On episode 42 of the podcast, we have award-winning author Laila Lalami on the show, discussing her powerful novel, The Other Americans. The Other Americans was a finalist for the National Book Awards.

Laila is the author of several award-winning novels including, The Moor's Account and Secret Son. A native of Morocco, Laila is a professor of creative writing at the University of California Riverside.

On the show Laila talks about her rigorous research and writing process for her novels, why she had to decolonize her writing voice, immigration, and who belongs in America.

This episode was originally recorded when The Other Americans first debuted in 2019, but since the book is about an unsolved murder of an immigrant man in America, and the story delves into the dynamics of small town-America in flux, we decided this was the perfect time to rerun this riveting episode. It's the perfect book for the moment we're in now.

Lit Links for More

To learn more about Laila Lalami, visit her website at LailaLalami.com. Her new novel, due out in March 2025 is called The Dream Hotel.

If you’re interested in buying a copy of The Other Americans, consider purchasing at the Reed, Write, & Create online bookshop to support our show and your favorite independent booksellers.

If you’re looking for more inspiration and information to optimize your writing life, visit the Reed, Write, & Create website. While you’re there, be sure to sign up for our newsletter to get writing inspiration and resources right in your inbox.

One more thing, the doors are now closed to the Reed, Write and Create, Sanctuary, our private community for BIPOC women writers who take their writing seriously. But you can still add your name to the waiting list so you’ll be the first to know when we’re taking new applications.

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