Leila Aboulela: WORDS MATTER

Starts on Wed, 8 Sep 2021 19:00 British Summer Time (UTC+1)

Tickets (£9.21 – £22.15) here.

WORDS MATTER: Leila Aboulela on women’s education and how growing up in Sudan shaped her writing

About this event

Join Women’s Education Partnership (WEP) for a virtual evening in the company of internationally-acclaimed Sudanese author, Leila Aboulela, whose literary works paint an enriching human picture of a country frequently misunderstood. Sudan is on the cusp of Africa and the Middle East, with a booming and historic women’s rights scene.

Leila will touch on her childhood in Khartoum, the importance of girls’ education and her navigation of issues of faith and identity, both on the page and in her own life’s journey.

From Sudan to Scotland, Leila now lives in Aberdeen, where she has written five critically acclaimed novels and a collection of short stories. Her works include Bird Summons; Elsewhere, Home; The Translator; The Kindness of Enemies; Minaret and Lyrics Alley. Leila has won a string of awards, among them the Caine Prize for African Writing and the Saltire Fiction Book of the Year and has been long-listed three times for the Orange Prize for Fiction. Her works have been translated into several languages and plays are regularly broadcast on BBC radio.

Please join us online on Wednesday 8 September 7pm – 8pm.

Leila will be in conversation with British-Sudanese journalist Adela Suliman and taking questions from the audience.

First edition, signed copies of Leila’s works can also be purchased along with tickets.

All funds raised will go towards supporting the work of WEP, a registered UK charity, which funds women’s higher education in Sudan.

We look forward to an evening discussing the rich tapestry of Sudanese culture and literature with a pioneering, female author.