SWANA speaks

Home
Archive
About
#11: 'I am stateless, and I carry that with me wherever I go'
Mona Kareem on writing oneself into existence, the problem with individualistic activism, and taking a proletariat approach to creating poetry.
 • 
Parisa Hashempour
#10: "Islam doesn’t speak, they speak for Islam."
Dr Ziba Mir-Hosseini on becoming an Islamic feminist, Iran's protest movement and a divorce that led to a rich anthropological career
 • 
Parisa Hashempour
#9: “What is grief if not love persevering?”
Film critic and author, Hanna Flint, on mixedness, movies as a healing balm, and why white men are the real tokens
 • 
Parisa Hashempour
#8: 'It's not okay to break into someone's home, kill them and take that house. Why do I have to explain that?'
Deana Hassanein on dealing with 'stupid men' online, what she learned from reaching burn out, and the songs you should add to your Spotify playlist
 • 
Parisa Hashempour
Some changes around here (and a big thank you, reader!)
A new schedule and additional posts
 • 
Parisa Hashempour
New
Top
Community
#7: 'I look for examples of queerness in Iran's 19th century Qajar dynasty'
Katayoun Jalilipour on searching for queerness in Iran's Qajar dynasty, Christian sainthood, and what it means to be Iranian enough.
 • 
Parisa Hashempour
#6: How to help with earthquake relief efforts
A message of solidarity, resources, and a call to keep momentum going
 • 
Parisa Hashempour
#5: 'A unique trauma accompanies being Armenian because the genocide is still denied by most of the world'
Stephanie Shakay Tierney on the Scottish witch trials, the Armenian Genocide, and the importance of remembering the past
 • 
Parisa Hashempour
2
#4: 'I'd always railed against the idea of tradition. But maybe tradition is the thing that holds you while you question it'
Alya Mooro on what it means to be your most authentic self, a move away from oversharing, and what romantic relationships can tell us about the world
 • 
Parisa Hashempour
#3: "There's no such thing as cool music. What makes music cool is your connection to it"
Danny Hajjar on facilitating connections, the Arab artists breaking boundaries, his thoughts on Taylor Swift, and getting MENA on the census
 • 
Parisa Hashempour
#2: "When you take care of yourself, it's also political. It's an act of resistance"
Donia Ismail on how even journalists need a break from the news, making diaspora kids feel seen, and being Algerian, Egyptian and French all at once.
 • 
Parisa Hashempour
#1: “I became vegetarian when I was nine... unheard of in a Middle Eastern family”
Yanar Alkayat on Olympic weightlifting, British pub culture, and inspiring women to defy expectations
 • 
Parisa Hashempour
SWANA speaks
SWANA speaks
South West Asian and North African diasporic thinkers, writers, movers and creators in a conversation on what shapes their identity, influences, and ideas.
Recommendations
View all 12
The Greater Conversation
The Greater ConversationAlya Mooro
Mixed Messages
Mixed MessagesIsabella Silvers
The Unpublishable
The UnpublishableJessica DeFino
The Shoulds by Francesca Specter
The Shoulds by Francesca SpecterFrancesca Specter
HEATED
HEATEDEmily Atkin
© 2023 Parisa
Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start WritingGet the app
Substack is the home for great writing