Shows
The Diverse BookshelfOmar El Akkad on Gaza, genocide, privilege, and historical amnesiaToday, 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 hi...2025-03-031h 01The Diverse BookshelfHuda Fahmy on growing up, divorce, mental health & friendshipFor 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...2025-02-251h 01The Diverse BookshelfSalma Ibrahim on the lives we could have lived, friendship, and identityIn 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 Sa...2025-02-1852 minThe Diverse BookshelfSalena Godden on love, grief, memory and identityDisclaimer: 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...2025-02-1052 minThe Diverse BookshelfAzeem Rafiq on racism in cricket, grief and mental healthOn 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...2025-02-0351 minThe Diverse BookshelfAube Rey Lescure on Shanghai's privileged expat world, language and identityOn 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, co...2025-01-271h 06The Diverse BookshelfFatin Abbas on Sudan, objectivity & unrecognised historyFatin 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 bo...2025-01-2054 minThe Diverse BookshelfEp92: Wiz Wharton on untold stories, sisters, belonging and feelings of shame & guiltThis 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...2024-10-2856 minThe Diverse BookshelfEp91: Mahvish Ahmed on home, authenticity, mental health & identityOn 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, mo...2024-10-211h 10The Diverse BookshelfEp90: Mahmoud Muna on stories from Gaza, hope & the futureToday 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, mainl...2024-10-0700 minThe Diverse BookshelfEp89: Pragya Agarwal on motherhood, infertility & being a womanOn 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., i...2024-09-3047 minThe Diverse BookshelfEp88: Payzee Mahmod on finding her purpose, child marriage & lossThis 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...2024-09-231h 15The Diverse BookshelfEp87: Jamaica Kincaid on her life, writing & our EarthOn 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...2024-09-161h 05The Diverse BookshelfEp86: Tasneem Abdur-Rashid on writing romance, female friendships & family dynamicsIf 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 laughe...2024-09-091h 04The Diverse BookshelfEp85: Ilan Pappé on the 1948 Nakba, speaking out & the future of PalestineOn 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...2024-09-0256 min
Urban KubeIn conversation with Samia Aziz - Diverse summer book readsOn todays episode Shamiza talks to Samia Aziz about different types of books to read over summer, such as educational and fiction books, to stay creative and productive during summer.2024-08-1552 minThe Diverse BookshelfEp84: Safia Elhillo on poetry, language, friendship & SudanThis 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), whi...2024-06-251h 32The Diverse BookshelfEp83: Taiba Bajar on rewiring the brain and unlocking autismOn 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 a...2024-06-1855 minThe Diverse BookshelfEp82: Saima Mir on strong women, crime, vengeance & moralityOn 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, fami...2024-06-1149 minThe Diverse BookshelfEp81: Susan Muaddi Darraj on loss of home, belonging & Palestinian Christian communitiesOn 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 Gaz...2024-06-0450 minThe Diverse BookshelfEp80: Vanessa Chan on the Japanese occupation of Malaysia, big families & characters with agencyOn 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 flu...2024-05-281h 00The Diverse BookshelfEp79: Ishi Robinson on Jamaica, colonial legacies, race & classThis 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 el...2024-05-2156 minThe Diverse BookshelfEp78: Jassa Ahluwalia on mixed heritage & embracing who you areThis 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...2024-05-141h 13The Diverse BookshelfEp77: Reem Gaafar on Sudan, motherhood & lossOn 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 t...2024-05-0755 minThe Diverse BookshelfEp76: Shaimaa Abulebda on life in GazaThis 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, Sh...2024-04-3044 minThe Diverse BookshelfEp75: Nigar Alam on Partition, childhood friendships and displacementOn 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. Th...2024-04-231h 00The Diverse BookshelfEp74: Ela Lee on privilege, children of immigrants & identityOn 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 explor...2024-04-1654 minThe Diverse BookshelfEp73: Dana Dajani on poetry, Palestine & storytellingOn 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- fro...2024-04-0957 minThe Diverse BookshelfEp72: Sofia Rehman on translation, dialogue & Aisha (ra)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 spe...2024-04-021h 21The Diverse BookshelfEp71: Matthew Robinson on storytelling, film-making and the charity sectorOn 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...2024-03-261h 17The Diverse BookshelfEp70: Sarah Joseph on justice, slowing down & hopeI 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 lo...2024-03-191h 08The Diverse BookshelfEp69: Aliyah Umm Raiyaan on the power of du'aWe 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 relat...2024-03-121h 02The Diverse BookshelfEp68: Suhaiymah Manzoor-Khan on shedding external gazes and turning to GodOn 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 o...2024-03-051h 25The Diverse BookshelfEp67: Sairish Hussain on grandparents, Partition & understanding the pastThis 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 be...2024-02-271h 13The Diverse BookshelfEp66: Nadeine Asbali on being visibly Muslim in BritainOn 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...2024-02-2059 minThe Diverse BookshelfEp65: Rowan Hisayo Buchanan on sleep-watching, family & mixed race identityFor 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...2024-02-1353 minThe Diverse BookshelfEp64: Aamina Ahmad on Pakistani literature, class & societyIn 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’...2024-02-061h 01The Diverse BookshelfEp63: Sim Kern on anti-zionsim, anti-semitism, Palestinian literature & climate changeMy 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...2024-01-301h 04The Diverse BookshelfEp62: Sheela Banerjee on the history, power, meaning & importance of our namesOn 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 Na...2024-01-2359 minThe Diverse BookshelfEp61: Azad Essa on India & Israel; Kashmir & PalestineOn 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 la...2024-01-161h 08The Diverse BookshelfEp60: Celina Baljeet Basra: on migrant workers, food & talking to imaginary audiencesThis 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...2024-01-0949 minThe Diverse BookshelfEp59: Isabella Hammad on Palestinian identity, art and the power of wordsThis 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 ha...2024-01-0255 minThe Diverse BookshelfEp58: End of 2023 Q & A - Samia & WasimThis 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...2023-12-2651 minThe Diverse BookshelfEp57: Assia Belgacem on Algerian & Muslim identity in FranceOn 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 mu...2023-12-191h 08The Diverse BookshelfEp56: Rashid Khalidi on the hundred years' war on PalestineAt 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 happ...2023-12-1247 minThe Diverse BookshelfEp55: Etaf Rum on literary empathy, performative reading & PalestineOn 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 o...2023-12-051h 14The Diverse BookshelfEp54: Huma Qureshi on sisters, representation & borrowing from real lifeTW: 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 powe...2023-11-2859 minThe Diverse BookshelfEp53: Sahar Mustafah on Palestine, representation & privilegeOn 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...2023-11-231h 29The Diverse BookshelfEp52: Dina Nayeri on the truth & who gets believedOn 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. 2023-11-1452 minThe Diverse BookshelfEp51: Ola Abou & Ilham Essalih on exploring Palestinian & Syrian freedom struggles through literatureThis 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...2023-10-241h 16The Diverse BookshelfEp50: Etaf Rum on Palestinian stories, intergeneration trauma & representationOn 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...2023-10-1156 minThe Diverse BookshelfEp49: Lucy Fulford on understanding the Ugandan Asian expulsionOn 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...2023-10-0354 minThe Diverse BookshelfEp48: Kevin Jared Hosein on morally ambiguous characters & 1940's TrinidadOn 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 ha...2023-09-261h 07The Diverse BookshelfEp47: Laila Woozeer on mixed identity, belonging and communityOn 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...2023-09-191h 04The Diverse BookshelfEp46: Jaspreet Kaur on being brown girlsOn 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 vulner...2023-09-121h 12The Diverse BookshelfEp45: Samia Aziz reflecting on one year of the showThis 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...2023-08-2935 minThe Diverse BookshelfEp44: Faiza Shaheen on the myth of social mobility & the futureOn 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...2023-08-2248 minThe Diverse BookshelfEp43: Christy Lefteri on the environment, family and hopeFor 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, gr...2023-08-151h 05The Diverse BookshelfEp42: Hafsa Lodi on modesty & the modest fashion movementOn 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 c...2023-08-0858 minThe Diverse BookshelfEp41: Chika Unigwe on rage-inducing characters and systems of oppressionTW: 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. ...2023-08-011h 01The Diverse BookshelfEp40: Parini Shroff on rage, justice and patriarchyFor 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 epis...2023-07-2555 minThe Diverse BookshelfEp39: Huda Fahmy on humour, family and everyday lifeOn 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...2023-07-181h 05The Diverse BookshelfEp38: Hiba Noor Khan on stories for children and forgotten historiesOn 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 i...2023-07-111h 11The Diverse BookshelfEp37: Sara Nisha Adams on hope, uplifting stories and our namesOn 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 wh...2023-07-041h 09The Diverse BookshelfEp36: Krystle Zara Appiah on whether love is enoughWhat 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 jo...2023-06-2755 minThe Diverse BookshelfEp35: Eleanor Shearer on freedom, the end of slavery and storytellingOn 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...2023-06-2049 minThe Diverse BookshelfEp34: Marjan Kamali on Iran, love and representationThis 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...2023-06-131h 05The Diverse BookshelfEp33: Mai Al-Nakib on unlasting homesThis 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...2023-06-061h 00The Diverse BookshelfEp32: Mona Hajjar Halaby on returning home to PalestineOn 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...2023-05-301h 10The Diverse BookshelfEp31: Farah Karim-Cooper on Shakespeare, race and the futureWilliam 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...2023-05-231h 02The Diverse BookshelfEp30: Priscilla Morris on the Siege of SarajevoToday’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 B...2023-05-1653 minThe Diverse BookshelfEp29: Layla AlAmmar on memory, trauma and how stories are toldToday’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...2023-05-091h 01The Diverse BookshelfEp28: Fatima Manji on discovering Britain's hidden heritageI 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 ligh...2023-05-0256 minThe Diverse BookshelfEp27: Cecile Pin on Wandering Souls, Vietnamese history and telling storiesOn 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 a...2023-04-2547 minThe Diverse BookshelfEp26 - Taher Adel on poetry, creativity and the names of AllahIn 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.2023-04-1854 minThe Diverse BookshelfEp25: Suma Din on the soul, the experiences of women and gratitudeIn 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...2023-04-111h 12The Diverse BookshelfEp24: Aliyah Umm Raiyaan on forgiveness, being present & knowing AllahOn 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 y...2023-04-0456 min