'With her trademark optimism, sass, boldness and search for answers, across a collection of new and revisited essays, Yassmin Abdel-Magied explores resistance, transformation, and revolution.
'Yassmin Abdel-Magied started out a dynamic, optimistic, naive, youthful grass-roots organiser and oil rig worker and without intent, was suddenly taking on the heft of the Australian political and media establishment. She left Australia to rebuild a new life, away from family and friends, and with no employment, in London. In the UK she has been broadcasting on the BBC, consulting to multinational corporations, writing for stage and screen, and publishing successful books for young readers.
'In TALKING ABOUT A REVOLUTION, a collection of new and revisited essays, Yassmin explores resistance, transformation, and revolution. The Private and Public Self', includes essays on her crazy passions for cars, cryptocurrency and other unexpected things, as well as the personal challenges and grief around her activism and leaving Australia. She provides a hearty defence of hobbies (that are not turned into money-making side hustles), expands on the value and process of carving out a private life and self in an incredibly public facing world (linking to the concept of keeping her body private through hijab). Yassmin tackles the concept of identity when one is a forever migrant- by ancestry, and by choice. What does it mean to organise for social justice when untethered to place?
'In Systems and Society' Yassmin shares how her thinking on activism, transformative change and justice has evolved. This section contains articles on cultural appropriation, the myth of the model minority and her incredibly popular TEDx talk on unconscious bias. She challenges and interrogates the contemporary social and political landscape- on how consistently tech companies are replicating the same inequalities (and inequitable structures) online as offline, on how to bring an 'abolitionist' lens to social justice work, on the value and challenges faced by younger generations of activists who are taught to work towards 'empowerment' rather than 'power'.
'In all these essays, written with the passion, lived-experience and intelligence of someone who wants to improve our world, the concept of revolution is ever-present.' (Publication summary)
'An exploration of resistance and revolution through a personal lens.'
Yassmin Abdel-Magied Talking about Her Revolution
Astrid Edwards
(interviewer),
2022
24915386
2022
single work
podcast
interview
'Yassmin Abdel-Magied is a Sudanese Australian writer and award-winning social advocate. She has published two middle grade novels (You Must Be Layla and the award-winning Listen, Layla), as well as her memoir Yassmin's Story. Talking About A Revolution is her 2022 anthology, which combines new and old works.
'Yassmin has spoken in over twenty-five countries on social justice and inclusive leadership. She founded her first organisation, Youth Without Borders, at the age of sixteen, leading it for nine years before co-founding two other organisations focused on serving women of colour. Her TED talk ‘What does my headscarf mean to you?’ has been viewed over 2.5 million times and was selected as one of TED’s top 10 ideas.' (Introduction)
'“Being buried alive by social media hatred will force you to either construct impenetrable walls around your soul or quit completely.” So says Yassmin Abdel-Magied in her book Talking About a Revolution, a collection of essays old and new that document “the private and public self” and “systems and society”.' (Introduction)
'“Being buried alive by social media hatred will force you to either construct impenetrable walls around your soul or quit completely.” So says Yassmin Abdel-Magied in her book Talking About a Revolution, a collection of essays old and new that document “the private and public self” and “systems and society”.' (Introduction)
'An exploration of resistance and revolution through a personal lens.'
Yassmin Abdel-Magied Talking about Her Revolution
Astrid Edwards
(interviewer),
2022
24915386
2022
single work
podcast
interview
'Yassmin Abdel-Magied is a Sudanese Australian writer and award-winning social advocate. She has published two middle grade novels (You Must Be Layla and the award-winning Listen, Layla), as well as her memoir Yassmin's Story. Talking About A Revolution is her 2022 anthology, which combines new and old works.
'Yassmin has spoken in over twenty-five countries on social justice and inclusive leadership. She founded her first organisation, Youth Without Borders, at the age of sixteen, leading it for nine years before co-founding two other organisations focused on serving women of colour. Her TED talk ‘What does my headscarf mean to you?’ has been viewed over 2.5 million times and was selected as one of TED’s top 10 ideas.' (Introduction)
