The Diverse Bookshelf
Welcome 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.
Podcasting since 2022 • 113 episodes
The Diverse Bookshelf
Latest Episodes
Hala Alyan on baby loss, healing & the waiting that never ends
Today, I’m so honoured to welcome Hala Alyan to the podcast. Hala is an award-winning Palestinian American writer, poet, and clinical psychologist whose work has long explored the intimate spaces between memory, home, displacement, and the inne...
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Season 1
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Episode 113
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1:10:06
Ova Ceren on switching careers, fantasy and family secrets
This week, I'm joined by Ova Ceren, whose debut novel The Book of Heartbreak is a raw, tender, and compelling exploration of love, loss, and healing amid a fantasy world of angels and the other side. With lyrical prose and unflinching ...
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Season 1
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Episode 112
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59:17
Saima Begum on the stories we inherit, trauma & memory
Today I’m joined joined by Saima Begum, a British-Bangladeshi writer whose voice is courageous, lyrical, and intent on bringing untold histories out of the silence.Saima Begum lives in London, and though The First Jasmines is he...
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Season 1
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Episode 111
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1:07:11
Sunny Singh on war, love and stories that refuse silence
This week, I'm thrilled to be in conversation with Professor Sunny Singh.Sunny Singh was born in India and over the years her life has spanned continents and languages. She earned a BA in English and American Literature at Brandeis...
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Season 1
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Episode 110
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1:00:33
Tasneem Abdur-Rashid on writing YA, family & rebuilding after divorce
For today’s episode, I’m joined by Tasneem Abdur-Rashid for the third time in three years! Tasneem is a communications professional, writer, and author of the powerful new novel Odd Girl Out. Tasneem’s work explores identity, faith, fa...
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Season 1
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Episode 109
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1:00:32