divorce and family, and the importance of seeing authentic Muslim representation in literature.I’m so honoured to share this conversation with you – it’s moving, insightful, and necessary.Support the show

After a three-month hiatus, I'm so pleased to be bringing back this podcast with more amazing conversations.This week, I’m joined by Sabrin Hasbun, writer, researcher, and author of the beautiful and moving book Crossing. Born in Italy to a Palestinian father and Italian mother, Sabrin grew up navigating languages, cultures, and identities – experiences that deeply inform her work. Crossing is part memoir, part exploration of belonging, memory, and family history. It moves between past and present, Italy and Palestine, weaving together personal stories with wider questions of identity, exile, and the meaning of home.In our conversation, we talk about her journey into writing, the ways in which her dual heritage has shaped her perspective, and how literature can hold space for histories that risk being silenced. I'm so honoured to share this conversation with you. Support the show

In today’s episode, I’m joined by the brilliant Chitra Nagarajan – a writer, researcher, and activist whose work spans human rights, conflict, migration, and climate justice.Chitra has spent many years working across West Africa, particularly in the Lake Chad Basin region, and brings a deep commitment to centering the voices of those often left unheard. Her writing has appeared in The Guardian, Al Jazeera, openDemocracy, and more, and she is widely respected for her ability to weave together the personal, political, and historical with clarity and compassion.In this episode, we discuss her extraordinary new book, The World Was In Our Hands – Voices from the Boko Haram Conflict, which is a powerful and essential oral history project. Through a chorus of voices – of survivors, fighters, community members, and aid workers – the book paints a deeply human and nuanced portrait of one of the most devastating conflicts of our time. It asks urgent questions about justice, memory, and healing, and it reminds us of the importance of listening deeply to the people most affected by violence.I’m so honoured to share this conversation with you – it’s moving, insightful, and necessary.Support the show

In today’s episode, I’m joined by the extraordinary Juhea Kim to discuss her latest novel, City of Night Birds—a haunting and lyrical exploration of artistry, love, and redemption set against the backdrop of the Russian ballet world.The novel centers on Natalia Leonova, once the most celebrated ballerina of her generation. After a catastrophic accident ends her career, Natalia returns to St. Petersburg in 2019, grappling with addiction and the ghosts of her past. As she navigates the city that shaped her, she confronts memories of her complex relationships: her great love, Alexander, who transformed both her life and art; and Dmitri, a dark and treacherous genius whose actions contributed to her downfall. When Dmitri offers her a chance to return to the stage in her signature role, Natalia must decide whether she can face the people and the world that nearly broke her.In our conversation, Juhea and I explore themes of forgiveness, identity, and the transformative power of art. Juhea shares insights into her research process, her connection to the world of ballet, and how she crafted a narrative that resonates with both intimacy and grandeur. We talk about the moral responsibilities that authors have, literature as a work of art, the world around us and so much more. A bit about Juhea before we begin: she is the author of the acclaimed debut novel Beasts of a Little Land, which was a finalist for the Dayton Literary Peace Prize and the winner of the Society of American Historians Prize for Historical Fiction. Her writing has appeared in Guernica, Catapult, Zyzzyva, and The New York Times Modern Love. Born in South Korea and now based in Portland, Oregon, Juhea is also a passionate advocate for animal rights and environmental justice.This is a beautiful and deeply human conversation, and I can’t wait for you to hear it.Support the show

This week, I’m speaking with the brilliant Ibtisam Azem—novelist, journalist, and storyteller—about her powerful and thought-provoking book, The Book of Disappearance.Set across 1948 Palestine, in Jaffa and also Tel Aviv, this novel asks a haunting question: what if all the Palestinians suddenly disappeared? Through the intertwining narratives of Alaa, a young Palestinian man who vanishes without a trace, and Ariel, an Israeli, liberal Zionist journalist who finds Alaa’s diaries, the novel explores themes of memory, identity, and erasure. It is both a deeply personal story and a profound political meditation on history, belonging, and loss.In this conversation, we delve into the layers of metaphor and meaning in The Book of Disappearance, the historical and political realities that shape the narrative, and the ongoing situation in Palestine. We also reflect on storytelling as resistance, the role of literature in preserving memory, and the weight of silence in both personal and collective histories.This is a powerful and necessary discussion, and I hope it sparks reflection and conversation for you as well.--I hope you loved listening to this episode and found things that will stay with you. I’d love to hear from you, so please do reach out on social media and don’t forget to like, subscribe and leave a review as it can really help. If you're feeling extra generous, please consider buying me a "coffee" so I can keep putting great conversations like this out into the world:https://ko-fi.com/readwithsamiaSupport the show

For this week's episode, I have the immense honour of speaking with Elif Shafak — an internationally acclaimed and award-winning author whose work has been translated into more than 55 languages. With 21 published books to her name, including 13 novels, Elif has built a remarkable body of work that spans continents, cultures, and generations. Her writing is rich, lyrical, and deeply political, shaped by her experiences of living in multiple countries, her life in exile, and her unwavering belief in the power of stories to build bridges and foster understanding.In this episode, we talk about her latest novel, There Are Rivers In The Sky, a beautifully layered and timely book that flows across generations and continents, weaving together stories of identity, migration, belonging, and the sacredness of water.We explore the urgent themes at the heart of the novel — climate change, political unrest, and the silencing of voices — and how Elif draws on oral storytelling traditions to give voice to those often unheard. We also speak about the symbolism of water, the language of silence, and how fiction can hold both beauty and protest at once.This is a powerful and reflective conversation that touches on hope, resilience, and the role of the writer in turbulent times. I am beyond honoured to be speaking with Elif for this episode. --I hope you loved listening to this episode and found things that will stay with you. I’d love to hear from you, so please do reach out on social media and don’t forget to like, subscribe and leave a review as it can really help. If you're feeling extra generous, please consider buying me a "coffee" so I can keep putting great conversations like this out into the world:https://ko-fi.com/readwithsamiaSupport the show

Today’s episode is part of a special mini-series called Ramadan reflections, where I talk to guests about faith, life and Ramadan. I’m thrilled to be joined by poet and creative producer, Imrana Mahmood for a conversation about creativity and faith, the role of Ramadan in the creative process, and the importance of Muslim representation in literature and on stage and screen.Imrana Mahmood is a poet, curator, and creative producer who has dedicated her career to amplifying underrepresented voices in the arts. With a background in community-driven projects, she has worked extensively to create spaces for diverse creatives to thrive. Her work is deeply rooted in storytelling, activism, and faith, exploring themes of identity, belonging, and spirituality. She has collaborated with leading arts organizations and has played a key role in shaping conversations around Muslim representation in the UK’s literary and creative industries.In this episode, we’ll be diving into Imrana’s journey—how faith informs her creativity, the challenges and opportunities for Muslim artists today, and what true representation looks like in the arts. Support the show

Today’s episode is part of a special mini-series called Ramadan reflections, where I talk to guests about faith, life and Ramadan.I’m honoured to be speaking with Yasmin Stannard, a mother, advocate, and campaigner, who has been raising awareness and funds for brain cancer in memory of her beloved daughter, Amani.Amani was just 22 years old when she passed away from brain cancer three years ago. Since then, Yasmin and her family have dedicated themselves to honouring Amani’s legacy—through fundraising, awareness campaigns, and by sharing their journey of love, loss, and faith. In this conversation, we reflect on grief, healing, and the ways in which faith helps navigate unimaginable loss, especially during Ramadan, a time of deep spirituality and remembrance.This is a conversation that I hope it brings comfort and connection to anyone who has experienced grief.Join Yasmin & Amani's community on instagram to learn more:www.instagram.com/fight4amani Support the show

On today's episode, I’m speaking with the wonderful Preethi Nair—an author, entrepreneur, and storyteller with an incredible journey into publishing.Preethi left her career as a management consultant to pursue her dream of writing, but after facing multiple rejections from publishers, she took matters into her own hands. She set up her own publishing company, took on a secret identity as a publicist, and successfully got her debut novel Gypsy Masala a whole load of press and attention. Her creative marketing and perseverance led to a three-book deal with HarperCollins, and she has since gone on to inspire countless aspiring writers with her story.In this episode, we talk about her novel Unravelling, a beautifully written story about family, love, and self-discovery. We also explore the deeper themes of identity, resilience, and the unconventional path she took to bring her books into the world. Unravelling is indepdnently published, and this is a conversation full of warmth, wisdom, and inspiration, and I can’t wait for you to hear it.Support the show

Today’s episode is part of a special mini-series called Ramadan reflections, where I talk to guests about faith, life and Ramadan. I’m joined by the incredible Leanne from LC Fitness. Leanne is a passionate personal trainer and fitness coach who helps people build strength, confidence, and a positive relationship with their bodies. She has built a real community, bringing together women to look after themselves and also look after each other. In this episode, we’re diving into a really important conversation about Ramadan, faith, fitness, wellbeing, and mental health. Leanne shares her insights on the connection between health and spirituality, the impact of social media on body image, and the importance of looking after both our physical and mental health. I can’t wait for you to hear this conversation—let’s get into itSupport the show

Today, I’m thrilled to be joined by the award-winning writer and journalist, Omar El Akkad.Omar is a journalist and novelist whose work masterfully blurs the lines between fiction and reality, forcing us to confront the most urgent issues of our time. His debut novel, American War, was a haunting and unflinching look at climate change, war, and displacement. His second novel, What Strange Paradise, won the Giller Prize and offered a deeply human perspective on the refugee crisis. And now, with his latest book, One Day Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This, he turns his attention to the genocide in Gaza, power, identity, and the way history remembers—or erases—those who resist.In this conversation, we talk about the stories behind his stories—the historical and political forces that shape his work, the deeply personal nature of writing about conflict and displacement at the time it’s happening, and how writing can help us make sense of an increasingly fractured world. We also explore themes of belonging, compassion, and what it means to be on the margins of history.Support the show

For this week's episode, I’m super excited to be welcoming back one of my favourite guests – Huda Fahmy.Huda is a seriously talented writer and artist, using comic style storytelling to explore wider, serious issues pertaining to identity, current affairs, faith, being a visibly Muslim person in the States, growing up and so much more. She explores these issues through comedy and in a light-hearted way, while both resonating with those experiencing them, and offering some insight to those who aren’t.Huda is back with a hilarious and poignant follow-up book in her Huda F series, Huda F Wants to Know. In this book, Huda's life and worldview are turned upside down when her parents announce they're divorcing and Huda grapples with the change. Huda Fahmy is ready for junior year. She’s got a plan to join all the clubs, volunteer everywhere, ace the ACTs, write the most awe-inspiring essay for her scholarship applications. Easy.But then Mama and Baba announce the most unthinkable news: they’re getting a divorce.Huda is devastated. She worries about what this will mean for her family, their place in the Muslim community, and her future. Her grades start tanking, she has a big fight with her best friend, and everything feels out of control. Will her life ever feel normal again? Huda F wants to know. Huda Fahmy grew up in Dearborn, Michigan, and has loved comics since she was a kid. She attended the University of Michigan where she majored in English. She taught English to middle and high schoolers for eight years before she started writing about her experiences as a visibly Muslim woman in America and was encouraged by her older sister to turn these stories into comics. Huda, her husband, Gehad, and their children reside in Houston, Texas.Support the show

In this episode, I’m joined by writer and editor Salma Ibrahim to discuss her powerful debut novel, Salutation Road. Salma is a British-Somali author whose work explores themes of identity, migration, and belonging. She is also the founder of literary organisation, Literary Natives, which champions writers from underrepresented backgrounds.In our conversation, we delve into the idea of the other lives we could have lived, the complexities of coming of age, the strength of friendship, and the nuances of the immigrant experience. Salutation Road is a deeply moving novel that navigates family, heritage, and self-discovery, and Salma’s insights are so thought-provoking and inspiring.Support the show

Disclaimer: this episode features mention of suicide, infertility and loss. On this week’s episode, I’m joined by the incredible poet, author, and activist Salena Godden. A leading voice in British poetry, Salena is known for her electrifying performances and fearless writing. Her work spans poetry, memoir, fiction, and activism, with themes of love, grief, identity, and justice running through her work. She is the author of Mrs Death Misses Death, With Love, Grief and Fury, and the memoir Springfield Road, and has been widely recognized for her contributions to literature and spoken word. In our conversation, we explore the deep connections between love and loss, the urgency of caring for our planet, the passage of time, and how memory shapes identity. Salena’s words are raw, powerful, and filled with both tenderness and fire—this is a conversation you won’t want to miss. ----I hope you loved listening to this episode and found things that will stay with you. I’d love to hear from you, so please do reach out on social media and don’t forget to like, subscribe and leave a review as it can really help. If you're feeling extra generous, please consider buying me a "coffee" so I can keep putting great conversations like this out into the world:https://ko-fi.com/readwithsamia Support the show

On the show this week, I’m joined by former cricket superstar, Azeem Rafiq. When Azeem was a young boy playing cricket near his home in Pakistan, he could never have foreseen that this sport would change his life forever. He fell in love with the game quickly and it wasn't long before the white flannels and green grass felt like home to him. When he moved to England, he became the youngest man to captain a Yorkshire side and the first person of Asian descent to do so. His talent was undeniable, and doors were opening for him.But there was something Azeem was bottling up and it was about to explode out of him and shake the whole cricket world, and wider society, out of their slumber. It's Not Banter, It's Racism is the never before-told truth behind the racism accusations that shocked a nation, from the moment Azeem spoke up to the resulting events that have altered his world entirely.Just a disclaimer, this episode mentions feelings and attempts of suicide, miscarriage and the loss of a child. Support the show

On the show this week, I'm talking to Aube Rey Lescure, author of the mesmerising, sweeping novel, River East, River West. If you’ve been listening to the podcast for a while, you will probably know I love a family drama, inter-generational novel, especially one that has a dual timeline. River East, River West is exactly that as we follow teenager, Alva, navigating her American-Chinese dual heritage identity in modern china while living with her American mother, Sloane, who is adamant she wants to stay. We also meet her step father, Lu Fang who is a man of secrets, complexities and a deep pain and trauma he hides from the world.Aube Rey Lescure is a French-Chinese-American writer. She grew up between France, northern China, and Shanghai, and graduated from Yale University in 2015. She is the co-author and translator of two books on Chinese politics and economics. Aube’s debut novel, River East, River West has been shortlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction, the Maya Angelou Book Award, and the Stanfords' Fiction with a Sense of Place Award----I hope you loved listening to this episode and found things that will stay with you. I’d love to hear from you, so please do reach out on social media and don’t forget to like, subscribe and leave a review as it can really help. If you're feeling extra generous, please consider buying me a "coffee" so I can keep putting great conversations like this out into the world:https://ko-fi.com/readwithsamiaSupport the show

Fatin Abbas was born in Khartoum, Sudan, but her parents were forced to leave Sudan when the military seized power there in 1989, when Fatin was just 8 years old. The family settled in New York. She earned a BA in English literature from the University of Cambridge, a PhD in Comparative Literature from Harvard University, and an MFA in Creative Writing from Hunter College, the City University of New York.Her novel, Ghost Season is an exploration of Sudan’s almost unrecognised history, through five vibrant and interesting characters who find themselves working for an NGO in a border town between north and south Sudan. It is a really powerful story of power dynamics, colonialism, history, love, friendship, identity, belonging, self-acceptance and so much more.After more than 16 months of war, Sudan has descended into one of the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.The country is at imminent risk of collapsing after over a year and a half of violent conflict and is on the verge of mass famine with its food supply decimated and young children now starving to death in its cities, villages, and displacement camps. Over 10 million people have been displaced, and every single person in Sudan is affected by this worsening crisis.I hope this conversations helps us to keep Sudan in our thoughts, hearts, mind, prayers and in our activism always. ----As always, please do like, subscribe and follow. Connect with me on social media - I'd love to hear from you :)www.instagram.com/readwithsamiaSupport the show

This week I’m speaking to the wonderful Wharton, who is of Chinese and white European heritage. Wiz’s debut nove, Ghost Girl, Banana follows Sook-Yin in 1960s England, exiled from Kowloon, and her daughter Lily in 1990s, embarking on a secret pilgrimage to Hong Kong to discover the lost side of her identity, following  a mysterious letter telling her she has inherited a LOT of money from a stranger. It’s no surprise that this sweeping story is being adapted for TV, and it is such a brilliant read.Wiz Wharton was born in London of Chinese-European heritage. She is a prize-winning graduate of the National Film and Television school, where she studied screenwriting under the filmmakers Mike Leigh, Stephen Frears and Kenith Trodd. Her debut novel Ghost Girl, Banana deals with issues of identity, belonging and familial secrets. In 2023, she was named by the Scottish Government Expo Fund as one of the 40 writers predicted to set the literary world alight. I’m so glad she's my guest today.  Support the show

On the show this week, I’m joined by Mahvish Ahmed, talking about her beautiful and poignant memoir, On My Way, which has been one of my favourite recent reads. Mahvish has had a super interesting life so far, full of love, empowerment, change, new adventures, unlearning and re-learning, establishing new boundaries, and challenging those things that no longer serve her. Mahvish was born and grew up in Pakistan, and later lived in the UK for her studies. Her memoir offers us a deep and reflective insight into her life, but also into important themes such as gender roles, motherhood, mental health, love and marriage, and so much more. Mahvish is a former economist, successful content creator, and now an author. Mahvish’s debut book, On My Way has become an Amazon bestseller, offering reflections on her personal growth and experiences in a new country.In addition to her writing, Mahvish runs a thriving clothing line and a travel company. Based in Rotterdam, Netherlands, she manages a popular Instagram blog that addresses women-centric issues such as challenging societal norms, advocating self-love, mental health awareness, conscious parenting, and the realities of motherhood.You can find Mahvish on instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/mahvish.ahmad/Support the show

Today marks one year since the most recent escalation of violence and aggression against Gaza, and the genocide that has unfolded before us. This episode was recorded prior to recent bombardments of Lebanon. On this week’s episode, I’m speaking to Mahmoud Muna, who's taking part in this conversation from his bookshop in Jerusalem. Mahmoud Muna, along with co-editor Matthew Teller and with Juliette Touma and Jayyab Abusafia have worked on a stunning and heartbreaking book called Daybreak in Gaza. Daybreak in Gaza is a collection of almost 50 accounts, essays, interviews and diary entry from Palestinians, mainly in Gaza. They share their experiences of life in Gaza over the last year amid genocide, bombardments, raids and immense loss of life. What permeates through the pages of this book is not only courage, but hope, in essence, the day-break in Gaza.  Mahmoud Muna, born in Jerusalem and raised in a refugee camp (Shu’fat), is a notable Palestinian figure known as the bookseller of Jerusalem. He runs his family’s two renowned bookshops: The Educational Bookshop and the Bookshop at the American Colony Hotel. Muna is a computer science graduate and a trained communicator who has become an influential voice in Palestinian cultural and literary circles. His work extends to writing for local and international cultural magazines and newspapers, and he is deeply involved in various cultural initiatives.Order Daybreak in Gaza here: https://saqibooks.com/books/saqi/daybreak-in-gaza/---If you find my podcast helpful, inspiring or thoughtful, please do consider supporting me so I can put out great episodes like this. You can buy me a coffee (or anything really) here:https://ko-fi.com/readwithsamiaSupport the show

On this week’s episode, I’m speaking to Dr. Pragya Agarwal all about motherhood, gender-based stereotypes and biases, infertility and so much more. In her book, Motherhood – on the choices of being a woman – Pragya shares her own journey of becoming a mother at a young age, and then facing years of secondary infertility until her two beautiful twin daughters were born through surrogacy. It’s a pheonomenal book, focusing on intersectionality, offering us a perspective that merges race, class and other elements of identity when talking about motherhood and infertility.  Pragya Agarwal, Ph.D., is a visiting professor of social inequities and injustice at Loughborough University, writer, speaker, and consultant. Following a Ph.D. from the University of Nottingham, Pragya held the prestigious Leverhulme Fellowship and has held senior academic positions and visiting fellowships at various U.S. and U.K. universities.Pragya is the author of a number of scholarly articles and four non-fiction books.  Just a little trigger warning, in this episode, we talk about some difficult topics including infertility, IVF, abortion and baby and pregnancy loss. So if you need to return to this episode at a later date, or skip it altogether, please do. Support the show

This week on the show, I’m speaking to activist and all-round incredible human being, Payzee Mahmod. I learned of the amazing work Payzee is doing, and her story after learning about the devastating brutal killing of Payzee’s older sister, Banaz Mahmod in a so-called “honour-killing” in 2006.  Banaz was a young woman with a huge appetite for life, laughter and kindness, and her death had far-reaching and long-lasting impacts for all those who knew and loved her, and also for the world at large. Payzee Mahmod is a survivor and activist tackling gender based violence. As a British Kurd with lived experience, she is a passionate advocate and campaigner raising awareness about harmful practices including child marriage, female genital mutilation, virginity testing and hymenoplasty.After being forced into a child marriage aged 16, Payzee lead the 3 year long campaign to change the legal age of marriage from 16 to 18, in England and Wales (Marriage and Civil Partnership (Minimum Age) Bill, 2023).Payzee now uses her platform to spread awareness on “honour” based abuse, child marriage and promoting the importance of gender inclusion and raising money for good causes.Just a little trigger warning, in this episode, we talk about some difficult topics including loss of a sibling, abusive relationships and FGM. There is also mention of suicide. So if you need to return to this episode at a later date, or skip it altogether, please do. Support the show

On this week's episode, I'm speaking to the incredible Jamaica Kincaid, and I am absolutely thrilled! Jamaica has been writing for decades, and is often considered a classical author of our time, bringing us work that is timeless, important and emotive. Born in Antigua, Jamaica Kincaid is a Caribbean American writer whose essays, stories, and novels are evocative portrayals of family relationships and her native Antigua.Kincaid settled in New York City when she left Antigua at age 16. She first worked as an au pair in Manhattan. She later won a photography scholarship in New Hampshire but returned to New York within two years. In 1973 she changed her name to Jamaica Kincaid, from the name she was born with - Elaine Potter Richardson This was (partly because she wished the anonymity for her writing), and the following year she began regularly submitting articles to The New Yorker magazine, where she became a staff writer for twenty years. She has won multiple awards over an incredible career, including the Prix Femina Etranger, RSL International Writer and The Paris Review Hadada prize for lifetime achievement.A keen gardener, she has written several books on the subject, including My Garden (2000) and Among Flowers: A Walk in the Himalaya (2005), a memoir about a seed-gathering trek with three botanist friends.Her latest book is poetic, illuminating and surprisingly witty. An Encyclopedia of Gardening for Coloured Children is a delightful ABC of the plants that define our world and reveals the often-brutal history behind them. Jamaica’s decolonial investigation of the garden world is supplemented by brilliant illustrations from the great American artist, Kara Walker, resulting in an inventive and sometimes quite practical exploration of the truths of history in our gardens – perfect for all ages. Support the show

If you’re looking for a book that’s wholesome, hilarious, real, authentic and based on finding love, this week’s episode is definitely for you. On the show today, I’m joined by Tasneem Abdur-Rashid, author of the newly published Thirty Before Thirty List, and her debut, Finding Mr. Perfectly Fine. Tasneem is dedicated to tell authentic stories of British Bengali, Muslim characters as they navigate life and love, presenting the complexities, beauties and challenges that life throws at 20-something year old women trying to build the life they want. I loved the Thirty Before Thirty List, and I laughed my way through, finding such affinity with Maya and all the other characters.  Tasneem Abdur-Rashid is a British Bengali writer born and raised in London. A mother of two, Tasneem has worked across media, PR and communications both in the UK and in the UAE. Tasneem’s rom-com Finding Mr Perfectly Fine was published by Zaffre/Bonnier in July 2022 and The Thirty Before Thirty List was released in July 2024. She co-hosts the award-winning podcast Not Another Mum Pod and is also a phenomenal home cook.Support the show

On this week’s episode, I’m speaking to Israeli, anti-zionist historian and academic, Professor Ilan Pappé . Professor Pappé  has dedicated dedcades of his life to writing and speaking about the Nakba of 1948, shedding light on what actually happened and what a grave catastrophe it was and continues to be. He calls for a one-state solution and for the right of return of all Palestinians. His books have sought to tackle the myths around Israel and Zionism, providing much needed insight, information, thoughtfulness and nuance reflections. He is one of the major historians of our times writing on Palestine. As the current aggression and genocide in gaza continues well into its tenth month, Ilan encourages us to understand the root of the violence – the illegal occupation of Palestine. Ilan Pappé is an Israeli historian and socialist activist. He is a professor with the College of Social Sciences and International Studies at the University of Exeter, director of the university's European Centre for Palestine Studies, and co-director of the Exeter Centre for Ethno-Political Studies. His latest book is Ten Myths About Israel. His books also include The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine and The Idea of Israel: A History of Power and Knowledge. Pappé’s research focuses on the modern Middle East and in particular the history of Israel and Palestine. Support the show

This week, my guest on the show is the incredibly talented, Safia Elhillo. Safia’s work always leaves me mesmerised and craving for more. In her beautiful poetry, she explores themes of belonging, identity, home, friendship, love, pain, suffering, and so much more.  Safia Elhillo is the author of The January Children (University of Nebraska Press, 2017), which received the the Sillerman First Book Prize for African Poets and an Arab American Book Award, Girls That Never Die (One World/Random House, 2022), and the novel in verse Home Is Not A Country (Make Me A World/Random House, 2021), which was longlisted for the National Book Award and received a Coretta Scott King Book Award Author Honor. Sudanese by way of Washington, DC, Safia received the 2015 Brunel International African Poetry Prize, and was listed in Forbes Africa’s 2018 “30 Under 30.” Her work appears in POETRY Magazine, Callaloo, and The Academy of American Poets’ Poem-a-day series, among othersSupport the show

On the show this week, I'm talking to researcher, brain health trainer and parent coach, Taiba Bajar about her book, Unlock Autism. Taiba has developed a unique seven-step action plan to helping unlock a child's potential within 12 months. Taiba's son is autistic, and upon receiving his diagnosis, she went on a mission to do everything in her power to help her son, manage his autism and help him to thrive. In this episode, we talk about the treatment of autism in the NHS, rewiring the brain, South Asian experiences and so much more. Taiba Bajar is an award-winning researcher and licensed brain health trainer. With a seasoned background as a corporate professional and parent coach, she holds two science degrees from the University of Bristol with a background in neuroscience. Taiba founded Autism Brain Empowerment, a successful parent coaching business following her journey as a parent to her autistic son. Drawing from her professional expertise and personal experiences, Taiba equips parents to guide their children in reducing autism symptoms, unlocking their potential, and fostering their leadership in the world.Support the show

On this week’s episode, I’m speaking to Saima Mir, journalist and crime novelist, author of The Khan, and its sequel, Vengeance.In her books, Saima introduces us to Jia Khan. A successful lawyer, her London life is a long way from the grubby Northern streets she knew as a child, where her father headed up the Pakistani community and ran the local organised crime syndicate. Often his Jirga rule - the old way - was violent and bloody, but it was always justice of a kind.In her books, Saima explores morality, humanity, family, kinship, community, patriarchy and the unfair expectations placed on women. She explores what people are forced to do to survive, and the grey lines between right and wrong.Saima Mir is an award-winning journalist and writer. She has written for The Guardian, The Times, The Independent and The Daily Telegraph, and worked for the BBC.Her work appeared in the anthology, It’s Not About the Burqa in 2019, and The Best Most Awful Job in 2020. Her novel The Khan is being published by Point Blank and is due on in January 2021. The Khan has been optioned by BBC Studios.Saima is a recipient of The Commonwealth Broadcast Association World View Award, and The K Blundell Trust Award. Saima’s work has been longlisted for The SI Leeds Literary Prize, and The Bath Novel Award.Her screenplay Ruby & Matt has been optioned by Rendition Films---I'd love to hear your thoughts on this episode, so please do think about leaving a review, and like, subscribe and rate wherever you listen to this show :)Come connect with me on social media - I'd love to chat:www.instagram.com/readwithsamiawww.instagram.com/thediversebookshelfpod Support the show

On this week’s episode, I’m speaking to Susan Muaddi Darraj about her new novel, behind you is the sea, s set in Baltimore and follows the stories of a Palestinian American immigrant community. It is a tender, sweeping novel of a family grappling with so much – loss of identity, struggling to exist in a country that is so hostile towards them, strained family dynamics, love, difficult marriages, parent-child relationships and so much more. Behind you is the sea is a story of a Palestinian Christian community, and Palestinian Christians face huge erasure and genocide as the war on Gaza continues well into its seventh month. Susan Muaddi Darraj is an award-winning writer of books for adults and children. She won an American Book Award, two Arab American Book Awards, and a Maryland State Arts Council Independent Artists Award. In 2018, she was named a USA Artists Ford Fellow.Susan Muaddi Darraj’s short story collection, A Curious Land: Stories from Home, was named the winner of the AWP Grace Paley Prize for Short Fiction, judged by Jaime Manrique.   It also won the 2016 Arab American Book Award, a 2016 American Book Award, and was shortlisted for a Palestine Book Award. Her previous short story collection, The Inheritance of Exile, was published in 2007 by University of Notre Dame Press. For children, she has written numerous YA biographies, as well as the Farah Rocks chapter book series, the first to feature an Arab American protagonist. Her new novel, Behind You Is the Sea . The book was published in the USA in January 2024, and will be releasing in the UK in early June. Support the show

On this week’s episode, I’m talking to Vanessa Chan about her debut novel, an absolutely mesmerising story set across two timelines: 1930s and 1945 in Malaya – what Malaysia was called before independence. It is a story with four different perspectives, following the decision made by one woman to become a spy for Japan, and the dreadful consequences that befall her family and country, afterwards.  Vanessa Chan is the Malaysian author of The Storm We Made, a national bestseller, Good Morning America Book Club Pick and BBC Radio 2 Book Club pick. Acquired by international publishers in a flurry of auctions, the novel, her first, will be published in more than twenty languages worldwide. Her other work has been published in Vogue, Esquire, and more. Vanessa grew up in Malaysia and is now based mostly in Brooklyn.---I'd love to hear your thoughts on this episode, so please do think about leaving a review, and like, subscribe and rate wherever you listen to this show :)Come connect with me on social media - I'd love to chat:www.instagram.com/readwithsamiawww.instagram.com/thediversebookshelfpod Support the show

This week, I'm talking to Ishi Robinson, author of the delightful novel, Sweetness In the Skin. In this book, we meet the absolutely wonderful character of Pumpkin, a teenage girl trying to make her way in the world and be true to who she really is. The story is moving and wholesome, while tackling some darker issues including colourism, classism, abusive and absent parents, strained family relationships and so much more.   Ishi Robinson is a Jamaican writer living in Berlin. Her first published work was a short story in the national newspaper when she was eleven years old. Since then, she’s written opinion pieces and short stories of fiction for various publications in Kingston, Toronto, Rome, and Berlin. SWEETNESS IN THE SKIN is her first novel.---I'd love to hear your thoughts on this episode, so please do think about leaving a review, and like, subscribe and rate wherever you listen to this show :)Come connect with me on social media - I'd love to chat:www.instagram.com/readwithsamiawww.instagram.com/thediversebookshelfpod Support the show

This week on the show, I’m talking to Jassa Ahluwalia about his book and memoir, Both Not Half. Both Not Half is a poignant exploration of Jassa’s own heritage – Punjabi and English – and other forms of identity including faith, class, gender and sexuality. Jassa reminds us that we are never fractions of an identity, but always whole, in a myriad of beautiful, overlapping, confusing but empowering ways. Jassa Ahluwalia is a British actor, writer, filmmaker, and trade unionist. Born in Coventry to a white English mom and a brown Punjabi dad in 1990, he attended school in Leicester and was raised in an extended family environment. He spoke English in the playground and Punjabi with his grandparents and spent various summer holidays in India. He came to prominence as Rocky in the hit BBC Three series Some Girls, followed by starring roles in Unforgotten, Ripper Street, and Peaky Blinders.Jassa created the hashtag #BothNotHalf to explore mixed identity in light of his own British-Indian heritage. His TEDx talk on “How Language Shapes Identity” has clocked up over 170k views, and his BBC One documentary Am I English? won an Asian Media Award in 2022.Both Not Half is publishing on 16th May 2024 in the UK. Get your copy here:https://uk.bookshop.org/a/5890/9781788708319----I'd love to hear your thoughts on this episode, so please do think about leaving a review, and like, subscribe and rate wherever you listen to this show :)Come connect with me on social media - I'd love to chat:www.instagram.com/readwithsamiawww.instagram.com/thediversebookshelfpod Support the show

On the show this week, I'm speaking with Reem Gaafar, author of the novel, A Mouthful of Salt. This book is a really stunning, powerful story of a community in the north of Sudan, struck by calamity and loss. The book opens with a devastating scene of a boy gone missing and presumed to have drown, and the panic and grief in the wake of his search. Reem explores so much in this novel, including motherhood, the power of education, othering, community structures, tribalism and so much more. In this episode, we talk about all the themes Reem writes about, and the current war in Sudan, which has, at time of recording been going on for over 1 year. The war has led to millions of people being displaced, with nowhere to escape the violence, and over 18 million people are experiencing extreme hunger. As a trigger warning, we also talk about some sensitive issues including FGM, infertility, death, loss of children and trauma. If you don’t feel comfortable hearing about these issues right now, please do consider listening to another episode again and perhaps revisiting at a time that is better for you.   Reem Gaafar is a writer, physician and filmmaker. Her writing has appeared in African Arguments, African Feminism, Teakisi Magazine, Andariya and 500 Words Magazine, among others. Her short story ‘Light of the Desert’ was published in I Know Two Sudans (Gipping Press UK, 2014) where it was awarded an Honourable Mention. Her short story ‘Finding Descartes’ was published in Relations: An Anthology of African and Diaspora Voices (HarperVia, 2023). A Mouth Full of Salt is her debut novel and Winner of the Island Prize 2023. Gaafar lives in Canada with her husband and three sons. ----I'd love to hear your thoughts on this episode, so please do think about leaving a review, and like, subscribe and rate wherever you listen to this show :)Come connect with me on social media - I'd love to chat:www.instagram.com/readwithsamiawww.instagram.com/thediversebookshelfpod Support the show

This episode is a special bonus episode with scholar, writer and translator, Shaimaa Abulebda, from within Rafah, in Gaza.Shaymaa’s family home in east Khan Younis brings together her 8 married siblings, and for her nieces and nephews, it is their grandparents’ house.Shaimaa has lived through the second intifada, and all the aggressions on Gaza since 2008 until this curren ongoing genocide.With dreams of getting a PhD in literature, Shaimaa looked forwad to a bright future. She was lecturing at the Islamic University of Gaza, which has now been destroyed.  Since October 7th, Shaimaa and her parents have been displaced three times and are now living in an over-crowded refugee camp in Rafah, where there is no food, clean water or electricity. Shaimaa is currently raising funds so her and her parents can leave Gaza and find safety in Egypt first, before thinking about what could come next.You can donate and support Shaimaa and her family here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-evacuate-shaimaa-and-her-parents-from-gaza-oIn her own words, Shaimaa has described the extensive stress, pain and pressure on the people of Gaza, the way in which everyone is losing weight and strength due to forced starvation, how nobody can clean themselves properly, and how Shaymaa’s short term memory is being impacted every single day. I invited Shaimaa onto the podcast so she can share her story, and we can hear first-hand what life is like in Gaza, both today but also in the years that Shaimaa grew up.Due to a lack of strong internet connection and a quiet space, this episode has been put together from separate recordings, and Shaimaa recorded her story during the night from a refugee camp. While listening you might hear some sound disturbances and hear background noise: war planes, drones, and other people. ---I'd love to hear your thoughts on this episode, so please do think about leaving a review, and like, subscribe and rate wherever you listen to this show :)Come connect with me on social media - I'd love to chat:www.instagram.com/readwithsamiawww.instagram.com/thediversebookshelfpod Support the show

On the show this week, I spoke to Nigar Alam about her stunning debut Novel, Under the Tamarind Tree, which I absolutely love. In this episode we talk all about Partition voices an d stories, Pakistan, class, identity, friendships, displacement and so much more.Author Nigar Alam was born in Karachi, Pakistan, and spent her childhood in Turkey, Nigeria, Italy, Kenya, Indonesia and the United States. She currently lives in Minnesota and teaches at Anoka-Ramsey Community College.“Under the Tamarind Tree” is Alam’s debut novel and is set in the seaside city of Karachi. The main character, a woman named Rozeena, opens the novel sitting on her veranda near a garden shaded by palm and Ashoka trees, where she receives a call from someone she knew in the past. The rest of the book fluctuates between a dual timeline and follows Rozeena and her friends in the decades after the partition of India and Pakistan in 1947.I'd love to hear your thoughts on this episode, so please do think about leaving a review, and like, subscribe and rate wherever you listen to this show :)Come connect with me on social media - I'd love to chat:www.instagram.com/readwithsamiawww.instagram.com/thediversebookshelfpod Support the show

On this week’s show, I’m speaking to Ela Lee, author of the debut novel, Jaded. Now, I absolutely loved Jaded. I cried several times while reading it, and found a sense of commoradory, validation and being seen that I didn’t even know was missing. Ela writes a multi-layered story of her character, Jade, who is British-Korean-Turkish. Having gone to a prestigious University, Jade is now a 20-something professional lawyer working in a law firm in London. One night, a devastating incident takes place that sparks a huge internal and external unravelling for Jade, and the novel explores themes of identity, privilege, race, patriarchy, corporate success and so much more. Ela Lee is a London-based author. She studied Law at the University of Oxford and previously practised as a City lawyer. During the pandemic, Ela decided to focus on her love of writing and began work on her debut novel, Jaded, that explores themes of consent, race, and identity.I'd love to hear your thoughts on this episode, so please do think about leaving a review, and like, subscribe and rate wherever you listen to this show :)Come connect with me on social media - I'd love to chat:www.instagram.com/readwithsamiawww.instagram.com/thediversebookshelfpod Support the show

On this week’s episode, I’m talking to the incredible Dana Dajani, Palestinian spoken word-artist, singer, actress and activist. We’re talking about the incredible power of storytelling and poetry in preserving history, connecting us to our ancestors, resistance and activism. I ask Dana about her Palestinian heritage, the life of her beloved grandmother and so much more.  Dana Dajani is an award-winning Palestinian writer, performer, and advocate. She lives and works between the Middle East, Europe, and the US.Dana’s work as an actress, trainer, and consultant has taken her around the world- from performing at the Sydney Opera House and the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, to creating a Drama Therapy Program for children with Autism in the UAE, where she was honored as Emirates Woman “Artist of the Year”, and received the “Young Arab Award for Entertainment” among other recognitions.Known for her original spoken word poetry, Dana’s background in theatre has informed and influenced writing, and allowed her to create a unique style of solo performance. Part spoken-word, part one-woman show, Dana uses gesture, character, and a simple scarf to transport audiences across various social justice themes through her characters.I'd love to hear your thoughts on this episode, so please do think about leaving a review, and like, subscribe and rate wherever you listen to this show :)Come connect with me on social media - I'd love to chat:www.instagram.com/readwithsamiawww.instagram.com/thediversebookshelfpod Support the show

This week on the podcast, I’m welcoming back my friend, the incredibly insightful and thoughtful, Dr. Sofia Rehman. Sofia now has a second book out in the world, called Gendering the Hadith: Recentering the Authority of Aisha, Mother of the Believers, which is her Phd thesis published as a book. On the show this week, we dig deep into understanding translations and interpretations, understanding Aisha bint Abu Bakr even better, what we can learn from Aisha and the Prophet (saw) about justice, hope and resilience, and so much more. Dr Sofia Rehman is an independent scholar specialising in Islam and Gender. She works as a knowledge building consultant for Musawah Movement, a global organisation committed to the reform of Muslim family law in line with gender egalitarian readings of Islam. As a PhD candidate she was a PG Impact Fellow at the Centre of Religion and Public Life and PRHS Scholar.She is founder of the Islam and Gender read alongs in which she facilitates readings of academic texts penned by Muslim scholars in conversation with a global virtual audience and has recently been featured by Vogue Arabia, Refinery29 and The Independent. She is the author of a Treasury of Aisha bint Abu Bakr (Kube publishing) and, Gendering the Hadith: Recentering the Authority of Aisha, Mother of the Believers (Oxford University Press). She is a contributor to Mapping Faith: Theologies of Migration edited by Lia Shimada, Cut From the Same Cloth? Edited by Sabeena Akhtar, Violent Phenomena: 21 Essays on Translation (Tilted Axis), and Gathering: Women of Colour on Nature (404Ink). You can connect with her on her Instagram @Sofia_reading where she talks about all things related to books, faith and academia.I'd love to hear your thoughts on this episode, so please do think about leaving a review, and like, subscribe and rate wherever you listen to this show :)Come connect with me on social media - I'd love to chat:www.instagram.com/readwithsamiawww.instagram.com/thediversebookshelfpod ----Today’s episode was brought to you by Muslim Charity, a faith-based international charity, working around the world to tackle poverty, hunger and thirst. They deliver your Zakat and Sadaqah with honesty and transparency, reaching those in need with impactful projects, all year round. Muslim Charity provide vulnerable communities with life-saving healthcare, clean water, food, livelihood opportunities and education, helping everyone to thrive. If you’re looking for a charity you can trust, especially when it comes to your Zakat and Sadaqah, Muslim Charity is the one for you. Visit www.muslimcharity.org.uk/samia to check out some of my favourite, impactful projects. www.muslimcharity.org.uk/samia Support the show

On this week’s episode, I’m talking to Matthew Robinson, humanitarian filmmaker about his work and debut book, 104 In the Shade: Travels of a Humanitarian Filmmaker. I speak to Matthew about his experiences, what he’s learnt, and how we can do more to protect dignity and empowerment when it comes to marketing and social media in the humanitarian sector.  Founder of Migration Films, artist and film maker Matthew Robinson (Muhammad Abdul Mateen) has worked in the media industry for 25 years, as an editor on TV staples such as Strictly Come Dancing, Xtra Factor Rewind, The Only Way is Essex and Big Brother, SAS Who Dares Wins, and as a Director shooting short films for artists such as David Lachapelle and Dale vN Collins; music videos for Mark Owen of Take That and British rapper Roots Manuva; and editing movies ‘The Story Of’ and ‘White Collar Hooligan 2’. In the last 6 years Matthew has moved into production for the charity sector, where he has applied his skills to make a tangible difference to people’s lives, making videos and documentaries for various projects. Subjects include filming a cross-Europe aid convoy to Greece; refugee camps in Lebanon and Turkey; open heart surgery on babies in Tanzania; water wells in Ethiopia and Bangladesh; food and water distributions in the desert in Somalia and Yemen; marathons in Morocco and Palestine and a rickshaw challenge in Pakistan. In 2020 he studied ‘Humanitarian Response to Conflict and Disaster’ at Harvard University and has since set up Migration Relief, a charity aimed at serving refugees and internally displaced people. ‘104 IN THE SHADE: Travels Of A Humanitarian Film Maker’ is his debut book.I'd love to hear your thoughts on this episode, so please do think about leaving a review, and like, subscribe and rate wherever you listen to this show :)Come connect with me on social media - I'd love to chat:www.instagram.com/readwithsamiawww.instagram.com/thediversebookshelfpod ----Today’s episode was brought to you by Muslim Charity, a faith-based international charity, working around the world to tackle poverty, hunger and thirst. They deliver your Zakat and Sadaqah with honesty and transparency, reaching those in need with impactful projects, all year round. Muslim Charity provide vulnerable communities with life-saving healthcare, clean water, food, livelihood opportunities and education, helping everyone to thrive. If you’re looking for a charity you can trust, especially when it comes to your Zakat and Sadaqah, Muslim Charity is the one for you. Visit www.muslimcharity.org.uk/samia to check out some of my favourite, impactful projects. www.muslimcharity.org.uk/samia Support the show

I really hope this week’s episode helps you feel empowered, uplifted and inspired. Today, my guest is the powerhouse, Sarah Joseph, who has been working in media for decades. Sarah Joseph came to Islam at the age of just 16, having moved away from the Catholic church. She has been on a phenomenal journey with her faith, sharing with us all her experiences, insights and reflections about faith, loving God, doing good and about justice. Sarah has been someone I have looked up to for a very long time, and am always so grateful for her guidance, support and love, and I’m so glad she’s my guest today. On the show, we talk about what's happening in Palestine and around the world, slowing down in Ramadan, justice, peace, the future, the power of reading and so much moreSarah Joseph is a globally renowned Muslim figure, respected for her innovative and independent thinking. She is a writer and broadcaster specialising in topics pertaining to faith, social change, environment, and education. She was listed as one of the World’s 500 most influential Muslims, one of Europe’s most influential leaders under 40, and has an OBE from the Queen. A graduate of King’s College London and University College London, Sarah is an internationally recognised public speaker. In 2003 Sarah founded emel - a brand which first created the concept and then detailed the progression of Muslim Lifestyle. The brand fundamentally changed the way Muslims were marketed to, and made Sarah an expert in contemporary Muslim consumers and ethics. Sarah has made countless media appearances including for the BBC, CNN and Al-Jazeera. She has also appeared on the Doha Debates. Sarah has written for international newspapers including UK’s The Times and The Guardian, and scripted and recorded for a variety of BBC and independent radio productions. She has a regular slot on the BBC’s most listened to radio show, The Zoe Ball Breakfast Show.I'd love to hear your thoughts on this episode, so please do think about leaving a review, and like, subscribe and rate wherever you listen to this show :)Come connect with me on social media - I'd love to chat:www.instagram.com/readwithsamiawww.instagram.com/thediversebookshelfpod ----Today’s episode was brought to you by Muslim Charity, a faith-based international charity, working around the world to tackle poverty, hunger and thirst. They deliver your Zakat and Sadaqah with honesty and transparency, reaching those in need with impactful projects, all year round. Muslim Charity provide vulnerable communities with life-saving healthcare, clean water, food, livelihood opportunities and education, helping everyone to thrive. If you’re looking for a charity you can trust, especially when it comes to your Zakat and Sadaqah, Muslim Charity is the one for you. Visit www.muslimcharity.org.uk/samia to check out some of my favourite, impactful projects. www.muslimcharity.org.uk/samia Support the show

We are now in the sacred month of Ramadan, where millions of Muslims around the world will be fasting – abstaining from food and drink, from dawn to dusk every day for 30 days. It is a time of heightened spirituality and worship, and so I think today’s guest is most fitting for the month ahead of us. On today's episode, I’m speaking to Aliyah Umm Raiyaan about her new book, the Power of Duaa. This book is a beautiful, poignant reminder about turning to God in all times – good and bad, ease and hardship, and improving our relationship with our creator and in turn, harnessing the profound power that dua, making supplication and asking of God, can have. Aliyah Umm Raiyaan reverted to Islam in 1999. Aliyah is the Sunday Times Bestselling author of Penguin published, 'Ramadan Reflections' and The Power of Du'a. She is also the Founder and CEO of Registered Charity Solace UK who support revert women in difficulty. Aliyah is the co-host of YouTube show Honest Tea Talk. Aliyah lives with her family in East London where she home educates her children.I'd love to hear your thoughts on this episode, so please do think about leaving a review, and like, subscribe and rate wherever you listen to this show :)Come connect with me on social media - I'd love to chat:www.instagram.com/readwithsamiawww.instagram.com/thediversebookshelfpod ----Today’s episode was brought to you by Muslim Charity, a faith-based international charity, working around the world to tackle poverty, hunger and thirst. They deliver your Zakat and Sadaqah with honesty and transparency, reaching those in need with impactful projects, all year round. Muslim Charity provide vulnerable communities with life-saving healthcare, clean water, food, livelihood opportunities and education, helping everyone to thrive. If you’re looking for a charity you can trust, especially when it comes to your Zakat and Sadaqah, Muslim Charity is the one for you. Visit www.muslimcharity.org.uk/samia to check out some of my favourite, impactful projects. www.muslimcharity.org.uk/samia Support the show

On today’s show, I’m talking to Suhaiymah Manzoor Khan about her latest book, Seeing For Ourselves: And even stranger possibilities. Suhaiymah is one of the most thoughtful, intelligent and intro-spective people I know, and I absolutely love all the work she is doing and what she puts out into the world. Seeing For Ourselves feels quite different to Suhaiymah’s other books, and offers more personal reflections on identity, faith, belonging, grief, love and activism. In her book, Suhaiymah encourages us to move beyond the white western gaze, and focus on the only gaze that really matters: that of Allah. Its such a powerful little book, forcing us to rethink our values, ideas and intentions, and encouraging us to embrace our true authentic selves, away from the gazes upon us. Suhaiymah Manzoor-Khan is a writer, poet and educator disrupting understandings of history, race, knowledge and violence. She works to equip herself and others with the tools and faith to resist the unliveable conditions we find ourselves in, and work towards another reality.Suhaiymah’s latest book, Seeing for Ourselves: And even stranger possibilities came out with Hajar Press in September 2023. Prior to this she authored Tangled in Terror: Uprooting Islamophobia (Pluto Press, 2022) which was widely endorsed by the likes of Lowkey, Moazzam Begg, Fatima Manji, Lola Olufemi and more.I really hope you enjoy this episode. It would mean so much if you could rate, like and subscribe, and if you could leave a review of the show. It really helps :)Lets connect on social media:www.instagram.com/readwithsamiawww.instagram.com/thediversebookshelfpod ----Today’s episode was brought to you by Muslim Charity, a faith-based international charity, working around the world to tackle poverty, hunger and thirst. They deliver your Zakat and Sadaqah with honesty and transparency, reaching those in need with impactful projects, all year round. Muslim Charity provide vulnerable communities with life-saving healthcare, clean water, food, livelihood opportunities and education, helping everyone to thrive. If you’re looking for a charity you can trust, especially when it comes to your Zakat and Sadaqah, Muslim Charity is the one for you. Visit www.muslimcharity.org.uk/samia to check out some of my favourite, impactful projects. www.muslimcharity.org.uk/samia Support the show

This week's episode is a conversation with the wonderful and much loved, Sairish Hussain, about her latest novel, Hidden Fires. Sairish was one of the first guests on the show back in 2022, and so it is so lovely to be in conversation again, this time about her new novel. When debut novels are such a success, it can feel daunting to pick up an author’s second novel, wondering if it is just as amazing. But friends, I can confirm, Hidden Fires is incredible. It is the moving story of loss, grief and secrets buried deep within, and the beautiful, unlikely friendship between a grandfather and his teenage granddaughter. In her novel, Sairish writes about family, mental health, growing up, and the Partition of India. Sairish Hussain is a Bradford based author and Lecturer in Creative Writing. Her debut novel, The Family Tree, was published by HarperCollins and shortlisted for the Costa First Novel Award, the Portico Prize and The Diverse Book Awards. It was also longlisted for the Authors’ Club Best First Novel Award and winner of Calibre Audio's 'Hidden Gem' Prize. Sairish was selected by Kei Miller as one of ten ‘unmissable writers working in the UK’ for the International Literature Showcase 2021. She was one of the finalists in the Women’s Prize & Good Housekeeping Futures Award, an initiative which celebrates the most promising emerging female authors today. Hidden Fires is her second novel. I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I loved speaking to Sairish.Please do like, subscribe and follow on your podcast platform of choice. It would mean so much if you would rate and leave a review.I'd love to hear from you. Connect with me on Instagram:www.instagram.com/readwithsamiawww.instagram.com/thediversebookshelfpod.You can also now find the show on YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@thediversebookshelfpodSupport the show

On the show this week, I’m talking to Nadeine Asabali about her book, Veiled Threat: On being visibly Muslim in Britain. In her book, Nadeine addresses the myriad of experiences of Muslim hijabi women, and the many different facets of racism, Islamaphobia and mysogigny experienced. Being a mixed raced child, with a Libyan father and a white English mother, Nadeine often passed as a white kid, until she started wearing the hijab and everything changed. In this episode, we talk all about her book, Islamaphobia, the pitfalls of white liberal feminism, the criminalisation of Muslim identity in Britain and so much more. Nadeine Asbali is a British Muslim writer and secondary school teacher living in east London. Growing up with an English mother and a Libyan father in an overwhelmingly white town and deciding to wear the hijab as a teenager are experiences that have shaped the trajectory of her life and her writing, forming the foundations of a freelance writing career that explores the themes of identity, social policy, racism and Islamophobia for national and international publications, including the i, The Guardian, theNew Arab and Glamour. Nadeine is also a Metro columnist and regularly writes about schools and education policy, specialising in how Muslim and ethnic minority pupils are represented by the British education system. I hope you find this episode insightful, interesting and enlightening. Please do follow and subscribe on your podcast platform of choice. I'd really appreciate it if you would rate and leave a review, as it helps more people find out about the show :)Also, you can now help support the show by joining me on Patreon. When you subscribe, you could get access to an exclusive episode right to your inbox, each month!www.patreon.com/thediversebookshelfpodcast Support the show

For this week's podcast episode, I'm speaking to Rowan Hisayo Buchanan about her latest novel, The Sleep Watcher.We talk about what sleep-watching is, and what we would really discover if we could secretly see the world while asleep. We also talk about mental health, family dynamics, mixed-race identity, writing, and so much more.This episode was recorded back in September :)Rowan Hisayo Buchanan is a Japanese-British-Chinese-American writer. Her debut novel, Harmless Like You was published in 2016 by Sceptre and won the Author’s Club First Novel Award and a Betty Trask award. It was also shortlisted for the Desmond Elliott Prize, the Books Are My Bag Breakthrough Author Award and longlisted for the Jhalak Prize. Rowan Hisayo Buchanan was the recipient of a Margins fellowship for the Asian American Writers Workshop, has a BA from Columbia University, an MFA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and is currently working on a PhD at the University of East Anglia. Her writing has appeared in the short story anthology How Much the Heart Can Hold (Sceptre), the Guardian, New York Times, Granta, The Paris Review and The Atlantic among other places. She has lived in London, New York, Tokyo, Madison and Norwich.If you enjoyed this episode, please do rate, like, follow, subscribe and leave a review. It really helps :)Also, you can help me continue putting out great episodes like these by joining me on Patreon. Join my community today and you could receive an exclusive podcast episode right to your inbox, every month:www.patreon.com/thediversebookshefpodcast Lets connect on social media - I'd love to hear from you www.instagram.com/readwithsamiaSupport the show

In this week's episode, I’m speaking to Aamina Ahmad, about her novel, The Return of Faraz Ali, which I found so moving, multi-layered and immersive, taking us into the heart of the red-light district of Lahore. We follow Faraz Ali, from when he is removed from his courtesan mother as just 5 years old, and as he grows up with a longing to understand who he is and where he comes from. The story involves a detective crime plot, and spans multiple timelines including the second world war, and the 1971 Bangladesh war of independence. I really enjoyed it, and I’m so pleased to be speaking to Aamina today. Aamina Ahmad is a British fiction writer and playwright based in the U.S. She has two book publications, the play The Dishonoured and the novel The Return of Faraz Ali, which was named a "new work to read" by The New York Times, "quietly stunning" by The New York Times Book Review, and a "most anticipated" book by both The Millions and Book Culture. She is a creative writing professor at the University of Minnesota and the winner of a Rona Jaffe Foundation Writer's Award.This episode was recorded back in September 2023.If you enjoyed this episode, please do leave a review, and subscribe on your podcast platform of choice. Also, come connect with me on social media:www.instagram.com/readwithsamiaYou can now support the podcast, and help me put out great conversations like these.Join my community on Patreon, and when you subscribe you could get access to an exclusive, bonus episode every month:https://www.patreon.com/thediversebookshelfpodcastSupport the show

My guest on the show this week, is Sim Kern, an author whose work I came across only recently. Alongside being a published author, Sim is a content creator, using Instagram and Tik Tok as key tools in her activist life, making videos that inform, educate and empower. Sim is an anti-zionist Jew, dedicating huge amounts of time to the Palestinian liberation movement, while dismantling Israeli propaganda and narratives about the Zionist colonial project.At the time of recording, the genocidal war on Gaza has been taking place for almost 4 months, with over 30,000 people in Gaza having been killed. Over a million people have been displaced from their homes and are starving, living without clean water, shelter, healthcare, and have nowhere safe to go. Sim Kern is a Gulf Coast author and environmental journalist writing about climate change, queer identity, and social justice. Their debut horror novella, Depart, Depart!, was selected for the Honor List for the 2020 Otherwise Award. Their short story collection, Real Sugar is Hard to Find, was hailed in a starred review by Publishers Weekly as, “a searing, urgent, but still achingly tender work that will wow any reader of speculative fiction.” As a journalist, they report on petrochemical polluters and drag space billionaires. Sim’s latest novel is called The Free People's Village, set in an alternative reality of 2020, where a war on climate change has been announced. You can find Sim on social media here:www.instagram.com/sim_bookstagrams_badlyhttps://www.tiktok.com/@simkernIf you enjoyed this episode, please do let me know! I'd love it if you could follow, subscribe and leave a review. Come find me on social media :)www.instagram.com/readwithsamiawww.instagram.com/thediversebookshelfpodAlso, if you'd like to support the podcast, you can now join my community on Patreon. When you subscribe, you could get access to a special exclusive episode directly to your inbox every month!www.patreon.com/thediversebookshelfpodcast Support the show

On the show this week, I'm speaking to Sheela Banerjee about her book, What's In a Name.Our names are possibly one of the most important pillars of our identities. Often given to us by somebody else, usually parents or a family member, they usually mean something. For many of us, our names reflect a tie to our heritage, our faith, and our history. What is even more interesting, is how our names interact with the world we currently find ourselves living in. This week, I’m speaking to Sheela Banerjee about her book, What’s In A Name, where she explores all these things and more. It’s fascinating. Sheela Banerjee is a journalist and academic and worked for many years at the BBC and Channel 4, directing programmes which told powerful stories of individual lives. She has also worked as a radio reporter and BBC producer on current affairs and political programmes. She left TV to undertake a PhD on Virginia Woolf and T.S. Eliot. What’s in a Name? is her first book.I really hope you enjoy this episode, and I'd love to hear from you. Following, subscribing, rating and leaving a review really means SO much. You can now support the show and help me keep putting out great and important episodes like these. Join my community on Patreon, and when you subscribe, you'll get access to an exclusive bonus episode each month, straight to your inbox.Come find me on Patreon: www.patreon.com/thediversebookshelfpodcastAlso, let's connect on social media! I'd love to hear from you.www.instagram.com/readwithsamiawww.instagram.com/thediversebookshelfpod Support the show

On the show this week, I'm speaking to journalist and author, Azad Essa about his latest book, Hostile Homelands: The New Alliance between India and Israel. At the time of recording this episode, the genocide in Gaza has been going on for over 90 days, with over 30,000 people having been killed, and 1.9 million people forcibly displaced from their homes.  The population of Gaza is being starved amid relentless bombardments targeting journlists, authors, institutes, hospitals and schools. Right now, more than ever, it it important for us to take a deeper look at the world around us. In his latest book, Hostile Homelands: The New Alliance between India and Israel, Azad Essa brings to the fore the important relationship between the two countries, discussing the occupations of Kashmir and Palestine, as well as the attacks in India on Muslim and minority communities. He encourages us to not turn away from this critical relationship, expanding our understanding of major players within the political arena. This is more important than ever now, as at the time of recording, Israel’s attacks and genocide in Gaza relentlessly continue. Over 22,000 people have been reported dead, and with thousands trapped under rubble, the real figure is likely to be much higher.  Azad Essa is a senior reporter for Middle East Eye based between Johannesburg and New York City. Azad previously worked for Al Jazeera English between 2010-2018 in which he was part of a team that won numerous awards for our breaking news and in depth coverage of the Arab Spring. Azad has reported from across the African continent, as well as South Asia, covering politics, development and poverty.His four-part investigation into the shocking behavior of peacekeepers in war zones, titled: Why do some peacekeepers rape? won the 2017 UN Correspondents Association International Prize (Silver) for coverage on UN activities.Azad has also written for The Washington Post, Foreign Policy, The Guardian, among others.Just a reminder, that you can now support the show. Join my community on Patreon, and get access to an exclusive bonus episode every month :)Join here: www.patreon.com/thediversebookshelfpodcast I hope you enjoy this episode, and would love to hear from you. Come connect with me on social media:www.instagram.com/readwithsamiaSupport the show

This week's podcast episode is a super interesting conversation with Celina Baljeet Basra. In Celina’s debut novel, Happy, she introduces us to the protagonist of the same name – Happy. Coming from a farming family in Punjab, we follow him as he makes a huge decision to leave his family home in India and to travel to Europe for work. Celina provides us with a witty and nuanced look into the food industry in Europe, as well as the experience of labour migrants and their families. She raises vital questions around human dignity, human rights, the pursuit for happiness and success in life, and whether we are asking the right questions with regards to living ethically. Happy is written in a non-traditional format, making the reading experience so much more interesting and nuanced.Celina is a writer and curator based in Berlin. She graduated from the Free University of Berlin, where she studied Art History in a Global Context, and has since worked with Berlin Biennale, Galerie im Turm, and other institutions at the local and international level. She has a range of residencies under her belt and she was awarded both curatorial and literary research scholarships from the Berlin Senate. She is a founder of The Department of Love, a curatorial collective.I hope you enjoy this episode :) Come and let me know your thoughts on social media:www.instagram.com/readwithsamiaYou can now support the show by joining my community on Patreon! Subscribe today and help me continue putting out great episodes, and receive an exclusive bonus episode each month:patreon.com/TheDiverseBookshelfPodcast Support the show

This week's guest on the show is the hugely talented Isabella Hammad, author of The Parisian, and most recently, Enter Ghost. I love Isabella’s work, which is always so thoughtful, beautifully written, multi-layered and hugely informative and insightful. As a British Palestinian, Isabella tells stories of Palestinian families, enabling us to understand better, Palestinian history, Colonial projects, and what we are witnessing unfold in Palestine right now.At the time of recording this episode, towards the end of 2023, the most recent war on Gaza has been taking place for over 75 days, and the official death toll has crossed 20,000 people. Thousands are still trapped under rubble, and millions are also at risk from starvation, disease and the cold. I’m so glad to be talking about Palestine, and Isabella’s work today. Isabella Hammad was born in London. Her writing has appeared in Conjunctions, The Paris Review, The New York Times and elsewhere. She was awarded the 2018 Plimpton Prize for Fiction and a 2019 O. Henry Prize. Her first novel The Parisian (2019) won a Palestine Book Award, the Sue Kaufman Prize from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, and a Betty Trask Award from the Society of Authors in the UK. She was a National Book Foundation 5 Under 35 Honoree, and has received literary fellowships from MacDowell and the Lannan Foundation. She is currently a fellow at the Columbia University Institute for Ideas and Imagination in Paris.As always, I'd love to hear what you thought of this episode. Come connect with me on social media:www.instagram.com/readwithsamiawww.instagram.com/thediversebookshelfpodYou can now join me on Patreon, and join my community for £5 a month to support the show, so I can keep creating great episodes like these. Every subscriber will also get access to an exclusive, special bonus episode every month :)Join me here:http://patreon.com/TheDiverseBookshelfPodcastSupport the show

This week, I bring you a special end of year episode! My husband, Malik Wasim, took to the interviewer's seat, and hosted a Q&A, asking me all about the show, books and bookstagram. I put a post out on Instagram asking friends and followers for their questions, so I hope this episode is fun and helpful :)2023 has been a great year for the show. I moved to weekly episodes this year, and have had so many incredible, powerful and moving conversations. I'm so proud of, and grateful for this space, where we're holding important conversations, talking about things that really matter and sharing our stories.Please continue listening to the show in 2024, where I hope to be giving much more of the same, interviewing inspiring guests and talking all about books.As always, I'd love to hear from you. Please do subscribe to The Diverse Bookshelf on your podcast platform of choice, and connect with me on social media:www.instagram.com/readwithsamia If you'd like to support the show, please consider subscribing to my Patreon, here: https://www.patreon.com/TheDiverseBookshelfPodcastOr, if you'd prefer, please consider buying me a metaphorical coffee:https://ko-fi.com/readwithsamiaSupport the show

On the show this week, I’m speaking to Assia Belgacem  a French-Algerian writer and book critic based in Bordeaux, France. Assia runs the Instagram account, @shereadsox, where she writes nuanced book reviews and gives excellent book recommendations. In this episode, we talk about Assia’s identity: Algerian and French, and also about being Muslim in an increasingly right-wing, France. With hijab bans in place in the country, Assia works as a teacher in a government school, where she is unable to cover her hair. We talk about so much, including French and Algerian history, political activism, books and so much more.At the time of recording, It has been almost 70 days since the beginning of Israel’s most recent war on Gaza, where so far over 20,000 people have been killed. Thousands are still trapped under rubble, and shortages of food and water are becoming lethal. Naturally, we talked about Palestine today, too. Assia's work focuses on decolonization, French politics and African/Swana literature.Follow Assia on instagram:www.instagram.com/shereadsoxAs always, I hope this episode is interesting and enjoyable! Connect with me on social media, as I'd love to hear from you.www.instagram.com/readwithsamiawww.instagram.com/thediversebookshelfpod Support the show

At the time of recording this episode, we are on day 62 of Israel’s most recent war on Gaza. The situation is beyond horrific, as over 20,000 Palestinian men, women and children have been killed and 1.7 million have been displaced from their homes. Numerous international humanitarian laws have been broken as civialian areas, hospitals and schools have been attacked, and white phospherous has been used on civilian populations, with catastrophic impacts. On today’s episode, I’m speaking with Rashid Khalidi, author and historian about understanding the last 100 years, in an attempt to truly understand and uncover what is happening today.  We talk about the Balfour declaration of 1917, the end of British colonial rule in Palestine, the growth of the Israeli colonial project, the ways in which Palestinians have resisted, and so much more. Rashid Khalidi is Edward Said Professor of Arab Studies at Columbia University. He received a B.A. from Yale University in 1970 and a D. Phil. from Oxford University in 1974. He has taught at the Lebanese University, the American University of Beirut, and the University of Chicago. He is co-editor of the Journal of Palestine Studies and has served as President of the Middle East Studies Association. He has written or co-edited ten books, including The Hundred Years' War on Palestine: A History of Settler-Colonialism and Resistance, which we’ll be speaking about today. He has written over a hundred scholarly articles on aspects of Middle East history and politics, as well as opinion pieces in The New York Times, The Financial Times, The Boston Globe, The Los Angeles Times, The Chicago Tribune Vanguardia, The London Review of Books, and The Nation. Rashid Khalidi lived in Beirut, and was deeply engaged in Lebanese politics in the 70s, and during the Lebanese war of 1982. He has played an active role in peace talks and negotiations in the region in the 80s and 90s.Buy The Hundred Years' War on Palestine here: https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/the-hundred-years-war-on-palestine-a-history-of-settler-colonial-conquest-and-resistance-rashid-i-khalidi/2901891?ean=9781781259344If you enjoyed this episode, please do reach out and let me know! It would mean the world if you could rate, follow and subscribe, as well as leaving a review, as it helps more people discover the show.Connect with me on social media:www.instagram.com/readwithsamiawww.instagram.com/thediversebookshelfpod Support the show

On today’s show, I’m joined once again by super talented writer, Etaf Rum. Etaf has written 2 powerful novels, A Woman is No Man, and most recently, Evil Eye. Her work is an intricate look into the lives of immigrant Palestinian families, dealing with serious themes of inter-generational trauma, identity, mental health, belonging, family, motherhood and so much more.  As we recorded today’s episode, Israel has been relentlessly attacking Gaza, Palestine for over 50 days. 20,000 people have been killed, including 8,000 children and 1.7 million people have been displaced from their homes.  There is an increase in the spread of disease, and people are struggling to find enough food to eat or clean water to drink. With ruthless attacks on hospitals, the healthcare system has collapsed, and premature babies and Palestinian men, women and children are dying without adequate healthcare. Etaf Rum, a Palestinian-American woman herself has been vocally supporting the Palestinian cause and demands for an urgent and permanent ceasefire, but has come under fire by some of her readers, raising huge questions around whether or not readers are truly understanding the stories Etaf is telling around Palesine, the Nakba of 1948, inter-generational trauma and occupation.On the show this week, Etaf talks about what she has experienced in her own life and in the reader community since October 7th. We talk about literary empathy, performative reading, inter-generational trauma, understanding mainstream narratives about Israel and Zionism and why these are harmful, and how the liberation of us all are inter-linked.I'm grateful to Etaf for joining me on the show again today, and I hope you take something meaningful away from this conversation.I'd really appreciate it if you could rate, follow, subscribe and like, as it really helps more people discover my show. Come connect with me on social media - I'd love to hear from you.www.instagram.com/readwithsamiawww.instagram.com/thediversebookshelfpod Support the show

TW: mentions of miscarriage, infertility and grief.This episode was recorded in late October.I’m so pleased to be joined by Huma Qureshi on the show this week, talking about her work and her first novel and latest book, Playing Games. Playing Games tells the story of two sisters, Hana and Mira, who like most sisters, love each other deeply but have a relationship that is flawed and complex. Mira, an inspiring playwright, overhears a very private and personal conversation her sister is having with her husband. Mira finds her sister’s words so powerful, they set off the cogs of writers inspiration in her mind, and she writes the scene of a play exploring marriage for a modern-day couple. Huma poses questions about using real life for fiction, and where the boundaries and lines are. Is it ever okay to write about someone else’s life, and what happens if that someone else is your sister? Hana herself is going through a tumultuous time in her marriage, as she experiences loss and deep longing for motherhood.Huma Qureshi is the award-winning author of four books, including How We Met: A Memoir Of Love and Other Misadventures and the short story collection, Things We Do Not Tell The People We Love, both published to critical acclaim in 2021. In 2022, How We Met was shortlisted for the Books Are My Bag Non-Fiction award, and Things We Do Not Tell The People We Love was long listed for both The Jhalak Prize and The Edge Hill Short Story Prize. Her first book, In Spite of Oceans, received The John C Laurence Award. In 2020, Huma won the Harper's Bazaar Short Story Prize, with her story The Jam Maker. Her novel, Playing Games, will be published in November 2023. Huma writes the popular newsletter Dear Huma and teaches a variety of creative writing courses via her website, www.humaqureshi.co.ukI really hope you love this episode, and as always I'd love to hear from you. Please do follow and subscribe on your podcast platform of choice and consider leaving me a review. It really helps :)Come find me on social media:www.instagram.com/readwithsamiawww.instagram.com/thediversebookshelfpod Support the show

On this week’s show, I’m speaking to Palestinian-American writer, Sahar Mustafah about identity, writing, survivor’s guilt, and the current war on Gaza which has led to the killing of over 14,000 Palestinian men, women and children. Her book, The Beauty of Your Face is a stunning family tale of a young woman finding herself and her faith, as she explores her own identity. The daughter of immigrants, Sahar Mustafah explores her Palestinian heritage in her writing. She earned her MFA in Fiction from Columbia College where she was a Follett Graduate Scholar. Mustafah is a Willow Books Grand Prize Winner for Code of The West, was named one of the 25 Writers to Watch by The Guild Literary Complex of Chicago, and is a member of Voices Protest and Radius of Arab American Writers. Her debut novel, The Beauty of Your Face, was named a The New York Times Book Review Notable Books of 2020 and a Finalist for the 2021 Palestine Book Award. It was long-listed for the Center for Fiction First Novel Award and chosen for Los Angeles Times “United We Read.” Mustafah writes and teaches outside of Chicago.The Beauty of Your Face tells a uniquely American story in powerful, evocative prose. Afaf Rahman, the daughter of Palestinian immigrants, is the principal of a Muslim school in the Chicago suburbs. One morning, a shooter--radicalized by the online alt-right--attacks the school. As Afaf listens to his terrifying progress, we are swept back through her memories, and into a profound and "moving" (Bustle) exploration of one woman's life in a nation at odds with its ideals.Buy The Beauty of Your Face, here: https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/the-beauty-of-your-face-shortlisted-for-the-palestine-book-award-2021-sahar-mustafah/1261005?ean=9781789559736As always, I would love to hear your thoughts on this episode. Come, connect with me on social media:www.instagram.com/readwithsamiawww.instagram.com/thediversebookshelfpod Support the show

On this week's show, I'm speaking to Dina Nayeri about the truth. In a growing age of false news, propoganda, smear campaigns and cancel culture, the sanctity of the truth and who gets believed is increasingly important. There is a difference between those who speak the truth, and those whose truth is believed, as sometimes it is the case that those who speak their truth are not believed, and the consequences are dire. We have seen this play out worldwide for centuries for women, refugees, people of colour and black people, among other minority and vulnerable groups especially. On this week's show, we unpack why some people are more believable than others, the role of the media, and the state's eagerness to push out certain narratives, even if they are not true. This has especially been the case recently since the increased attacks on Gaza, where news outlets have recalled harmful and incorrect statements. Dina Nayeri is the author of two novels and two books of creative nonfiction, Who Gets Believed? (2023) and The Ungrateful Refugee (2019), winner of the Geschwister Scholl Preis and finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, the Kirkus Prize, and Elle Grand Prix des Lectrices, and called by The Guardian “a work of astonishing, insistent importance.” Her essay of the same name was one of The Guardian’s most widely read long reads in 2017, and is taught in schools and anthologized around the world. A 2019-2020 Fellow at the Columbia Institute for Ideas and Imagination in Paris, and winner of the 2018 UNESCO City of Literature Paul Engle Prize, Dina has won a National Endowment for the Arts literature grant, the O. Henry Prize, and Best American Short Stories, among other honors. Her work has been published in 20+ countries and in The New York Times, The Guardian, The Washington Post, The New Yorker, Granta, and many other publications.  Her short dramas have been produced by the English Touring Theatre and The Old Vic in London.  She is a graduate of Princeton, Harvard, and the Iowa Writers Workshop.  In autumn 2021, she was a Fellow at the American Library in Paris. She is currently working on plays, screenplays, and her upcoming publications include The Waiting Place, a nonfiction children’s book about refugee camp, Who Gets Believed, a creative nonfiction book, and Sitting Bird, a novel. She has recently joined the faculty at the University of St. Andrews. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and consider rating and leaving a review. Also, connect with me on social media - I'd love to hear from you!www.instagram.com/readwithsamiawww.instagram.com/thediversebookshelfpod Support the show

This week on the show, I’m joined by two book-lovers, book bloggers and activists to talk about some really important issues: Ola Abou and Ilham Essalih.  We're talking about what books we should read to further understand the war on Gaza, and the war in Syria, and how the movements for liberation in Palestine and Syria are intertwined. At the time of recording (16th October), we were on day 9 of Israel’s war against Gaza, with the official death toll having reached nearly 3,000, 700 of whom are children and babies. For 9 days, the besieged Gaza strip has faced relentless attacks and a total land, sea and air blockade, cutting off its supplies of water, food and fuel to 2.3 million people. The situation is beyond horrendous, as hospitals struggle to cope with the injured amid a lack of medical supplies and doctors, and communities are being ordered to leave their homes due to imminent attacks. Even while leaving, passages that were previously declared as safe, have been attacked, sparing no one. There are also increasing reports on attacks in the occupied West Bank, and arrests of over 70 people.  The death toll has now exceeded well over 4,000 people, and schools and hospitals have been ruthlessly attacked. Unfortunately, Palestine is not the only place impacted by Israel at the moment. Israel has been bombing Syria, which since 2011, has been in a devastating state of war and crisis. Twelve years after protesters in Syria first demonstrated and rose up against the four-decade rule of the Assad family, hundreds of thousands of Syrians have been killed and nearly thirteen million people—more than half the country’s prewar population—have been displaced. Amid war, the Syrian people are suffering an economic crisis, and a massive earthquake at the start of 2023 cast much of the population in the north into further despair.Follow Ola and Ilham on social media:Ola: www.instagram.com/slowreadingola Ilham: www.instagram.com/ilhamreadsBooks mentioned in this episode:Palestine:ClassicsGhassan Kanafani: Men in the Sun, Palestine’s Children Emile Habiby: The Secret Life of Saeed the Pessoptimist Halim Barakat: Days of Dust (was meant to mention this book but I forgot but it’s really good!)Poetry of Mahmoud DarwishNon-fiction/memoirs: Palestine writers:Edward Said: The Question of Palestine + his memoir Out of Place Mourid Barghouti: I Saw Ramallah Rashid Khalidi, The Hundred Years’ War on Palestine (history)Jewish writers:Ilan Pappe: The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine + Ten Myths About Israel Avi Shlaim: Three Worlds Massoud Hayoun: When We Were Arabs (forgot to mention this, it’s another memoir about Jews from Arab lands, really essential for understanding Zionism)Contemporary:Isabella Hammad: The ParisianAdania Shibli: Minor Detail Ahlam Bsharat: Trees of the Absentees + Code Name: Butterfly Mohammed El-Kurd: Rifqa (poetry) Syria:-In Praise of Hatred, Khaled Khalifa-What Strange Paradise, Omar El Akkad-The Middle East Crisis Factory, Iyad El-Baghdadi and Ahmed Gatnash-We Crossed a Bridge and It Trembled: Voices from Syria, Wendy Pearlman-Burning Country: Syrians in Revolution and War, Robin Yassin-Kassab and Leila Al-Shami-You Have Not Yet Been Defeated, Alaa Abd El-Fattah-The Impossible Revolution: Making Sense of the Syrian Tragedy by Yassin al-Haj Saleh-The Book Collectors: A Band of Syrian Rebels and the Stories That Carried Them Through a War by Delphine MinouiSupport the show

On today’s show, I’m speaking with powerful story-teller and writer, Etaf Rum. Etaf has written two powerful novels, A Woman is No Man, and most recently, Evil Eye. Her work is an intricate look into the lives of immigrant Palestinian families, dealing with serious themes of inter-generational trauma, identity, mental health, belonging, family, motherhood and so much more. Her work has connected with readers all over the world, evoking deep emotion, and shedding light on the traumas held and lived with every single day, of one of the world’s most persecuted communities – Palestine. I’m so glad she’s my guest today.  We talk about the importance of Palestinian stories, intergenerational trauma, mental health, healing, identity, and so much more.While this conversation is not in light of recent escalations of violence in Palestine, I hope it helps inform and educate, giving insight into the lived reality of Palestinian families.The daughter of Palestinian immigrants, Etaf Rum was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. She has a Masters of Arts in American and British Literature as well as undergraduate degrees in Philosophy and English Composition and teaches undergraduate courses in North Carolina, where she lives with her two children.I hope you enjoy this episode, and would love to hear from you.Come connect with me on social media:www.instagram.com/readwithsamiaAlso, I would really appreciate it if you could rate and leave a review on your podcast platform of choice, as it can really help others find the show :)Support the show

On today’s show, I’m speaking with journalist and historian, Lucy Fulford about her non-fiction book, The Exiled. In The Exiled, Lucy delves into understanding the Asian expulsion from Uganda in 1972, which saw 80,000 South Asian Ugandans being given just 90 days to leave the country, by the dictator, Idi Amin. She goes way back, uncovering how the British empire led to so many South Asians finding home in Uganda, but how it also impacted the structure of Ugandan society and the impact on black Ugandans. The book is a mixture of Lucy’s own family history, interviews she has undertaken, and copious amounts of research. The book takes us from pre-1972 Uganda, to the expulsion itself and beyond 1972, as countless families in the UK and elsewhere strived to build a new life. This is a really thorough and nuanced exploration of that part of history, also sprinkled with Lucy’s own musings on race, identity. Lucy is an experienced multimedia journalist and filmmaker whose work centres on migration, conflict and climate.After graduating from the University of Bristol with a first-class honours degree in History – writing a dissertation on the Rwandan genocide – she studied media law, shorthand and reporting with the NCTJ and worked as a senior reporter and acting editor of a press agency, covering breaking news, crime and courts for the national press in London. Growing up between cultures has led to an interest in exploring identity and in her book, The exiled, she explores the generational legacy of forced migration, inspired in part by her family history.Support the show

On this week's show, I’m speaking with Kevin Jared Hosein about his novel, Hungry Ghosts. Hungry Ghosts is a remarkable novel set in the 1940s in Trinidad, following the story of two families, vastly different from one another, but whose decisions and actions have devastating consequences. In his book, Kevin explores so much, from race, class, religion, wealth and human dignity, to huge questions around one’s pursuit of escaping the life they don’t want to lead; whether we are the saviours in our own stories, and how the actions of one person or group of people, can have long-lasting impacts on others, spanning generations.On the show we talk about morally ambiguous characters, learning about stories through gaming, colonialism, class, race and so much more. Kevin Jared Hosein is a teacher and writer from Trinidad, where he lives and works. He won the Commonwealth writers’ prize in 2018 for his story Passage and he has written two novels for young adults, The Repenters and The Beast of Kukuyo. His first novel for adults, Hungry Ghosts, is set in 1940s Trinidad and concerns the wife of an overseer who goes missing and the attempts by one of his employees to move up in a highly stratified society.I'd really love to connect with you, and would love to hear your thoughts on the show. Come find me on social media:www.instagram.com/readwithsamiawww.instagram.com/thediversebookshelfpod Support the show

On the show this week, I spoke with the super creative and wonderful, Laila Woozeer about her memoir, Not Quite White. Born to a Mauritian father and white mother, Laila often felt like she didn't belong and struggled to see herself represented in the world at large. In her memoir, she details the complexity of mixed racial identities, how difficult it can often be to navigate all the ways we are often othered, and the importance of learning to accept ourselves and all the different parts of our identity.In this conversation, we talk about creativity, expressions of self, racism, growing up feeling like an outsider, mental health, intergenerational trauma and so much more.Laila Woozeer is a British author, performer, musician, and activist. Woozeer's 2022 book, Not Quite White is a memoir described as "primarily focused on mixed-race identity and also looking at representation, structural racism, intergenerational trauma and interracial family relations." I hope you find some healing, community and hope through this conversation.As always, I'd love to hear from you. Please do connect with me on social media:www.instagram.com/readwithsamiawww.instagram.com/thediversebookshelfpod Support the show

On today’s show, I’m speaking with Jaspreet Kaur, a woman I really look up to. We talk all about being a brown girl, and the challeges we face, journeys we go on, and all the beauty that lies within it all. Jaspreet’s book takes an inter-generational look at what it really means to be a brown woman, and what issues we really need to talk more about. On this episode, we talk about microaggressions and how harmful they are, the importance of our names and saying them correctly, body image issues, body hair, periods, fertility, being vulnerable, healing and so much more. Jaspreet Kaur, also known by her online handle 'Behind the Netra' is an award-winning spoken word artist, history teacher and writer from London. She is the author of Brown Girl Like Me. She is passionate about gender issues, taboo subjects and encouraging positive social change in both the Asian community and wider society. Her work tackles issues related to gender discrimination, mental health stigma, the postcolonial immigrant experience, and more. Jaspreet is a regular on the BBC and Sunday Morning Live and worked with the UN on the HeforShe campaign. She is currently a Research Fellow at Birkbeck University's Centre for British Political Life. She is a force to be reckoned with, and I’m so glad she's with us on the show today.As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts on this episode. Please do get in touch with me on social media to keep the conversation going :)www.instagram.com/readwithsamiawww.instagram.com/thediversebookshelfpod Support the show

This week's episode is a little different. Usually I interview a super-inspiring author, and we dig deep into the themes and issues they explore in their writing. But this week, there is no guest, and it's just me. I wanted to take some time to reflect on the past year, and all the wonderful conversations that have taken place on the show.The Diverse Bookshelf podcast is now one year old :) With over 40 episodes out in the world, I wanted to sit back and think about the space we've created, what my intention and drive really was, what sort of conversations have taken place, and where we go from here.I hope you enjoy this slightly different episode, and we'll be back with inspiring interviews soon!I love to connect with listeners, and LOVE to hear what you think of the show. Connect with me on social media here:www.instagram.com/readwithsamiawww.instagram.com/thediversebookshelfpod Support the show

On this week's episode, I chat to the wonderful Faiza Shaheen, author of Know Your Place, which is part-memoir, and part-research-based analysis about class in the UK. In the book, Faiza discusses her own working-class background, and the effects of austerity on her family, especially her mother who was relying on benefits due to her health. She breaks down the very many things in society which helped her to graduate from the University of Oxford, including a state-school system with good teachers, a welfare state system, and free universal healthcare. But she also breaks down how a person from a working class background has to work up to 4,000 times harder to succeed, due to the structure of our system. We explore some big questions about social justice, social mobility and equality and fairness in the UK, talking about Faiza's political career, research and insights. We break down what we really mean by social mobility, and what really matters when it comes to representation in government. Dr. Faiza Shaheen is an economist, writer, and commentator. She is the author of a range of materials and publications covering the most salient social and economic debates of our times, including inequality, austerity, immigration, youth unemployment and social mobility. Faiza has over 15 years of experience researching the trends and consequences of inequality, as well as designing policies and campaigns to address the causes of inequality and exclusion.In 2017, Faiza was named the Observer Rising Star for Campaigning, nominated as Asian Woman of the Year and included in the Top 100 Influencers on the Left list in the UK.As always, I'd love to hear what you think of this conversation! Please do follow, rate and review as it helps more people find the show.I'd also love to connect with you on social media:www.instagram.com/readwithsamiawww.instagram.com/thediversebookshelfpod Support the show

For the first time on the show, I'm welcoming back an author I interviewed last year - Christy Lefteri! I am a huge fan of Christy's work, so could not be more thrilled. Christy writes about important social, political and global issues including the refugee crisis, the war in Syria, domestic labour, family, loss, identity and belonging. With her new novel,  The Book of Fire, she explores the effects of climate change, human greed, and what  could happen to the world if thing carry on going the way they are.In this conversation, we talk about family, grief, healing, leaning into joy, the environment, finding hope and so much more.Brought up in London, Christy Lefteri is the child of Cypriot refugees. She holds a PhD in creative writing from Brunel University, where she was a lecturer for many years. She is the author of Songbirds and the international bestseller The Beekeeper of Aleppo, which won the Aspen Words Literary Prize and was the runner-up for the Dayton Literary Peace Prize. Her first novel, A Watermelon, a Fish and a Bible, was longlisted for the IMPAC Dublin Literary Award. The Book of Fire is Christy Lefteri's latest novel, published by Bonnier Books / Zaffre. It will be released on 17th August, and you can get your copy here:https://uk.bookshop.org/a/5890/9781786581563As always, I'd love to hear from you! Let me know what you think by connecting with me on social media.www.instagram.com/readwithsamiawww.instagram.com/thediversebookshelfpodSupport the show

On this week's episode, I spoke to the super stylish, absolutely wonderful, and very insightful, Hafsa Lodi about her book, Modesty: A Fashion Paradox.Now, I know absolutely nothing about fashion, or what it means to be fashionable.  I'm typically seen wearing clashing colours, outfits just thrown together and odd socks. :) However, I am really intrigued by the way the modest fashion industry around the world, and especially in the UK, has grown over the last 10 years. I'm particularly interested in whether something so inward and holding moral weight, 'modesty', can go hand-in-hand with something that it concerned with outward appearance, 'fashion'. Hafsa explores this question and more in her book, and we talk about SO many things in this episode. Modesty: A Fashion Paradox is published by Neem Tree Books. Hafsa Lodi is an American journalist who has been covering fashion in the Middle East for the past decade. She was born in New York City, and at the age of 14 relocated to the United Arab Emirates with her family, where she attended Dubai American Academy while interning after school with one of the region’s leading publishing houses, ITP.After completing her undergraduate studies at the Ryerson School of Journalism in Toronto, Hafsa moved to London for a year, where she earned her master’s degree in Islamic Law at the School of Oriental and African Studies. The relationships between religion, culture and modernity have always fascinated Hafsa, who covered topics like honour killings in Canada’s South Asian communities, the use of DNA evidence in rape cases in Pakistan and the industrialization of the Holy city of Makkah, before turning to the fashion journalism beat. While living in Dubai, Hafsa has written for The National newspaper, Luxury Magazine, Mojeh Magazine, Velvet Magazine, Savoir Flair and Vogue India, in addition to working as an online fashion editor for one of the Middle East’s largest luxury retailers, Boutique 1. She is a freelance stylist, and also has a part-time clothing line, creating whimsical maxi-cardigans and kaftans during Ramadan, and statement hand-embellished sweatshirts for the winter seasons.If you've enjoyed this episode, please do consider following, rating and reviewing as it really helps more people find the show. Also, do connect with me on social media. I'd love to hear from you :)www.instagram.com/readwithsamiawww.instagram.com/thediversebookshelfpod Support the show

TW: sexual assault, domestic violence and grief.Have you ever read a book where you feel immense rage towards a character? So much so, you're beyond glad that this is a piece of fiction. Well, that was my experience of reading The Middle Child by Chika Unigwe.In The Middle Child, we meet Nani, who after some devastating loss, ends up trapped in an abusive marriage. On this episode, I spoke to Chika Unigwe about what stories she wanted to explore, rage at characters, systems of oppression, patriarchy, grief and so much more. Born in Enugu, Nigeria, she is the author of four novels, including On Black Sisters Street and Night Dancer. Her short stories and essays have appeared in the New York Times, the Guardian, Guernica, Aeon and many other journals.Her works have been translated into several languages. A recipient of several awards and fellowships, she lives and works in the USA. The Middle Child is her latest novel, published by Canongate Books in 2023. Support the show

For this week's episode, I spoke to the super intelligent, and absolutely wonderful, Parini Shroff. Parini Shroff is author of the 2023 Women's Prize for Fiction long-listed novel, The Bandit Queens - a book which The New York Times has called “a radically feel-good story about the murder of no-good husbands by a cast of unsinkable women.”I loved The Bandit Queens, which is full of dark humour and wit, unforgettable characters, a fast plot and it tackles so many important themes and issues such as patriarchy, caste, class, race, domestic abuse and so much more. On this episode, we go behind the scenes of the book, as Parini talks about her inspiration and writing process. We talk about justice, revenge, female rage, and so much more. Parini Shroff received her MFA from the University of Texas at Austin, where she studied under Elizabeth McCracken, Alexander Chee, and Cristina García. She is a practicing attorney and currently lives in the San Francisco Bay Area. The Bandit Queens is her debut novel.I hope you love this episode as much as I enjoyed speaking to Parini :)As always, I'd love to hear from you. Connect with me on social media:www.instagram.com/readwithsamiawww.instagram.com/thediversebookshelfpod Support the show

On this week's podcast episode, I spoke to the hilarious Huda Fahmy, illustrator and writer. In this laughter-packed episode, we talked about why humour is so important, the universality of everyday life experiences, family, creating characters, creativity and so much more.Huda's latest book in her Huda F series, Huda F Cares is coming out in October 2023, so get pre-ordering from a bookshop you love!Huda Fahmy grew up in Dearborn, Michigan, and has loved comics since she was a kid. She attended the University of Michigan where she majored in English. She taught English to middle and high schoolers for eight years before she started writing about her experiences as a visibly Muslim woman in America and was encouraged by her older sister to turn these stories into comics. Huda, her husband Gehad, and their son reside in Houston, Texas.You can pre-order Huda F Cares from Bookshop.org, here:https://uk.bookshop.org/a/5890/9780593532805 I hope you love this episode, and I'd love to hear your thoughts, so please do connect with me on social media:www.instagram.com/readwithsamiawww.instagram.com/thediversebookshelfpod Support the show

On this week's show I spoke to the lovely and hugely talented Hiba, who is also a dear friend of mine. On 6th July, Hiba's first children's novel, Safiyyah's War, hit bookshelves in the UK, and in this episode we talk about the beautiful book. Hiba's book is about a part of history that we know so little about - the resistance movement against the Holocaust that was run from the Grand Mosque of Paris. In the book, our protagonist, 11-year-old Safiyyah ends up in the middle of the movement, bravely sacrificing so much to help those in trouble. I asked Hiba about what led her to writing children's stories, and what we can do to gently introduce young minds to serious themes and issues such as war and persecution. We talked about cats, strawberry bonbons, friendship, family, courage, dreaming, Paris, hidden histories and so much more. Hiba Noor Khan is the author of 6 books for children, including Safiyyah's War, How to Spaghettify your Dog, The Little War Cat, Inspiring Inventors and One Home. The Little War Cat, published in 2020 was long-listed for the Jhalak Prize and the UKLA Book Award and her work has been translated into Swedish, Korean, Turkish, Breton, Chinese, and counting. She secretly wants to be an explorer, and is happiest surrounded by nature, especially near the ocean.I hope you love this episode as much as I do. Connect with me on social media - I'd love to hear from you.www.instagram.com/readwithsamiawww.instagram.com/thediversebookshelfpod Support the show

On the show this week, I spoke to the lovely Sara Nisha Adams about her two books, The Reading List and The Twilight Garden. This was such a wholesome, uplifting conversation where we talked about the importance of uplifting stories, hope, grief, community, libraries, gardening and so much more. We talked about our names, and the thought, experience and conscious choices that go into choosing names for ourselves, and those we love. Sometimes, the news and social media is flooded with difficult stories, sad news and alarming statistics. It can get a bit too much. That’s why I think we always need stories that are full of hope and warmth, reminding us that although there might be sadness and challenges, there is much love and light in the world, and in our lives too. For this reason, I love the work of Sara Nisha Adams, an author whose books are uplifting, warm and wholesome. Sara Nisha’s books are based around community, togetherness, making unlikely friendships, healing from grief and loneliness, and finding and choosing family. I have loved the two books she’s written so far, and I’m so glad she’s my guest this week.Sara Nisha Adams is a writer and editor. She lives in London and was born in Hertfordshire to Indian and English parents. Her debut novel The Reading List is partly inspired by her grandfather, who lived in Wembley and immediately found a connection with his granddaughter through books. Her latest novel, The Twilight Garden came out in June 2023. It tells the story of warring neighbours, Winston and Bernice, who put aside their differences to nurture and grow a communal garden. What develops is an unlikely friendship, healing from grief and so much more. I loved speaking with Sara Nisha, and hope you loved this conversation too.Connect with me on social media - I'd love to hear from you.www.instagram.com/readwithsamiawww.instagram.com/thediversebookshelfpod Support the show

What happens when two people are deeply in love, but they want different things for their future? Can a relationship, or a marriage, work its way around fundamental things like having kids, career goals and what family should look like? Is love enough, and do we really listen when women tell us what they want from life?This week, I spoke to Krystle Zara Appiah about her debut novel, Rootless. In Rootless, we’re presented with Efe and Sam, two people massively in love who get married to build a life together. We follow them on their journey as they grow and change in love, but also as they face huge hurdles when it comes to deciding how they want their life to look like. Certain that she doesn’t want to be a mother, Efe finds herself living a life very different to what she truly longs for, and we follow the couple as they navigate through life’s big questions. Krystle Zara Appiah is a Ghanaian writer and screenwriter, born and raised in London. She has a degree in literature and creative writing from the University of Kent. In 2020, she was one of forty writers selected for the London Library's Emerging Writers Programme. She also works as a children's books editor.Rootless is her debut novel.  Thank you so much to Krystle for a moving and insightful conversation! I loved every second of it, and hope you do too. I'd love to hear from you, so please do connect with me on social media:www.instagram.com/readwithsamiawww.instagram.com/thediversebookshelfpod  Support the show

On this week's episode, I spoke to Eleanor Shearer about her debut novel, River Sing Me Home.River Sing Me Home is the story of Rachel, who escapes the plantation where she was enslaved and later forced to work for years, unpaid. She runs in search of her five children who had been taken from her over the years, hoping to reconnect with them and reunite her family. It is a moving novel about love, family, freedom, storytelling, resilience, strength and hope.In our conversation, we talk about the 1843 Slavery Emancipation act, narratives around slavery, re-telling history, the concept of freedom, the importance of storytelling and so much more.Eleanor Shearer is a mixed-race writer and the granddaughter of Windrush generation immigrants. She splits her time between London and Ramsgate on the English coast so that she never has to go too long without seeing the sea. She currently works for a think tank. For her Master's degree in Politics at the University of Oxford, Eleanor studied the legacy of slavery and the case for reparations, and her fieldwork in St. Lucia and Barbados helped inspire her first novel.I really hope you enjoy this episode, and I would love to hear from you.Connect with me on social media:www.instagram.com/readwithsamiawww.instagram.com/thediversebookshelfpod Support the show

This week, I spoke to the incredibly warm and super inspiring author, Marjan Kamali. Marian's latest novel, The Stationery Shop of Tehran has been adored by readers all over the world, and praised for its epic and beautiful love story. The book is set amidst massive political upheaval in Iran in 1953. We follow two young lovers, Roya and Bahman, who become estranged for decades, until they are reunited 60 years later in the United States. The Stationery Shop of Tehran is a really stunning novel, exploring what happens when we lose our homes and our country, finding and rebuilding ourselves, love, the importance of closure, and how amid hardship and loss, there is also much to gain. Marjan Kamali is the award-winning author of The Stationery Shop, a bestseller, and Together Tea, a Massachusetts Book Award finalist. She is a 2022 recipient of the National Endowment for the Arts Creative Writing Fellowship.Marjan’s novels are published in translation in more than 20 languages (19 languages for The Stationery Shop and 8 languages for Together Tea). Her essays have appeared in the Wall Street Journal, Literary Hub, and the Los Angeles Review of Books. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English literature from the University of California, Berkeley, a Master of Business Administration from Columbia University, and a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing from New York University. Born in Turkey to Iranian parents, Kamali spent her childhood in Turkey, Iran, Germany, Kenya, and the U.S.  She currently teaches creative writing at GrubStreet and lives in the Boston area with her family.I loved every second of speaking with Marjan, and hope you do too. If you enjoyed the podcast, please follow the Diverse Bookshelf on your podcast platform of choice and connect with me on social media. I would really appreciate it if you could rate and leave a review, as it helps more people find the podcast. www.instagram.com/readwithsamiawww.instagram.com/thediversebookshelfpod Support the show

This week, I spoke to Mai Al-Nakib about her stunning novel, An Unlasting Home. It is an epic inter-generational saga that spans time and place, exploring the idea of home, belonging and identity. With themes of birds and water running throughout, the book explores what happens when we leave our homes, or are made to leave, and how sometimes places let us go themselves. We follow Sara, a university philosophy lecturer, as she finds herself accused of Blasphemy, which has just been introduced as a capital crime, punishable by death. As she navigates this impossibly difficult situation, she uncovers and explores the stories of the women who raised her and came before her, and how every moment too led to right now. Mai Al-Nakib was born in Kuwait and spent the first six years of her life in London, Edinburgh, and St. Louis, Missouri. She holds a PhD in English literature from Brown University and is Associate Professor of English and comparative literature at Kuwait University. Her academic research focuses on cultural politics in the Middle East, with a special emphasis on gender, cosmopolitanism, and postcolonial issues. Her short story collection, The Hidden Light of Objects, was published by Bloomsbury in 2014. It won the Edinburgh International Book Festival’s 2014 First Book Award, the first collection of short stories to do so. Her debut novel is called An Unlasting Home, was published recentlyI loved every second of speaking with Mai, and hope you do too. If you enjoyed the podcast, please follow the Diverse Bookshelf on your podcast platform of choice and connect with me on social media. I would really appreciate it if you could rate and leave a review, as it helps more people find the podcast. www.instagram.com/readwithsamiawww.instagram.com/thediversebookshelfpod Support the show

On this week's episode, I spoke to Mona Hajjar Halaby about her memoir, In My Mother's Footsteps. Mona's mother was a Palestinian refugee, who fled Palestine in 1948 at the time of the Nakba and the creation of the state of Israel. She lived in Egypt with her husband and two daughters until 1961, when the family became refugees once more, and moved to Switzerland. In her book, Mona shares her mother's experiences of growing up in Palestine, being forced to leave her home, and her Palestinian identity. Mona spends a year working at a school in Ramallah, teaching children about communication and conflict resolution. During this time, she makes the journey to her mother's home village, uncovering deeper layers of her own identity.In this episode, we talk about identity, belonging, returning home and the refugee crisis. Mona Hajjar Halaby is a Palestinian-American educator, writer and social historian. In order to preserve Palestinian culture and heritage, she has created "British Mandate Jerusalemites Photo Library" on Facebook, and "The Palestine Ethnographic Society." She collaborated on an interactive documentary "Jerusalem We Are Here," which takes participants on a walking tour of a neighborhood in Jerusalem past and present, and presents a map that documents the houses in the neighborhood with their documents, photos, and stories. Hajjar-Halaby has written a parenting book, a book on her classroom practice and has a new book coming out in May entitled, "In My Mother’s Footsteps: A Palestinian Refugee Returns Home."Support the show

William Shakespeare is upheld as one of the greatest writers of all time. He is the most quoted person in the English-speaking language, coming only second after those who wrote down the Bible. But is Shakespeare still relevant today? Should we still be teaching Shakespeare in school, or do young people find themselves unable to relate to his work and characters? Is the anti-black racism, anti-semitism and misogyny present in Shakespeare's writing proof that he was holding up a mirror to society, or that he was simply putting forward his own views?In this episode, I spoke with Farah Karim-Cooper, and we talked about all of these things and more. In her latest book, The Great White Bard: Shakespeare, Race and the Future, Farah gives us a detailed look into Shakespeare's work through the lens of race, encouraging us to think more deeply about the great playwright's work. She brings to light many aspects of his work that are often overlooked, and provides an insightful and thoughtful context that helps us get a deeper understanding. We talk about the writers we place on a pedestal, diversifying curriculums, mixed-race couplings in Shakespeare's work, and how so many issues he forced us to confront his work, are still affecting our societies today.Farah Karim-Cooper is Professor of Shakespeare Studies, King’s College London and Co -Director of Education & Research at Shakespeare’s Globe, where she has worked for the last 17 years. Farah is President of the Shakespeare Association of America after having served three years as Trustee. She leads the architectural enquiries into early modern theatres at Shakespeare’s Globe, overseeing the research into the design and construction of the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, the Globe’s indoor Jacobean theatre.She has published over 40 chapters in books, reviews and articles and is a General Editor for Arden’s Shakespeare in the Theatre series and their Critical Intersections Series. She has written three books.Buy The Great White Bard here: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/5890/9780861545346If you enjoyed this podcast, connect with me on social media and let me know your thoughts. I'd love to hear from you.www.instagram.com/readwithsamiawww.instagram.com/thediversebookshelfpodPlease do consider rating and leaving a review :)Support the show

Today’s episodes is about one of my most favourite cities in the world – Sarajevo. Bosnian history is really fascinating, heartbreaking and complex, but gives us so much to learn from, reflect on and truly understand about the world and communities. In this episode, I’m talking to Priscilla Morris about her debut novel, Black Butterflies, which is set in 1992 in Sarajevo, at the beginning of the Siege of Sarajevo, which was initially believed to last just a few days, but continued for four years.  Born to a Yugoslav mother and English father, Priscilla wrote her debut novel Black Butterflies to understand the siege that devastated her mother’s hometown of Sarajevo from 1992-1996. It has been shortlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction, the RSL Ondaatje Prize, the Authors’ Club Best First Novel Award and longlisted for the Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Prize. It was chosen as Indie Fiction Book of the Month in May 2022. It is currently being translated into Bosnian, Italian and Catalan.She lectures in creative writing at University College Dublin and has taught at the University of East Anglia, Kingston University and City Lit. She haa an MA with Distinction and a PhD in Creative Writing from UEA. She read Italian, Spanish and Social Anthropology at Cambridge University.  I’m so glad she’s my guest today. Buy Black Butterflies here: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/5890/9780715654590If you enjoyed this episode, please do consider rating and leaving a review. Also, I'd really love to hear from you so please do connect with me on social media.www.instagram.com/readwithsamiawww.instagram.com/thediversebookshelfpod Support the show

Today’s guest is one the Gulf’s most noteworthy authors, Layla AlAmmar. Layla has published two internationally acclaimed novels The Pact We Made and Silence Is A Sense, in 2019 and 2021, respectively.On this episode, we talk about SO much, and Layla shares such insight from a psychological perspective, discussing theories around trauma, memory and the versions of ourselves that we lose. We talk about who dictates how stories are told, why narratives around refugees are forcibly dehumanising, and what trauma does to the mind's ability to make memories. Set in Kuwait, The Pact We Made revolves around the main character, Dalia, a young Kuwaiti who is pressured to get married by her traditional family as she approaches her 30th birthday, when all she craves is more independence and a life as an art student in the United States. It follows the struggle that emerges within Dalia from living a life that is significantly different from the one she desires, all while she harbors a long-kept secret.  The second novel, Silence is a Sense, tells the story of an unnamed Syrian refugee who finds herself mute in her new community after an arduous trip from war-torn Syria to the UK. It follows her journey of making sense of her new surroundings and her place within them, as she writes about her experiences for a British news outlet under the alias, “The Voiceless.” Layla AlAmmar is a writer and academic from Kuwait. She has a PhD in Arab women's fiction and literary trauma theory.and an MSc in Creative Writing from the University of Edinburgh. She was the 2018 British Council International Writer in Residence at the Small Wonder Short Story Festival. Her debut, THE PACT WE MADE, was longlisted for the Authors’ Club Best First Novel Award. Her second novel, SILENCE IS A SENSE (2021) was shortlisted for the William Saroyan International Prize for Writing. She has written for The Guardian, LitHub, the Times Literary Supplement, ArabLit Quarterly, and The New Arab.You can find Layla on social media here:www.instagram.com/layla_alammar  If you enjoyed the podcast, please follow the Diverse Bookshelf on your podcast platform of choice. I would really appreciate it if you could rate and leave a review, as it helps more people find the podcast. Please do connect with me on social media. I'd love to hear from you:www.instagram.com/readwithsamiawww.instagram.com/thediversebookshelfpod Support the show

I am so excited about this week's episode. I spoke with the incredible Fatima Manji, award-winning broadcaster and journalist, about her book, Hidden Heritage.Hidden Heritage is a myth-busting journey through Britain’s history through heritage sites and British historical sources, rediscovering Britain’s relationship with the Orient. I absolutely loved this book, and found it fascinating and intriguing. Fatima shares stories and introduces us to artefacts and sources that point to a more nuanced and multi-layered relationship between Britain and West and South Asia and North Africa. While sharing some really fascinating stories, she also sheds light on a darker side of history, encouraging us to reconsider some popular narratives of history, and the way we approach society and issues today. Fatima Manji is an award-winning broadcaster and journalist who anchors the UK’s Channel 4 News, the nation’s most popular adversarial nightly news programme. She reports on major national and international stories, and is best known for breaking stories with a global impact: including the tale of Saudi princesses held hostage for years by their father the King; giving voice to the heart-rending testimonies of internally displaced Iraqis fleeing ISIS; investigating an MI5 spy accused of entrapment in Northern Ireland; and tracing the perilous journey of victims of war across the Hungarian border in the face of rising anti-migrant extremism.--If you enjoyed this episode, please consider rating and leaving review. Also, come join me on social media - I'd love to connect!www.instagram.com/readwithsamiawww.instagram.com/thediversebookshelfpod Support the show

On this episode, I spoke to the lovely Cecile Pin about her debut novel, Wandering Souls.  Wandering Souls is such a strong debut, and has been long-listed for the Women's Prize for Fiction in 2023! In this episode, we talk about Cecile's own family, her drive for telling the story of Vietnamese refugees, and why it is so important we understand the challenges faced by refugees everywhere.I loved speaking with Cecile, and definitely think she's an author to watch! Cecile Pin grew up in Paris and New York City. She moved to London at eighteen to study Philosophy at University College London, followed by an MA at King’s College London. She previously worked in publishing. She writes for Bad Form Review and is a London Writers Awards 2021 winner.Wandering Souls is her first novel and is longlisted for the Women’s Prize for fiction. It is being published in eleven territories in 2023. If you enjoyed this episode, please do consider rating and leaving a review on your podcast platform of choice, as it really helps more people find the podcast. Also, connect with me on social media - I'd love to hear from you!www.instagram.com/readwithsamiawww.instagram.com/thediversebookshelfpod Support the show

In this episode, I spoke to the highly talented and inspiring poet, Taher Adel. We talk about how and why poetry is such a great creative outlet and a way to explore one's identity and engage with the world. We also talked about his upcoming book, The Divine Names, which is a collection of short poems which each speak to each of Allah's 99 names. This episode is part of a mini-series for the month of Ramadan. Millions of Muslims are fasting from dawn to dusk for 30 days as part of a month of heightened spirituality and worship.Taher Adel is a British-Bahraini poet and spoken word artist. He has an MA in Creative Writing and Poetry from the University of East Anglia in 2021. He was poet in residence for Wells-next-the-sea in 2019. He is the author of Lost&Found and The Names. His poems have also been published in Ambit, SMOKE Magazine, The New European, Gulf Daily News, Glassworks Magazine, Tedx, Poetry London Magazine and Poetry Salzburg Review.If you enjoyed this episode, please do consider rating and leaving a review, as it helps more people find the podcast :)Please also connect with me on social media:www.instagram.com/readwithsamiawww.instagram.com/thediversebookshelfpod Support the show

In this episode, I spoke to the insightful and inspiring, Suma Din, about her book Turning the Tide. We talk about the challenges women face today, the importance of making duaa, the soul, gratitude, aging, and so much more.This episode is part of a mini-series for the month of Ramadan. Millions of Muslims are fasting from dawn to dusk for 30 days as part of a month of heightened spirituality and worship.Suma Din is an author, researcher, educator and freelance writer. Her books range from children's to adult titles, specialising in writing for Muslim women. She continues her passion for strengthening the position of  families through her work to work with women and girls through professional  projects and in the voluntary sector. Suma is married and mum to three adult children. If you enjoyed this episode, please do consider rating and leaving a review, as it helps more people find the podcast :)Please also connect with me on social media:www.instagram.com/readwithsamiawww.instagram.com/thediversebookshelfpod Support the show

On this episode, I talked to the inspiring, Aliyah Umm Raiyaan. Aliyah's debut book, Ramadan Reflections has been flying off bookshop shelves around the world, totally selling out in the UK, and  becoming a Sunday Times best-seller!In this episode, we talk about her writing journey, and important topics around healing from trauma, forgiveness, truly understanding Allah (swt), being present, healing from your past and so much more. We talk about so many things, and Aliyah's wisdom and warmth oozes out, leaving us with so much to think about. Aliyah Umm Raiyaan converted to Islam 23 years ago and has been involved in UK dawah for over 20 years. In 2010, she founded Solace UK, a charity that helps women who have converted to Islam and find themselves in difficulty. In 2019 she launched a YouTube show called Honest Tea Talk which brought unscripted conversations to the table about raw unspoken topics related to the Muslim community. She continues to devote her time to helping women achieve their full potential whilst emphasising the importance of developing a personal and close relationship with Allah.  Her book, Ramadan Reflections, published by Penguin, is now available. She lives in East London where she home educates her children.This episode is part of a little mini-series for the month of Ramadan, focusing on spirituality and Islam. During Ramadan, millions of Muslims around the world are fasting, abstaining from food and drink from dawn to dusk for 30 days, as part of a month of heightened spirituality and God-consciousness.If you enjoyed this episode, please do rate and review as it helps more people find the podcast. Also, I'd love to connect with you on social media:www.instagram.com/readwithsamiawww.instagram.com/thediversebookshelfpod Support the show

On this episode, I spoke to the wonderful Sofia Rehman, whose book reviews and recommendations on Instagram (@sofia_reading) have bought an immense amount of goodness in my life! Sofia's first book, A Treasury of Aisha bint Abu Bakr - Guidance from the Beloved of the Beloved was recently published by Kube Publishing.We talk about so much in this episode, including why we need more literature by and about women, Sofia's own writing journey, the pursuit of justice, love for Allah and the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), and being patient with all that we pray and ask for.I loved every moment of speaking to Sofia. This conversation was full of so much depth, personal insight and beauty. I hope you too, find something healing and powerful to take from this. This episode is part of a little mini-series for the month of Ramadan, focusing on spirituality and Islam. During Ramadan, millions of Muslims around the world fast, abstaining from food and drink from dawn to dusk for 30 days, as part of a month of heightened spirituality and God-consciousness.Please do follow Sofia on Instagram to learn more about her work: www.instagram.com/sofia_readingIf you enjoyed this episode, please do rate and review as it helps more people find the podcast. Also, I'd love to connect with you on social media:www.instagram.com/readwithsamiawww.instagram.com/thediversebookshelfpod Support the show

Today's episode is part of a little mini-series for the month of Ramadan, focusing on spirituality and Islam. During Ramadan, millions of Muslims around the world fast, abstaining from food and drink from dawn to dusk for 30 days, as part of a month of heightened spirituality and God-consciousness.In today's episode, I chat to the lovely Ruzina Ahad, about her book, Dream, Dua, Do. Dream, Dua, Do is a self-help book and journal with a twist - it is grounded in Islamic thought and faith, giving us the tools to harness the power of prayer, while dreaming big and living our best lives.Ruzina is a British Bengali author, who lives in the UAE with her husband and kids. She has recently penned ‘dream du’a do’ a book which is a refreshingly engaging how-to guide targeted at Millenial Muslim women, to encourage them to not just survive in today’s world but thrive! She has been a teacher/teacher trainer for almost 15 years and has an MA in Leadership and management in education at Warwick university.I really enjoyed speaking to Ruzina, and hope you also love this episode.Please do follow, rate and review on your podcast platform of choice as it really helps more people find the podcast! Connect with me on social media:www.instagram.com/readwithsamiawww.instagram.com/thediversebookshelfpod Support the show

On this episode, I chat to the incredible poet, spoken word artist and writer, Sophia Thakur.I’m really honoured to be hosting a poet and spoken word artist on the show for the first time today. Sophia Thakur is an inspirational young woman, delivering poetry that is beautiful, packs a punch and much-needed today. Her words appeal to our deepest sense of selves, as she explores love, family, identity, politics, friendships and so much more. She gives me the boost I need to allow myself to feel, follow my passions and lean into joy. I’m so glad she’s my guest today.  Sophia Thakur won her first poetry award at 18, and since then she has performed at Glastonbury, Stylist’s Remarkable Women Awards, International conferences, and given multiple TED talks. She is a youth ambassador for the betterment of young Black girls, and has worked with charities including Cancer Research UK, and with brands such as MTV, Samsung and Nike. Sophia also worked with Walker Books in 2017 to create a piece of poetry inspired by The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas, called “Poetry for the andem”. Sophia combines words with fashion, sport , music and social responsibility to push the traditional boundaries of poetry. In 2019, she published her first collection of poems, Somebody Give This Heart a Pen, to great critical acclaim, with Angie Thomas saying: “One of the most brilliant and necessary voices. The power of her words will affect generations.” Her second poetry collection Wearing My Mother's Heart was published at the end of 2022 and takes us on an emotionally charged journey through the past lives of women and considers what it means to be a woman in today’s society.I loved every second of speaking to Sophia, and hope you do too. If you enjoyed the podcast, please follow the Diverse Bookshelf on your podcast platform of choice and connect with me on social media. I would really appreciate it if you could rate and leave a review, as it helps more people find the podcast. www.instagram.com/readwithsamiawww.instagram.com/thediversebookshelfpod Support the show

Leila Aboulela is one of my go-to authors. I know her words are always full of wisdom and inspiration, telling fascinating and insightful stories. I've read quite a few of her books over the last few years, and so I'm so thrilled that she was my guest on the show.In this episode, we talk about her new novel, River Spirit which is out in March 2023, published by Saqi Books in the UK. We also talk about historical fiction, re-centring women in historical narratives, understanding slavery and how it differed over time and throughout the world, and the role that faith plays in Leila's writing. Leila Aboulela is the first-ever winner of the Caine Prize for African Writing. Nominated three times for the Orange Prize (now the Women’s Prize for Fiction), she is the author of numerous novels, including Bird Summons, The Kindness of Enemies, The Translator, a New York Times Notable Book of the Year, Minaret and Lyrics Alley, which was Fiction Winner of the Scottish Book Awards. Her collection of short stories Elsewhere, Home won the Saltire Fiction Book of the Year. Leila’s work has been translated into fifteen languages, and her plays The Insider, The Mystic Life and others were broadcast on BBC Radio. She grew up in Khartoum, Sudan, and now lives in Aberdeen, Scotland.You can find Leila on instagram on: @leilaaboulela If you enjoyed this episode, please like and follow the podcast on your platform of choice and do consider leaving a review. It helps more people find the podcast.Connnect with me on social media:www.instagram.com/readwithsamiawww.instagram.com/thediversebookshelfpod Support the show

On this episode, I spoke to the delightful Aiwanose Odafen about her debut novel, Tomorrow I Become a Woman. We talk about love, complicated relationships, the societal pressures on women and finding hope. We also talk about female friendships, love in absence and writing. This was such a fun and lively conversation, despite the difficult topics we discuss! I hope you enjoy it :)Aiwanose was born in Lagos, Nigeria. As a high school student, she was a gold and silver medalist in the National Mathematics Olympiad Competition. She graduated top of her class with a first-class degree in Accounting and is certified with the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, United Kingdom. She holds an MBA from the Said Business School, University of Oxford and was the youngest graduant in her class at 21.Prior to becoming a writer, Aiwanose worked as a consultant across industries, most recently, in the public health sector with an international NGO, helping to save lives.She has contributed to published non-fiction works and participated in Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Purple Hibiscus Trust Writing Workshop. She was longlisted for the 2020 Commonwealth Writers Short Story Prize. Tomorrow I Become a Woman is her first novel.If you enjoyed this episode, please do leave a review, and connect with me on social media.www.instagram.com/readwithsamiawww.instagram.com/thediversebookshelfpodSupport the show

On this episode, I chat to the highly intelligent and super inspiring Mikki Kendall. We talk about her book, Hood Feminism, which calls for an intersectional approach to feminism, understanding that until we address fundamental issues affecting black women, we will never have a true, thriving feminist movement.I loved this conversation, touching base on so many important issues including poverty, race, class, access to healthcare and so much more.Mikki Kendall is a writer, diversity consultant, and occasional feminist; she has appeared on the BBC, NPR, The Daily Show, PBS, Good Morning America, MSNBC, Al Jazeera, WBEZ, and Showtime, and discusses race, feminism, police violence, tech, and pop culture at institutions and universities across the country. She is the author of the New York Times-bestselling HOOD FEMINISM (recipient of the Chicago Review of Books Award and named a best book of the year by BBC, Bustle, and TIME). She is also the author of AMAZONS, ABOLITIONISTS, AND ACTIVISTS, a graphic novel illustrated by A. D’Amico. Her essays can be found at TIME, the New York Times, The Guardian, the Washington Post, Essence, Vogue, The Boston Globe, NBC, and a host of other sites.If you enjoyed this episode, please do rate and leave a review.Also, connect with me on social media! :)www.instagram.com/readwithsamiawww.instagram.com/thediversebookshelfpod Support the show

In this episode, I chatted to the wonderful Abi Daré about her incredible novel, The Girl with the Louding Voice. We talk about character development, female empowerment, the role of education and what it really means to have a louding voice. Abi Daré is the author of The Girl with the Louding Voice, which was a New York Times bestseller, a #ReadWithJenna Today Show book club pick, and an Indie Next Pick.  She grew up in Lagos, Nigeria and went on to study law at the University of Wolverhampton and has an MSc in International Project Management from Glasgow Caledonian University as well as an MA in Creative Writing at Birkbeck, University of London. Abi lives in Essex, UK with her husband and two daughters, who inspired her to write her debut novel.If you enjoyed the podcast, please follow the Diverse Bookshelf on your podcast platform of choice and connect with me on social media. I would really appreciate it if you could rate and leave a review, as it helps more people find the podcast. www.instagram.com/readwithsamiawww.instagram.com/thediversebookshelfpod Support the show

Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀'s Debut novel, Stay With Me was published in 2017, and is one of those books that I haven't been able to stop thinking about. Her second novel, A Spell of Good Things  is releasing in February 2023, and I can say with full certainty that it was worth the wait.In this episode we talk about love amid political turmoil, class, power, womanhood, the complexity of relationships and the messy-ness of family relations, among other things. TW: We also discuss infertility and baby loss, which is a big theme in Stay With Me, so if this doesn't feel like something you want to think about right now, please come back another time that feels better for you :)Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀ has written for the BBC, LitHub, The Guardian(UK) and others. She has received fellowships and residencies from MacDowell Colony, Ledig House, Sinthian Cultural Centre, Hedgebrook, Ox-bow School of Arts, and Ebedi Hills. She holds BA and MA degrees in Literature in English from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ife. Ayọ̀bámi also has an MA in Creative Writing from the University of East Anglia where she was awarded an international bursary for creative writing. In 2017, she won The Future Awards Africa Prize for Arts and Culture. She has worked as an editor for Saraba magazine since 2009.Ayọ̀bámi is the author of STAY WITH ME, which was shortlisted for the Kwani? Manuscript Project as a work in progress in 2013. After it was published in 2017, it was shortlisted for the Baileys Prize for Women’s Fiction, the Wellcome Book Prize and the 9mobile Prize for Literature. It was also longlisted for the International Dylan Thomas Prize. STAY WITH ME was named a Notable Book of the Year by The New York Times and a Best Book of the Year by The Guardian, The Economist, The Wall Street Journal and many other publications. Ayọ̀bámi was born in Lagos, Nigeria.Her latest novel, A Spell of Good Things is published by Canongate Books and will be published in February 2023.If you enjoyed this episode, please follow The Diverse Bookshelf on your podcast platform of choice, and connect with me on social media.www.instagram.com/readwithsamiawww.instagram/thediversebookshelf Support the show

Today, my guest is Sukh Ojla, one of the funniest, warmest and most inspirational women I know. We talk about her novel, Sunny, which I loved. In its pages, I found a character that was SO much like me, but flawed, struggling with life and her mental health, and hilarious, kind and warm. In this interview, we talk about the pressure around turning 30, the expectations upon women, difficult relationships with parents, friendships and establishing our identities with a mix of cultures, values and experiences. Sukh is a comedian, actor and writer. Her first book, 'Sunny', was released in 2022.As a comedian, Sukh has performed on many TV shows including, The Big Asian Stand-Up Show (BBC Two), Comedy Guide to Life (Dave), Jonathan Ross’ Comedy Club (ITV), Comedy Central Live and features in Sky’s Dating No Filter.In 2019, Sukh took her debut solo show ‘For Sukh’s Sake’ to Edinburgh, which received rave reviews including 5* from Funny Women. This year, Sukh returned to her nationwide tour of ‘Life Sukhs’ to critical acclaim.Television credits include Feel Good (Channel 4), Bridgerton (Netflix), The End of the F**king World (Channel 4), GameFace (Channel 4), Hospital People (BBC1), Black Mirror (Channel 4) and EastEnders (BBC1).I hope you love this episode as much as I did.Please do consider rating and leaving a review, as it helps more people find the podcast!Connect with me on social media:www.instagram.com/readwithsamiawww.instagram.com/thediversebookshelf Support the show

On this episode, I spoke with Louise Hare about her two novels, This Lovely City, and Miss Aldridge Regrets. We had such a great conversation about London, writing, the Windrush generation, black history, passing and murder mysteries. Louise Hare is the London-based author of Miss Aldridge Regrets. Her debut novel, This Lovely City, was published in the UK to wide acclaim, and was a Between the Covers Book Club Pick on BBC Two. She has an MA in creative writing from the University of London.If you liked this episode, please do leave a review, and connect with me on social media :)www.instagram.com/readwithsamiawww.instagram.com/thediversebookshelfpod Support the show

In this episode, I chat to the lovely Jyoti Patel, author of the Merky Books Young Writer's Prize for 2021. Her debut novel is a stunning, moving coming-of-age story of a British-Gujarati family living in North London. The Things That We Lost s told from the perspectives of 18-year-old Nik and his British Indian mother Avani, flitting between the past and present as Nik searches for answers surrounding the circumstances of his father’s death. An extract of the novel was selected as the winning submission out of over 2000 entries for the 2021 #Merky Books New Writers’ Prize.Earlier this month, Jyoti was selected as one of The Observer's 10 Best New Novelists for 2023. She is also a graduate of the Creative Writing Prose Fiction MA from the University of East Anglia and she joins us today from London. In this episode, we talk about family dynamics, secrets, mental health, identity, language and being asked where we're from.Connect with me on instagram:www.instagram.com/thediversebookshelfpodwww.instagram.com/readwithsamia Support the show

In this episode, I talk to the lovely Melissa Fu about her debut novel, Peach Blossom Spring. We talk about the origins of the story, finding home, confused identities and the constant longing for belonging, acceptance and self-love. Melissa Fu grew up in Northern New Mexico and now lives near Cambridge, UK, with her husband and children. She graduated from Rice University, cum laude, with a double major in Physics and English and went on to earn a Masters in Condensed Matter Physics at the University of Colorado, Boulder, and a Masters in English Education at Teachers College, Columbia University.  She has worked in education as a teacher, curriculum developer, and consultant.Her first novel, Peach Blossom Spring, was a BBC Radio 2 Book Club pick in the UK and a 2022 Indies Introduce title for the American Booksellers Association. It is available in English, Dutch and Italian.  Hungarian, Romanian and German editions are forthcoming.Peach Blossom Spring is her first novel.Support the show

In this episode, I talk to the lovely Tasneem Abdur-Rashid about her debut novel, Finding Mr. Perfectly Fine. We talk about the struggles of modern dating for young Muslims, finding love, writing and the stories we wish we had while growing up. Tasneem Abdur-Rashid is a British Bengali writer born and raised in London. A mother of two, Tasneem has worked across media, PR and communications both in the UK and in the UAE. Today, Tasneem spends her days writing novels and her nights co-hosting the award-winning podcast Not Another Mum Pod – and in between, she’s busy trying (and often failing) to be super mum, super wife and super chef. Having recently completed a Master’s in Creative Writing with distinction, Tasneem’s debut rom-com Finding Mr Perfectly Fine was published by Zaffre/Bonnier in July 2022.Support the show

In this episode, I chat to the lovely Jendella Benson about her debut novel, Hope & Glory. We had a great chat about her writing, the messiness of family life, love, south London, class, gentrification and growing up with immigrant parents. Jendella is author of the novel Hope & Glory and Head of Editorial at Black Ballad – the award-winning digital platform for Black British women. She is also the host of the podcast Black Ballad Presents: The Survival Guide.She has written for The Sunday Times STYLE Magazine, Metro Online and Independent Voices, as well as previously been a columnist for Media Diversified, MTV UK, and Christian Today.Support the show

Sabba Khan is a born and bred East Londoner. Originally trained as an architect at Central Saint Martins and The University of Westminster, Sabba frames her minimal architectural comics through the lived experience of her working class, second generation immigrant upbringing. Sabba’s debut graphic novel ‘The Roles We Play’ has won the Jhalak Prize ’22, and Broken Frontier’s Break Out Talent ’22. Nominations include the Ignatz prize, RSL’s Ondaatje Prize, and AOI’s World Illustrations Awards, as well as being nominated for best books of 2021 in the Guardian. Collaborators for Khan’s comics work include The British Council, SOAS, NHS, London Borough of Newham, JCWI and The British Library. The Roles We Play is available in the US under the title ‘What is Home, Mum?’.  On this episode, we had a really insightful conversation on graphic novels as a form of literature, identity, belonging, Kashmiri experiences and unpacked notions of space, belonging and identity. I loved speaking to Sabba, and hope you find much to take away from our conversation.You can buy The Roles We Play here:https://uk.bookshop.org/a/5890/9781912408306Support the show

I read Shahd Alshammari's memoir, Head Above Water, a few months ago and was blown away from the first page! Shahd writes so beautifully, in a way that is poetic, raw and open. She gives us an insight into her life, living with Multiple Sclerosis. In this conversation, we talk about her diagnosis, how her illness has affected her life, what she wishes more people knew, and the field of academia. I hope you enjoy this as much as I enjoyed chatting to Shahd.Dr. Shahd Alshammari is a Kuwaiti-Palestinian author and academic. She is the author of Notes on the Flesh (Faraxa Press, 2017) and Head Above Water (Neem Tree Press, 2022). Alshammari teaches literature and has written numerous stories and creative nonfiction. Her research areas include illness narratives and disability studies.Buy 'Head Above Water' here:https://uk.bookshop.org/a/5890/9781911107408Support the show

On this episode, I chat to the lovely Zoulfa Katouh about her debut novel, As Long As the Lemon Trees Grow. This stunningly beautiful YA novel is the heart-breaking story of 18 year old Salama, working in a hospital in the Syria during the war. Salama witnesses unimaginable horrors, and is faced with the gut-wrenching decision of whether to stay, or to leave and seek refuge elsewhere. Zoulfa Katouh is a Canadian writer with Syrian roots. A trilingual pharmacist, currently pursuing a master’s in drug sciences, Zoulfa is the first Syrian author to be published in both the US and the UK in the young adult category. When she's not talking to herself in thewoodland forest, she's drinking iced coffee, baking aesthetic cookies and cakes, and telling everyone who will listen about how BTS paved the way. Her dream is to get Kim Nam-joon to read one of her books. As Long As the Lemon Trees Grow is her debut novel. You can by the book here:https://uk.bookshop.org/a/5890/9781526648525Support the show

In this episode, I talk to the wonderful Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai,  author of The Mountains Sing. We talk about her beautiful debut novel as well as a whole host of things including family, story-telling, history, decolonising literature and her upcoming novel.Dr Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai is an award-winning Vietnamese writer and journalist. She is the author of eleven books of poetry, short fiction and non-fiction. Her books in Vietnamese has received the 2010 Poetry of the Year Award from the Hanoi Writers Association, the Capital’s Literature & Arts Award, and First Prize in the Poetry Competition celebrating 1,000 Years of Hanoi. Her debut novel and first book in English, THE MOUNTAINS SING, is an International Bestseller, Finalist of the 2021 Dayton Literary Peace Prize, Winner of the 2020 BookBrowse Best Debut Award, Winner of the Blogger's Book Prize 2021, Winner of the 2021 International Book Awards, Winner of the 2021 PEN Oakland/Josephine Miles Literary Award, and Winner of the 2020 Lannan Literary Award Fellowship for "a work of exceptional quality" and for "contribution to peace and reconciliation".She has been named by Forbes Vietnam as one of 20 inspiring women of 2021. Her second novel in English, Dust Child will be published in early 2023. Support the show

In this episode, I talk with Noreen Nasim about her debut book, Expelled from Uganda, which is a fictionalised account of her father's life and his forced migration from Uganda to the UK in 1972 under the orders of dictator, Idi Amin. We talk about the events of 1972, where over 80,000 Asians in Uganda were given just 90 days to leave Uganda, many of whom had been living in the country for centuries. It allowed us to reflect on current affairs in light of what the past teaches us. I loved speaking to Noreen, especially about the importance of capturing our stories.Noreen is a debut author who released her father’s memoir last year. Noreen is working hard with members of the South Asian diaspora to highlight some of the lost stories within the communities affected and is hoping to inspire a new generation of storytellers. She performed her fist TEDx talk with TEDx Doncaster in October 2021 and is now working on her next book.Support the show

Soraya Chemaly is an award-winning author and activist. She writes and speaks frequently on topics related to gender norms, inclusivity, social justice, free speech, sexualized violence, and technology. The former Executive Director of The Representation Project and Director and co-founder of the Women’s Media Center Speech Project, she has long been committed to expanding women’s civic and political participation.Soraya is also the author of Rage Becomes Her: The Power of Women’s Anger, which was recognized as a Best Book of 2018 by the Washington Post, Fast Company, Psychology Today, and NPR and has been translated into multiple languages. She is a contributor to several anthologies, and her work is featured widely in media, documentaries, books, and academic research. In this episode, we talk about the gendering of emotion, how women's anger is often hidden, misunderstood, misrepresented, vilified, and yet important and deserving of attention. Soraya speaks about her research and we talk about intersectionality, the long-term impacts of not being able to own one's anger, and how we can do more to reclaim our rage. I loved every minute of speaking to Soraya, and hope you enjoy this conversation too. Buy 'Rage Becomes Her' here: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/5890/9781471172113 Support the show

Sairish Hussain was born and brought up in Bradford, West Yorkshire. She studied English Language and Literature at the University of Huddersfield and progressed onto an MA in Creative Writing. Sairish completed her PhD in 2019 after being awarded the university’s Vice-Chancellors Scholarship. Her debut novel, The Family Tree, was shortlisted for the Costa First Novel Award, and longlisted for the Diverse Book Awards and the Authors Club Best First Novel Award. She is now writing her second book.I absolutely loved speaking with Sairish in this episode. We talk about the importance of good representation, positive role-models, writing and all about the wonderful characters in The Family Tree.Buy The Family Tree here: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/5890/9780008297480Support the show

Suhaiymah Manzoor-Khan is a writer, poet and educator disrupting understandings of history, race, knowledge and violence. She works to equip herself and others with the tools and faith to resist the unliveable conditions we find ourselves in, and work towards another reality.In 2019 Suhaiymah’s debut poetry collection Postcolonial Banter was published, featuring eight years worth of poetry including her viral poem This is Not a Humanising Poem which placed her as runner-up of the National Roundhouse Poetry Slam in 2017 and has over two million views online. Postcolonial Banter critiques and troubles narratives about racism, systemic Islamophobia, the function of the nation-state and secularist visions of identity.Her latest book, Tangled in Terror: Uprooting Islamophobia was published with Pluto Press in 2022. The non-fiction work has been widely endorsed and is described as ‘our book’ by former Guantanamo Bay prisoner, Moazzam Begg, 'courageous' by rapper, Lowkey, 'one of the most exciting voices of her generation' by award-winning channel 4 journalist Fatima Manji, and 'fierce' by feminist activist Lola Olufemi. In this interview, we talk about moving beyond acknowledging Islamaphobia and towards understanding its impact and doing something to bring it to an end. Suhaiymah talks about the work, research and experiences that have fuelled her recent book, and the importance of conversations like these taking place all over the world.Buy Tangled in Terror here: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/5890/9780745345413Support the show

Brought up in London, Christy Lefteri is the child of Cypriot refugees. She is a lecturer in creative writing at Brunel University. The Beekeeper of Aleppo was born out of her time working as a volunteer at a Unicef supported refugee centre in Athens. It became a Sunday Times bestseller and the winner of the 2020 Aspen Words Literary Prize. Christy's latest novel, Songbirds, is about the plight of domestic workers in Cyprus.It was such an honour to speak to Christy, who I find to be intelligent, warm and bright. Having also worked in the charity sector for the last (almost) decade, I was keen to unpack and dive deep into Christy's thoughts and experiences around Beekeeper. In this interview, we talk about the power of story-telling, love for writing, inter-generational trauma, human dignity and respect.Buy Beekeeper of Aleppo here: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/5890/9781838770013Buy Songbirds here: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/5890/9781786580856Support the show