Episode 3: Being a woman

Available for over a year

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 third essay, Leïla examines the condition of being a woman in societies dominated by men, where women are both inferior and other. She describes her rebellion against the sexism of both Morocco and France, and how books and writing became her route to liberation. 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