Yassmin Abdel-Magied is a Sudanese Australian writer, recovering mechanical engineer and award-winning social advocate who writes and speaks on politics, society, culture and technology. A globally sought-after adviser on issues at the intersections of race, gender and faith, Yassmin has spoken in over twenty-five countries on social justice and inclusive leadership. She founded her first organisation, Youth Without Borders, at the age of sixteen, leading it for nine years before co-founding two other organisations focused on serving women of colour. Her TED talk ‘What does my headscarf mean to you?’ has been viewed over 2.5 million times and was selected as one of TED’s top 10 ideas. In all her work, Yassmin is an advocate for transformative justice and a fairer, safer world for all.
Today, Yassmin Abdel-Magied is on the blog to answer a few of our questions about her new book, Talking About a Revolution. Read on!
Yassmin Abdel-Magied
1. To begin with, why don’t you tell us a little bit about yourself – where were you born? Raised? Schooled?
Born in Khartoum, Sudan, brought up on the Southside of Brisbane, where I spent almost 20 years, and now live in London (with a recent year-long stint in Paris!).
2. What did you want to be when you were twelve, eighteen and thirty? And why?
When I was 12, I definitely wanted to be a scientist. I wanted to be a scientist so badly! Science had all the answers I thought, and was the closest thing we had to magic.
At 18, I wanted to be a F1 driver and/or designer. I wanted to drive fast, and I wanted to build things that were awesome.
At 30, well, that was last year, wasn’t it. I wanted to be financially stable, ha! No, I wanted to be someone who created a rich body of work that I could be proud of. I’m on my way.
3. What strongly held belief did you have at eighteen that you don’t have now?
That simply being an exceptional individual was the pathway to change, equality and justice for all.
4. What are three things – this could be a book, painting, piece of music, film, etc – that influenced your development as a writer?
Roxane Gay’s Bad Feminist was perhaps one of the first essay collections I’d ever read, and utterly reshaped my understanding of what a writer could do, or who they could be. Revolutionary Feminisms is another, more recent anthology which constructively challenged and shaped much of my current political thinking. And in music, I return often to Tracy Chapman’s self-titled album, from which the title of my work Talking About a Revolution originates. I know every song on that album by heart, finding her lyrics and delivery profoundly moving. What a legend.
5. Considering the many artistic forms out there, what appeals to you about writing non-fiction?
Non-fiction is my home turf. The non-fiction essay specifically, is a place where I feel incredibly comfortable, and have enough command of the craft to play, experiment, at times, show off (I know … we’re not supposed to admit it). There is space for the polemic (which, as a long-time orator, I revel in), as well as the personal, the wry and the rueful. Non-fiction isn’t pretending it is anything it’s not – it does what it says on the tin, letting you know exactly what it thinks and how it feels. It speaks straight to the audience, and is allowed to be earnest. A little like me!
‘I’m really interested in pushing people to think about the hidden dynamics underlying the issues of the day. As an engineer, I’m all about going back to first principles, so that is partly what I’m encouraging people to do.’
6. Please tell us about your latest book!
Talking About a Revolution is a collection of new and revisited essays exploring power, justice, resistance and change. Split into two parts, the first focused on the individual and the second on the structural and systemic, essay topics range from cryptocurrency to citizenship, a eulogy to the petrol car, all the way to prison abolition. It is ultimately about pushing us to think more deeply about what kind of world we want to build, and how, perhaps, we can get there.
7. What do you hope people take away with them after reading your work?
I’m really interested in pushing people to think about the hidden dynamics underlying the issues of the day. As an engineer, I’m all about going back to first principles, so that is partly what I’m encouraging people to do: go back to first principles, to the bare bones of the values we want to base our society on, and then build up from there. But by including my earliest essays as well, I hope I’m also demonstrating growth, and the humility required alongside that. I hope readers can see that the transformation and evolution I speak of applies to me, my thinking and my work as much as anyone else. We’re on this journey together.
8. Who do you most admire in the writing world and why?
Focusing on writers who are still alive…
I love Madeline Miller’s approach to recasting myths and find her writing exquisite. The likes of Thomas Piketty and Shoshana Zuboff have managed to introduce some very complex academic ideas into mainstream conversations, something I’m always working towards. Melissa Luckashenko and Michelle de Krester are brilliant fiction writers who I return to, time and time again, their works teaching me something different on every read. Brandon Taylor writes interiority in a way I can only aspire to, Roxane Gay taught me the power of an essay, Anne Helen Peterson showed me the true value of cultural critique. So many wonderful writers who I admire, and so many whom are not on this list!
9. Many artists set themselves very ambitious goals. What are yours?
To keep evolving, as an artist. To continuously improve my craft, layer complexity into my work, challenge, and stretch and develop my ideas in a way that informs, enlightens, forges us forward. To create a body of work that influences, that is engaged with seriously, that is built upon and analysed and pulled apart and recast in new light. I want my work to be part of the canon, to live well beyond me. I want to leave a legacy, for others to build on. What a true privilege that would be. Inshallah!
10. Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?
Your first draft may very well be trash. Don’t worry about it. Mine always is. Your first go doesn’t have to be — and rarely ever will be — perfection. What a relief that is! Take the pressure off. It will all be okay. Inshallah.
Thank you for playing!
—Talking About a Revolution by Yassmin Abdel-Magied (Penguin Books Australia) is out now.
Talking About a Revolution
With her trademark optimism, sass, boldness and search for answers, across a collection of new and revisited essays, Yassmin Abdel-Magied explores resistance, transformation, and revolution.
Yassmin Abdel-Magied started out a dynamic, optimistic, naïve, youthful grass-roots organiser and oil rig worker before she found herself taking on the heft of the Australian political and media establishment, unintentionally. From her new home in Europe she brings her characteristic warmth, clarity and inquisitive nature to the concepts of 'the private and...
What do we know about the Boy Swallows Universe Netflix show? 
Booktopia’s top thrilling fiction picks for Crime Month 
Booktopia’s Top First Nations Book Recommendations for 2023
Comments
No comments