Yassmin Abdel-Magied on writing, racism and making a difference
It’s fair to say Yassmin Abdel-Magied didn’t take a straight-forward path to becoming a writer.
Born in Sudan and raised in Australia, she showed an early passion for action and advocacy whilst still at High School, founding the community organisation Youth Without Borders at the age of 16. However, at that point in time Abdel-Magied’s career ambitions lay elsewhere. Driven by a love of motorsport she studied for a degree in Mechanical Engineering, graduating to work for a multinational company, in a role that often took her away from the Australian mainland onto offshore oil rigs.
But whilst still working as an engineer she began to establish herself as a voice for advocacy and changing attitudes in Australia; she presented an acclaimed TED talk titled What does my headscarf mean to you?, and was recognised as Queensland Young Australian of the Year. In 2016 Abdel-Magied documented her unusual pathway in the biography Yassmin’s Story: Who Do You Think I Am? kickstarting a writing career that has seen her pen pieces for The New York Times, The Guardian, The Sydney Morning Herald, and Huffington Post and write four further books.
Abdel-Magied is the author of two children’s books, You Must Be Layla (2019) and Listen Layla (2021), the latter of which was longlisted for Book of the Year by The Children’s Book Council of Australia. These were followed by 2022’s essay collection Talking About A Revolution, and, in 2023, by Stand Up and Speak Out Against Racism, which attempted to answer the real questions children and young people have about racism.
It is this most recent book which forms the basis of a writing workshop which the now London-based Abdel-Magied will be joining us to run as part of our Imagine Children’s Festival. Ahead of this we caught up with her to find out more about why she became a writer, what her workshops will involve, and how young people passionate about making a difference can get their voice heard.
Hi Yassmin, what are you looking forward to most in 2024?
2023 was a tough year for me and my family, with the war in Sudan breaking out. I'm hoping for ease in 2024, to see my family in person again, and for a hopeful end to the tragedy. On a personal front though, I'm quite looking forward to tackling my newest book project (which is still a secret!).
You’re also joining us for our Imagine Children’s Festival to lead a special writing workshop, what can people expect from that workshop?
Oh, it's going to be super informative and lots of fun! We will do some learning about the history of racism, learn to pick up our racism detecting glasses, and then turn all that knowledge to the page with some creative writing exercises! A workshop full of learning and creativity, I can't wait!
The workshop picks up from your book Stand Up and Speak Out Against Racism. What led you to write this book?
The topic of racism can be quite a tricky one, can't it? In 2020, during the resurgence of Black Lives Matter, I noticed many adults were having to 'unlearn' ideas they had been taught about racism, discrimination and history. I wanted to write a book that taught young people about racism in a way that was honest, truthful and whole. I didn't want them to have to unlearn these lessons at some point in the future, I wanted to teach them what was right from the get go. That meant really digging into what racism is, for example, it's not just about people not liking each other because of the colour of their skin, but it's a hierarchy of humans, developed and reinforced over centuries for money and power.
‘I wanted to write a book that taught young people about racism in a way that was honest, truthful and whole. I didn't want them to have to unlearn these lessons in the future, I wanted to teach them what was right from the get go.’
For Stand Up and Speak Out Against Racism you gathered questions from kids around the UK on racism and fighting it. As someone who only relocated to the UK in recent years, what did you think of British children’s perceptions of racism? Did any of their questions surprise you?
Kids are often so much smarter than we give them credit for. To be honest, so many of the students I spoke to impressed me with their knowledge, their curiosity and their desire to fight racism. But of course, they had lots of questions about the ‘why’. Why is it this way? Why do people feel uncomfortable talking about it? Why does it keep happening, even though it's wrong? These are questions that really get to the heart of the matter, and are what make the book such a powerful read.
The book has been out for a while now, what’s the best reaction you’ve had to it from young readers?
I have loved hearing the responses from readers. Many young people like that it involves illustrations and has a light, fun tone, even though the content itself can be dense. Many of them like that I've been quite honest about some challenging issues. But what has struck me the most is that my adult friends are the ones who have come back to me the fastest, saying how much they had learned! They bought the book for a child in their life, and ended up keeping a copy for themselves. The greatest compliment, I'd say.
You initially trained to be, and became, a mechanical engineer. How and why did you move from that career into writing? And did you always want to be a writer?
I did not always want to be a writer, and I often think if my younger self could see my now, she'd be very confused. For a start, I didn't know being a writer was even a job! But when folks ask me why I write, I tell them because writing hunted me down and wouldn't let me go. No matter how much I tried to avoid writing, it would always find me, hiding away in a corner. It would shove a keyboard into my hands and whisper ‘you know what you want to do…’
‘I read voraciously growing up, as long as there was a good world and good story, I was in.’
You’ve written for adults and for younger audiences; does your approach to each differ? And what do you like most about writing for younger readers?
I believe the impact you can have on younger readers is genuine, and inspiring. With books like Stand Up and Speak Out Against Racism, or the Layla series, I do feel like I'm speaking to young people at an age where my words might have a life-changing impact on their lives – and I say that because the books I read at that age had a transformative impact on me. In terms of approach, I don't think it differs hugely, although I do think I can speak far more plainly to younger readers than adults. You have to do a lot more work to earn the trust of an adult reader, in my experience, where younger readers will give it to you by default – but then you have to work hard to keep it.
What were your own favourite books when you were growing up?
Oh, I read voraciously, so there are so many to choose from. I went from Enid Blyton's Famous Five to The Saddle Club to Tamora Pierce's fantasy worlds in the space of about three years (Middle School was intense!). For me, as long as there was a good world and good story, I was in.
And lastly, what do you think are the best ways for young people to get involved in causes they care about?
At the risk of sounding like a sportswear brand, just do it! You're never too young to get involved. Find out whether there is a group in your school that supports the cause that you care about, and if not, maybe you can start one? If that feels scary, you can start with learning as much as you possibly can about your favourite issue, to arm you with all the powerful knowledge you need to make a difference, and that will show you what is the most important thing to focus on. The main thing to remember is that every single action makes a change. So get out there and get involved!
On Friday 16 February, Yassmin Abdel-Magied joins us to host two writing workshops (for ages 9+) as part of our Imagine Children’s Festival.