Episode 5: The myths of motherhood

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 her final essay, Leïla tackles motherhood, which she describes as one of the most vertiginous encounters with otherness. She considers her own conflicts with the demands of motherhood – from the loss of freedom to the expectations of society – and how she has explored the subject in her novels, questioning the myths of being a mother. It is a revealing meditation on the physical, social and political experiences of motherhood.

Leïla Slimani 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