Today's Pick: Alya Mooro

by Rana Asfour

Can’t wait to receive this wonderful book by the very inspiring Alya Mooro to add to my shelves. Her interview with Afikra on this miserably cold & wet Virginia day was nuanced, engaging & really fun.

‘The Greater Freedom’ by Alya Mooro is all about being who you really want to be free from restriction or fear of repercussions. Part memoir & part social exploration, the author talks about the pull she felt growing between two cultures (Arab & British). Through personal experience & interviews with other Middle Eastern women she gives voice to women under pressure to conform to society’s ideals of how a woman should look & behave, what she should want and be.

The book was released in 2019. As a follow up the author has recently launched a newsletter entitled ‘The Greater Conversation Newsletter' - a newsletter centring female Middle Eastern experiences. It’s awesome!

And if you’re into podcasts, she’s got one of those with co-presenter Nasri Atallah called ‘Bootleg Magic’