“A Writer Should Have the Freedom to Be Honest”: A Conversation with Leila Aboulela

Abstract

Abstract In this interview, Leila Aboulela candidly discusses her role as a writer and the responsibilities it entails. She touches upon several issues pertaining to immigrant life and its associated crises. Having lived for over a decade in the West, she delves deep into the identity crisis of Muslims, especially those living as immigrants in the West post 9/11 who are dealing with burgeoning Islamophobia. However, the element of faith per se in Islam constitutes a unique element in her literary pursuits. An avid reader, educated in a completely different discipline, she took up writing as a passion and made it into a full-time profession. Writing gradually became a mode of being connected to her roots, culture, and home. Undeterred by labels that attempt to limit literary possibilities, she refuses to take criticism personally. She defines an author as someone who is not bothered to look over their shoulder and is reluctant to follow trends set by others. Ideally, the writer is one who sets trends as a leader.