What does it take to preserve the voice of a woman who defied the norms of 19th-century Arabia?
In this week’s episode of Read and Write with Natasha podcast, I spoke with Andrea Emily Stumpf, who has taken on a remarkable task: documenting the life and legacy of her great-great-grandmother, Sayyida Salma.
If you’re not familiar with her, Sayyida Salma was the first Arab woman to ever publish her memoirs, an act that was nothing short of revolutionary at the time.
Together, Andrea and her German-born mother worked to translate Sayyida’s works, bridging not only language but generations and continents.
Through this collaboration, they preserved Salma’s authentic voice in Memoirs of an Arabian Princess and Letters to the Homeland, allowing her story to reach modern readers without losing its cultural integrity.
In our conversation, Andrea opens up about:
The bold life of Sayyida Salma, from a rebellious upbringing in Zanzibar to marrying a German man and moving to Europe.
The personal journey of uncovering family history while navigating the politics of identity and memory.
The joys and frustrations of self-publishing, and how it enabled her to maintain full creative control.
🎧 Listen to the episode here
You can also watch it on YouTube below.
📩 Got thoughts? I’d love to hear them.
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