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...
All content for The Diverse Bookshelf is the property of Samia Aziz and is served directly from their servers
with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.
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...
Juhea Kim on ballet, art and the duty of an author
The Diverse Bookshelf
1 hour 4 minutes
7 months ago
Juhea Kim on ballet, art and the duty of an author
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 th...
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...
