In conversation

Marjorie Lotfi reflects on her journey towards becoming a writer, from fleeing Iran as a child in 1978 to arriving in Scotland via the USA.

Inbetweenness, physicality and emotionality expressed in poetry

Talking about the challenge of true connection

Talking about the techniques of storytelling.

Talking about the material that comes from lived experience.

Talking about drawing on her rich African/Scottish heritage

Talking about the ageless quality of children's literature

Expanding on the significance of the objects displayed on her mantelpiece

On balancing being a doctor and a fiction writer

'I want readers to leave my books with a sense of hope, feeling a sense of empowerment.' 

‘If people don’t hear we were here, they still think we came with Windrush. That’s why it’s important that we tell our stories. British History is also our history.’

Exploring the resilience and tenacity required for a writer's life