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 sis...
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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 sis...
Elif Shafak on the connectedness of our world, water & the power of literature and storytelling
The Diverse Bookshelf
1 hour 7 minutes
7 months ago
Elif Shafak on the connectedness of our world, water & the power of literature and storytelling
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 bel...
The Diverse Bookshelf
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 sis...
