Writing.ie Online Writing Magazine (@writing.ie)

Refuge by Fatema Alarabi Fatema Alarabi tells us of the background to and the inspiration for her remarkable debut novel, Refuge. Years ago, I had a conversation with my mother about the Middle East. With mingled pleasure and pain, she told me about her childhood travels through the region. “The…

loading . . .

Refuge by Fatema Alarabi Fatema Alarabi tells us of the background to and the inspiration for her remarkable debut novel, Refuge. Years ago, I had a conversation with my mother about the Middle East. With mingled pleasure and pain, she told me about her childhood travels through the region. “The memories are bittersweet,” she said. She mentioned bustling bazaars, ancient ruins and diverse places of worship (“Synagogues, churches, mosques and temples,” she said, her forefingers coming together, “side by side.”) Above all, she lauded the people: “As kind as sunshine.” It was difficult to reconcile her description with what I saw on the news, but I believed that such a utopia had once existed (and could exist again). https://www.writing.ie/interviews/refuge-fatema-alarabi/?utm_source=bluesky&utm_medium=jetpack_social