Aboulela was born in Egypt, but grew up in Sudan, until she moved to Scotland to begin her literary career. Her life was filled with multi-cultural influence, which she often portrays in her writing, featuring migrant Muslims facing struggles in the West. Her work has been highlighted in the Washington Post, Harper’s Magazine, The Guardian and BBC Radio, who adapted a number of her plays, most recently the historical drama, “The Lion of Chechnya”. She has been awarded a number of prizes for her literary works, including the Caine Prize for African Writing, the Scottish Book Awards, and the Saltire Fiction Book of the Year Award.
Source of Influence: Arts & Culture
Status: Featured in current year