Episode 4: Language and belonging

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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 fourth essay, Leïla examines language – both as a barrier to belonging and as a celebration of otherness. As a Moroccan-born novelist who writes in French, she considers the impact of the battle for the cultural dominance of language. She grew up in a multicultural society, but swiftly encountered the politics of language from her earliest days at a French lycée in Morocco, where the native Arabic language was downgraded. As an ambassador for the French language, Leila has protested against the ideological use and abuse of language in the wake of 9/11 and the attacks in Paris in 2015. Her essay is a call for diversity. 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