Interview with Yassmin Abdel-Magied
With her major new essay collection, Talking About a Revolution, Yassmin Abdel-Magied explores themes of resistance, transformation and revolution with clarity and a confidence of vision. She talks to Readings about preparing the collection, the essay she’s most excited for people to read and her new home in London.
Hi Yassmin! Tell us about your new essay collection, Talking About a Revolution.
Talking About a Revolution is a collection of essays, reflecting on, critiquing and analysing the challenges facing progressive society today, through both an individual and systemic lens. I’ve included a number of previously published essays, as I wanted to share some of my best work from over the years, and eight brand-new ones written for this collection.
Together, they demonstrate my own personal evolution, an individual and political transformation. From a piece on my cryptocurrency phase, to how I bring the philosophy of abolition into my day-to-day life, to a piece on my love of knitting, there’s something in it for everyone.
You’ve written memoir and children’s books before. What considerations were there in putting together an essay collection from the past 10 years of your work, and how did you decide what to include?
Oh, it certainly wasn’t easy! Working alongside some wonderful editors and publishers in Meredith Curnow and Kalhari Jayaweera certainly helped, as a start. But really, it was about pulling together pieces that spoke to the themes of change, resistance and revolution; that gave the readers some context for the journey I’ve been on; that did wellat the time of publishing and that I wanted to republish for posterity; or perhaps conversely, that were published in smaller outfits and didn’t reach a large audience at the time. I think there are a few hidden gems in there that people will enjoy.
Which are some of the essays you are most keen for readers to pick up, and why?
I think folks will be drawn to the pieces that are provocative while also being relatable, including ‘Whose Borders Are They Anyway’ (on my dream of giving up my Australian citizenship, and perhaps doing away with nation-state borders altogether), and ‘In Defence of Hobbies’ (on refusing to monetise my hobbies).
I am particularly proud of ‘Islam and Social Justice’, as it covers a lot of historical ground often erased from the public discourse regarding Muslim women in the West today. ‘Islam and Social Justice’ was also one of the more emotionally challenging essays to write, and I’m sure people will sense this as they move through the piece. Being so close to the work means I’m not always certain how folks will respond to my writing, so part of me is keen for readers to pick up that particular essay and just let me know what they think!
(That being said, I do love them all!)
You’re now based in London – tell us about your life there and any major differences you’ve noticed, especially as a Brisbane native?
It would be remiss of me not to start with the weather, I mean … There’s even a whole section in my cryptocurrency piece dedicated to talking about the greyness of the London skies and its apparent allergy to sunlight. Honestly, I’d never known proper winters, so it took me at least a couple of years (!) to properly adjust to it (and obtain all the appropriately warm clothing).
The real, biggest difference though is that in this city, I am anonymous. I am a natural part of the urban landscape. There are so many people like me in this city: creative, Black Muslim women who are from the African diaspora, who wear hijabs, who work across so many different industries like the air force, and who wear their thirst for life on their sleeves. I’m one of a million, not one in a million. Somehow, in this dirty, chaotic and cold city, I feel like I belong.
What are some things we can all do, today, to improve the world we live in?
While I understand the focus on the ‘do’ – the action, the verb – ultimately, I believe it begins earlier than that. Wanting to improve the world we live in begins with a personal commitment to a set of values: choosing to commit to a life where you act with integrity, treat people and the environment with dignity and respect, understand that individualism alone will never solve all our problems and that it is only when we organise collectively that we can achieve a fair and just society, etc.
Wanting to improve the world isn’t like a job that you clock in and out of, in my view. It is a way of life, an ethic, an approach to the world. So, start there. Find a way to make ‘improving the world’ part of your day to day, part of your raison d’être. Let’s make revolution the main course, ’cos it certainly ain’t the garnish.
What other essay collections would you recommend to readers if they love this?
Oh, there are so many! Some recent ones I’ve found insightful include Out of the Sun by Esi Edugyan, Who Will Pay Reparations on My Soul by Jesse McCarthy, and the slightly older but still very popular Trick Mirror by Jia Tolentino. An old favourite of mine is James Baldwin’s Notes of a Native Son – if you haven’t read it, well … you can thank me after!
What is next for you?
Lots of creativity! I have a children’s nonfiction book coming out next year called Stand Up and Speak Out Against Racism that I’m very excited about, so readers can keep their eyes peeled for that one. Summarising the origins of white supremacy and racism as we know it today, what it looks like in various contexts, and what a nine – or ten-year-old kid can do about it has been an interesting, if not rewarding, challenge to put together. (It will also be fully illustrated, though sadly not by me.)
In terms of works in progress, I’m adapting my teen novels You Must Be Layla and Listen, Layla for the TV screen with Goalpost Pictures and developing a number of screen and stage projects – though as anyone who works in these industries will tell you, these projects take forever! So, in the meantime, I’m learning how to canter along, reading as much as I can.
