Episode 1: Being an immigrant

In a series of five essays, award-winning novelist Leïla Slimani reflects on otherness. From her arrival in Paris as an immigrant from Morocco to her experience of motherhood, it’s an exploration that is central to her identity and writing. She examines the wide-ranging influence of the theme on her life, her thinking and her engagement with the world.

In the first essay, Leïla recalls the experience of arriving in Paris as a young woman from Morocco, where she faced the expectation of assimilating to French society and losing her identity. She questions the choices she is forced to make between French and Moroccan culture, and finds inspiration in her own family history as she searches for solutions to a dilemma.

Leïla Silmani was awarded the Prix Goncourt, France’s most prestigious literary award, in 2016 for her novel Lullaby. Her other novels include The Country of Others and Adèle.

Presenter: Leïla Slimani
Producer: Jo Glanville
Editor: Sara Davies
Sound Engineer: Jon Calver

A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4