For the latest SWH! podcast Ali talked to writer Leila Aboulela to hear all about her latest novel, River Spirit, which will be published with Saqi Books on the 7th March.
Leila spoke about her reasons for writing it, the research required, her interest in Sudanese history, why this period is so important to the country and its people, exploring history through fiction, managing the balance between real events (and individuals) and fiction, the Scottish strand to the story, and much more.
The two also discuss Leila's desire to bring Sudanese and Scottish culture together, the importance of memory, history repeating itself, and Aberdeen's current, and thriving, writing, arts, and culture scene.
It's a wonderful and warm conversation with one of Scotland's finest and most admired writers, and we hope you enjoy this podcast as much as we did recording it.
If you aren’t yet a subscriber to the Scots Whay Hae! podcast you can do so, (or simply listen) at iTunes, on Podbean, with Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Or, if you want it right here, right now, you can listen on SoundCloud…
..or on YouTube…
Click here for our back catalogue of over 260 interviews with some of the most interesting names in Scottish culture.