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Welcome to The Diverse Bookshelf. I’m Samia Aziz, celebrating the power of literature and the voices of authors and change makers from the global majority. Join me as we explore the stories that inspire, connect, and transform our world. Each week I interview an inspiring guest about a whole host of themes and issues while focusing on diverse literature.
Let’s uncover the stories that truly matter—together.
110 Episodes
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This week, I'm thrilled to be in conversation with Professor Sunny Singh. Sunny Singh was born in India and over the years her life has spanned continents and languages. She earned a BA in English and American Literature at Brandeis University, followed by a master’s in Spanish Literature from Jawaharlal Nehru University, and a PhD from the University of Barcelona. Over time, she has written novels, creative nonfiction, essays, and short stories; she also serves as Professor of Creative...
For today’s episode, I’m joined by Tasneem Abdur-Rashid for the third time in three years! Tasneem is a communications professional, writer, and author of the powerful new novel Odd Girl Out. Tasneem’s work explores identity, faith, family, and belonging, with characters and stories that speak to experiences rarely seen in mainstream publishing. Odd Girl Out follows the story of 15-year-old Maariyah who is navigating friendship, love, and the weight of expectations, while also confronting the...
After a three-month hiatus, I'm so pleased to be bringing back this podcast with more amazing conversations. This week, I’m joined by Sabrin Hasbun, writer, researcher, and author of the beautiful and moving book Crossing. Born in Italy to a Palestinian father and Italian mother, Sabrin grew up navigating languages, cultures, and identities – experiences that deeply inform her work. Crossing is part memoir, part exploration of belonging, memory, and family history. It moves between past and p...
In today’s episode, I’m joined by the brilliant Chitra Nagarajan – a writer, researcher, and activist whose work spans human rights, conflict, migration, and climate justice. Chitra has spent many years working across West Africa, particularly in the Lake Chad Basin region, and brings a deep commitment to centering the voices of those often left unheard. Her writing has appeared in The Guardian, Al Jazeera, openDemocracy, and more, and she is widely respected for her ability to weave together...
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...
This week, I’m speaking with the brilliant Ibtisam Azem—novelist, journalist, and storyteller—about her powerful and thought-provoking book, The Book of Disappearance. Set across 1948 Palestine, in Jaffa and also Tel Aviv, this novel asks a haunting question: what if all the Palestinians suddenly disappeared? Through the intertwining narratives of Alaa, a young Palestinian man who vanishes without a trace, and Ariel, an Israeli, liberal Zionist journalist who finds Alaa’s diaries, the novel...
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...
Today’s episode is part of a special mini-series called Ramadan reflections, where I talk to guests about faith, life and Ramadan. I’m thrilled to be joined by poet and creative producer, Imrana Mahmood for a conversation about creativity and faith, the role of Ramadan in the creative process, and the importance of Muslim representation in literature and on stage and screen. Imrana Mahmood is a poet, curator, and creative producer who has dedicated her career to amplifying underrepresen...
Today’s episode is part of a special mini-series called Ramadan reflections, where I talk to guests about faith, life and Ramadan. I’m honoured to be speaking with Yasmin Stannard, a mother, advocate, and campaigner, who has been raising awareness and funds for brain cancer in memory of her beloved daughter, Amani. Amani was just 22 years old when she passed away from brain cancer three years ago. Since then, Yasmin and her family have dedicated themselves to honouring Amani’s legacy—through ...
On today's episode, I’m speaking with the wonderful Preethi Nair—an author, entrepreneur, and storyteller with an incredible journey into publishing. Preethi left her career as a management consultant to pursue her dream of writing, but after facing multiple rejections from publishers, she took matters into her own hands. She set up her own publishing company, took on a secret identity as a publicist, and successfully got her debut novel Gypsy Masala a whole load of press and attention. Her c...
Today’s episode is part of a special mini-series called Ramadan reflections, where I talk to guests about faith, life and Ramadan. I’m joined by the incredible Leanne from LC Fitness. Leanne is a passionate personal trainer and fitness coach who helps people build strength, confidence, and a positive relationship with their bodies. She has built a real community, bringing together women to look after themselves and also look after each other. In this episode, we’re diving into a really ...
1Today, 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, wi...
For 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 wh...
In 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...
Disclaimer: 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 m...
On 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 und...
On 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 wan...
Fatin 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, throu...
This 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 brill...
On 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 reflect...
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