Description
Book SynopsisUnique anthology celebrating British women writers from a Muslim heritage. Writers include literary heavyweights such as Adhaf Soueif, Leila Aboulela and Kamila Shamsie, as well as young emerging artists leading the way on the UK's spoken word scene. Extensive PR campaign planned for publication.
Trade ReviewEmma Watson's Jan/Feb 2019 choice for her online feminist book club, Our Shared Shelf; A Guardian Best Book of the Year 2017; 'A lively, varied anthology...Strong, impassioned voices speak out from the pages.' The Guardian; 'There is a strong sense of empowerment within these pages, empowerment of womanhood and individual identity...This anthology is strikingly relevant today. Not only that, it is one that is sorely needed...I recommend this book most highly.' The Bookbag , 5 star review. '...a beautiful and haunting collection, with its evocative and sharp writing...The Things I Would Tell You provides a vital but fleeting glimpse into the lives of the unheard and is the perfect place to start for those looking to diversify their reading list.' For Book's Sake, 4 star review; 'Outstanding collection...The scope of the book is vast: in setting, style and experience. The facts, alternative perspectives, harsh realities and the breadth of geography within the collection doesn't just expose the extreme limitation of the depiction of British Muslims, it depicts and voices their multicultural, multifaceted identity.' The List, 4 star review; 'Like last year's successful essay collection The Good Immigrant, The Things I Would Tell You gives a platform to people who don't find it easy to get published. Ranging from poetry to essays to short stories to a play, this collection showcases the variety of work British Muslim women are producing, touching on identity, belonging, religion, mental health, memory, love and more. My personal favourites include short stories Cutting Someone's Heart Out With a Spoon and Noor, by Chimene Suleyman and Kamila Shamsie respectively, and Imtiaz Dharker's poem The Right Word.' Stylist Magazine, Best Books of April; 'Exploring love, politics, violence, home, history, family, war, occupation, patriarchy, Brexit - this rich collection paints a vivid and complex picture of the lives, concerns, creativity and realities of Muslim women living in the UK today. The book is indeed important, and timely.' openDemocracy; 'At times sensual, humorous, piercing and heartbreaking, The Things I Would Tell You is an absorbing read. It is also important, and never more relevant than now.' The Skinny, 4 star review; 'The Things I Would Tell You is fiercely independent. It hasn't kowtowed to expectation; allowing Muslim women the space to tell their own stories in whichever way they wish. Like many Muslim women I know, it resolutely stands on its own two feet.' The Asian Writer; `The first story I read moved me to tears, the poems made me up my game and the essays were a much needed education' Hollie McNish, Guardian Best Book of the Year 2017; `With a title like Don't Panic, I'm Islamic, how can you resist? Using short stories, cartoons, photography and more, 34 contributors from around the world answer the essential questions ... provocative, subversive and creative.' Phoenix Mag
Table of ContentsIntroduction 7; Fadia Faqir, Under the Cypress Tree 15; Amina Jama, Home, to a Man and other poems 30; Chimene Suleyman, Cutting Someone's Heart Out with a Spoon 37; Us 44; Aliyah Hasinah Holder, Sentence and other poems 48; Kamila Shamsie, The Girl Next Door 55; Imtiaz Dharker, The Right Word and other poems 74; Triska Hamid, Islamic Tinder 81; Nafeesa Hamid, This Body Is Woman 85; Ahdaf Soueif, Mezzaterra 96; Seema Begum, Uomini Cadranno 114; Leila Aboulela, The Insider 117; Shazea Quraishi, Fallujah, Basrah and other poems 154; Shaista Aziz, Blood and Broken Bodies 161; Miss L, Stand By Me 166;Aisha Mirza, Staying Alive Through Brexit: Racism, Mental Health and Emotional Labour 170; Hibaq Osman, The Things I Would Tell You and other poems 175; Azra Tabassum, Brown Girl and other poems 185; Selma Dabbagh, Take Me There 191; Last Assignment to Jenin 196; Asma Elbadawi, Belongings and other poems 205; Samira Shackle, My Other Half 209; Sabrina Mahfouz, Battleface 218; Hanan al-Shaykh, An Eye That Sees 238; Biographies 247; Credits 255
