Leila Aboulela
Leila Aboulela
Leila Aboulela, Arabic 'ليلى ابوالعلا' is a Sudanese writer who writes in English. Her latest novel, The Kindness of Enemies is inspired by the life of Imam Shamil, who united the tribes of the Caucasus to fight against Russian Imperial expansion. Leila's novel Lyrics Alley, was Fiction Winner of the Scottish Book Awards and short-listed for a Regional Commonwealth Writers Prize. She is also the author of the novels The Translatorand Minaret. All three novels were long-listed for the Orange...
NationalitySudanese
ProfessionWriter
CountrySudan
Sudan is not Arab enough for Arabs and not African enough for Africans.
That's what religion teaches: that life is a temporary thing which is going to dissolve one day.
When I was growing up, we spoke Egyptian, we ate Egyptian food, we had other Egyptian friends. It was my father's preference.
I started creative writing classes at Aberdeen Central Library, and the writer-in-residence there, Todd McEwen, encouraged me a great deal. He showed my stories to his editor, and I thought that was just what happened to everyone who took his classes!
My mum and dad were speaking all the time about, 'In Sudan we do this,' and 'In Egypt we do that,' so I was very aware of cultural differences. I was confused growing up; it gave me a feeling of being an outsider watching others. But I think this is good for a writer.
I must settle for freedom in this modern time
I wanted to be good but I wasn't sure if I was prepared