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Booksmart

Missing Perspectives
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  • Reem Gaafar on 'A Mouth Full of Salt'
    The Nile brought them life, but the Nile was not their friend.When a little boy drowns in the treacherous currents of the Nile, the search for his body unearths calamity and disaster, and exposes forgotten secrets buried for generations in a small northern Sudanese village.Three women try to make their way through a world that wants to keep them back, separated from each other by time but bound together by the same river that weaves its way through their lives, giving little but taking much more.In this episode of Booksmart, Soaliha Iqbal sits down with leading Sudanese writer, physician, and activist Reem Gaafar to discuss her formidable debut novel, A Mouth Full of Salt.It's no surprise that this book has hit the bestselling charts. The novel weaves a powerful narrative of grief, migration, memory, and womanhood, exploring the psychological toll of political violence, as well as the unique complexities of returning home.Reem discusses Sudan’s 2019 revolution, the challenge of translating collective trauma into fiction, and why platforming women’s stories, especially in moments of rupture, is a political act. This intimate conversation moves between literature and lived experience, touching on motherhood, exile, and the radical power of bearing witness - and it couldn't be more timely. If you’re drawn to literature that sits at the intersection of resistance and remembrance, this one’s for you.
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  • Candice Chung on 'Chinese Parents Don't Say I Love You'
    Not to hype this week's book too much....but Soaliha has confirmed that Candice Chung's new memoir Chinese Parents Don't Say I Love You is one of the best books she has read this year. So, PSA: Go and buy this book, stat. Candice is a writer, editor, and a former restaurant reviewer for The Sun-Herald - and is a founding member of Diversity in Food Media Australia, which supports and promotes underrepresented voices in food media. Her new memoir - already receiving rave reviews - is a story about saying the unsayable with food. ICYMI: here's an excerpt from Soaliha's review over on Missing Perspectives:"When her retired Cantonese parents offer to be her new food buddies, she considers what paths lay in front of her: eating together in that familiar though profoundly pregnant silence so many of us children of immigrants know, or forging ahead and addressing what the silence obscures, even denies.You might have noticed from reading this column that I rarely include memoirs, but I was hooked by Candice Chung’s writing three paragraphs into the first page. Earnest and perceptive, she meditates on topics so many of us know shouldn’t be taboo, and yet we struggle to talk about."So, what are you waiting for? Listen to this interview with Candice, then go buy the book (and let us know what you think!).
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  • Anne-Marie Te Whiu on 'Mettle'
    Meet Anne-Marie Te Whiu (Te Rarawa): a poet, editor and cultural producer - who is making BIG waves in the literary world. It was an honour to have her join us on the podcast this week.ICYMI: Anne-Marie has released Mettle, a remarkable and impressive debut collection of poems that speak to the complexity of family, identity and the proud legacy of Māori language and culture. Her collection of poetry centres on the resilience and fortitude that has rippled through Anne-Marie's family and Māori lineage - despite the challenges and traumas faced in present day, or transmitted generationally.After reading Anne-Marie's work and listening to her incredible conversation with Soaliha, we are certain that the poet will become a household name - and we cannot wait to hear what she has in store. 
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  • Khadija Gbla on autism visibility, breaking generational trauma, and refusing to stay silent
    Khadija Gbla is an absolute force to be reckoned with - and we've been closely following her work for a long time.If she's not on your radar already - Khadija is a leading human rights activist and writer, amongst many other things. She was born in Sierra Leone, spent her youth in Gambia, and, as a teenager, moved to Australia. She is a leading voice and campaigner on Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in Australia. In the new anthology Someone Like Me, Khadija reflects on her autism diagnosis, fighting for the rights of her son, and breaking intergenerational trauma. Edited by Clem Bastow and Jo Case, the collection of stories in Someline Like Me features twenty-five Autistic women and gender-diverse writers who share their personal stories and challenge these stereotypes. This is a deeply moving conversation and it was an honour to have Khadija join us for this chat with Soaliha. 
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  • Fiona Wright on 'Someone like Me: An anthology of non-fiction by Autistic writers'
    It goes without saying that due to misrepresentations of Autism in media and popular culture, many Autistic people miss out on seeing themselves, their unique experiences and their triumphs, platformed or seen. In the new anthology Someone Like Me, award-winning author Fiona Wright reflects on her experience of anorexia – with the unique perspective of an autism diagnosis in her mid-thirties, and the knowledge as many as half of all people with anorexia may be autistic.Edited by Clem Bastow and Jo Case, the collection of stories features twenty-five Autistic women and gender-diverse writers who share their personal stories and challenge these stereotypes. This groundbreaking anthology covers a wide range of topics, from relationships and spontaneous dance parties to the natural world, eating disorders, intense passions, and religion. We'll be interviewing another contributor - leading activist Khadija Gbla - so watch this space, and be sure to grab a copy. Just a disclaimer - Fiona's story includes discussion of anorexia, so listen with care. 
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About Booksmart

Booksmart is a podcast featuring diverse young female and non-binary authors from around the world who have written books that spark a conversation.
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