Stay ConnectedWelcome 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.
Copyright: © 2025 The Diverse Bookshelf
In this episode, I chat to the lovely Jyoti Patel, author of the Merky Books Young Writer's Prize for 2021. Her debut novel is a stunning, moving coming-of-age story of a British-Gujarati family living in North London.
The Things That We Lost s told from the perspectives of 18-year-old Nik and his British Indian mother Avani, flitting between the past and present as Nik searches for answers surrounding the circumstances of his father’s death. An extract of the novel was selected as the winning submission out of over 2000 entries for the 2021 #Merky Books New Writers’ Prize.
Earlier this month, Jyoti was selected as one of The Observer's 10 Best New Novelists for 2023. She is also a graduate of the Creative Writing Prose Fiction MA from the University of East Anglia and she joins us today from London.
In this episode, we talk about family dynamics, secrets, mental health, identity, language and being asked where we're from.
Connect with me on instagram:
www.instagram.com/thediversebookshelfpod
www.instagram.com/readwithsamia
In this episode, I talk to the lovely Melissa Fu about her debut novel, Peach Blossom Spring. We talk about the origins of the story, finding home, confused identities and the constant longing for belonging, acceptance and self-love.
Melissa Fu grew up in Northern New Mexico and now lives near Cambridge, UK, with her husband and children. She graduated from Rice University, cum laude, with a double major in Physics and English and went on to earn a Masters in Condensed Matter Physics at the University of Colorado, Boulder, and a Masters in English Education at Teachers College, Columbia University. She has worked in education as a teacher, curriculum developer, and consultant.
Her first novel, Peach Blossom Spring, was a BBC Radio 2 Book Club pick in the UK and a 2022 Indies Introduce title for the American Booksellers Association. It is available in English, Dutch and Italian. Hungarian, Romanian and German editions are forthcoming.
Peach Blossom Spring is her first novel.
In this episode, I talk to the lovely Tasneem Abdur-Rashid about her debut novel, Finding Mr. Perfectly Fine. We talk about the struggles of modern dating for young Muslims, finding love, writing and the stories we wish we had while growing up.
Tasneem Abdur-Rashid is a British Bengali writer born and raised in London. A mother of two, Tasneem has worked across media, PR and communications both in the UK and in the UAE. Today, Tasneem spends her days writing novels and her nights co-hosting the award-winning podcast Not Another Mum Pod – and in between, she’s busy trying (and often failing) to be super mum, super wife and super chef. Having recently completed a Master’s in Creative Writing with distinction, Tasneem’s debut rom-com Finding Mr Perfectly Fine was published by Zaffre/Bonnier in July 2022.
In this episode, I chat to the lovely Jendella Benson about her debut novel, Hope & Glory.
We had a great chat about her writing, the messiness of family life, love, south London, class, gentrification and growing up with immigrant parents.
Jendella is author of the novel Hope & Glory and Head of Editorial at Black Ballad – the award-winning digital platform for Black British women. She is also the host of the podcast Black Ballad Presents: The Survival Guide.
She has written for The Sunday Times STYLE Magazine, Metro Online and Independent Voices, as well as previously been a columnist for Media Diversified, MTV UK, and Christian Today.
Sabba Khan is a born and bred East Londoner. Originally trained as an architect at Central Saint Martins and The University of Westminster, Sabba frames her minimal architectural comics through the lived experience of her working class, second generation immigrant upbringing.
Sabba’s debut graphic novel ‘The Roles We Play’ has won the Jhalak Prize ’22, and Broken Frontier’s Break Out Talent ’22. Nominations include the Ignatz prize, RSL’s Ondaatje Prize, and AOI’s World Illustrations Awards, as well as being nominated for best books of 2021 in the Guardian. Collaborators for Khan’s comics work include The British Council, SOAS, NHS, London Borough of Newham, JCWI and The British Library. The Roles We Play is available in the US under the title ‘What is Home, Mum?’.
On this episode, we had a really insightful conversation on graphic novels as a form of literature, identity, belonging, Kashmiri experiences and unpacked notions of space, belonging and identity. I loved speaking to Sabba, and hope you find much to take away from our conversation.
You can buy The Roles We Play here:
https://uk.bookshop.org/a/5890/9781912408306
I read Shahd Alshammari's memoir, Head Above Water, a few months ago and was blown away from the first page! Shahd writes so beautifully, in a way that is poetic, raw and open. She gives us an insight into her life, living with Multiple Sclerosis. In this conversation, we talk about her diagnosis, how her illness has affected her life, what she wishes more people knew, and the field of academia. I hope you enjoy this as much as I enjoyed chatting to Shahd.
Dr. Shahd Alshammari is a Kuwaiti-Palestinian author and academic. She is the author of Notes on the Flesh (Faraxa Press, 2017) and Head Above Water (Neem Tree Press,2022).
Alshammari teaches literature and has written numerous stories and creative nonfiction. Her research areas include illness narratives and disability studies.
Buy 'Head Above Water' here:
https://uk.bookshop.org/a/5890/9781911107408
On this episode, I chat to the lovely Zoulfa Katouh about her debut novel, As Long As the Lemon Trees Grow. This stunningly beautiful YA novel is the heart-breaking story of 18 year old Salama, working in a hospital in the Syria during the war. Salama witnesses unimaginable horrors, and is faced with the gut-wrenching decision of whether to stay, or to leave and seek refuge elsewhere.
Zoulfa Katouh is a Canadian writer with Syrian roots. A trilingual pharmacist, currently pursuing a master’s in drug sciences, Zoulfa is the first Syrian author to be published in both the US and the UK in the young adult category. When she's not talking to herself in the
woodland forest, she's drinking iced coffee, baking aesthetic cookies and cakes, and telling everyone who will listen about how BTS paved the way. Her dream is to get Kim Nam-joon to read one of her books. As Long As the Lemon Trees Grow is her debut novel.
You can by the book here:
https://uk.bookshop.org/a/5890/9781526648525
In this episode, I talk to the wonderful Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai, author of The Mountains Sing. We talk about her beautiful debut novel as well as a whole host of things including family, story-telling, history, decolonising literature and her upcoming novel.
Dr Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai is an award-winning Vietnamese writer and journalist. She is the author of eleven books of poetry, short fiction and non-fiction. Her books in Vietnamese has received the 2010 Poetry of the Year Award from the Hanoi Writers Association, the Capital’s Literature & Arts Award, and First Prize in the Poetry Competition celebrating 1,000 Years of Hanoi. Her debut novel and first book in English, THE MOUNTAINS SING, is an International Bestseller, Finalist of the 2021 Dayton Literary Peace Prize, Winner of the 2020 BookBrowse Best Debut Award, Winner of the Blogger's Book Prize 2021, Winner of the 2021 International Book Awards, Winner of the 2021 PEN Oakland/Josephine Miles Literary Award, and Winner of the 2020 Lannan Literary Award Fellowship for "a work of exceptional quality" and for "contribution to peace and reconciliation".
She has been named by Forbes Vietnam as one of 20 inspiring women of 2021. Her second novel in English, Dust Child will be published in early 2023.
In this episode, I talk with Noreen Nasim about her debut book, Expelled from Uganda, which is a fictionalised account of her father's life and his forced migration from Uganda to the UK in 1972 under the orders of dictator, Idi Amin.
We talk about the events of 1972, where over 80,000 Asians in Uganda were given just 90 days to leave Uganda, many of whom had been living in the country for centuries. It allowed us to reflect on current affairs in light of what the past teaches us. I loved speaking to Noreen, especially about the importance of capturing our stories.
Noreen is a debut author who released her father’s memoir last year. Noreen is working hard with members of the South Asian diaspora to highlight some of the lost stories within the communities affected and is hoping to inspire a new generation of storytellers. She performed her fist TEDx talk with TEDx Doncaster in October 2021 and is now working on her next book.
Soraya Chemaly is an award-winning author and activist. She writes and speaks frequently on topics related to gender norms, inclusivity, social justice, free speech, sexualized violence, and technology. The former Executive Director of The Representation Project and Director and co-founder of the Women’s Media Center Speech Project, she has long been committed to expanding women’s civic and political participation.
Soraya is also the author of Rage Becomes Her: The Power of Women’s Anger, which was recognized as a Best Book of 2018 by the Washington Post, Fast Company, Psychology Today, and NPR and has been translated into multiple languages. She is a contributor to several anthologies, and her work is featured widely in media, documentaries, books, and academic research.
In this episode, we talk about the gendering of emotion, how women's anger is often hidden, misunderstood, misrepresented, vilified, and yet important and deserving of attention. Soraya speaks about her research and we talk about intersectionality, the long-term impacts of not being able to own one's anger, and how we can do more to reclaim our rage. I loved every minute of speaking to Soraya, and hope you enjoy this conversation too.
Buy 'Rage Becomes Her' here: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/5890/9781471172113
Our TOPPODCAST Picks 
