Podcast appearances and mentions of Michael Mohammed Ahmad

For our last episode of 2024, Michael heads back to Fitzroy Pool to find out what people are reading as the weather warms up. Plus, some of our previous guests offer book recommendations for the summer holidays.Reading list:Memoirs of a Dutiful Daughter, Simone de Beauvoir, 1958The Slap, Christos Tsiolkas, 2008Ritual, Chloe Elizabeth Wilson, 2025The Shadow of the Wind, Carlos Ruiz Zafón, 2001I Could Not Believe It, Sean DeLear, 1979Unlicensed: Bootlegging as Creative Practice, Ben Schwartz, 2024Deadly Embrace, Jackie Collins, 2001Of Love and Other Demons, Gabriel García Márquez, 1993The Season, Helen Garner, 2024The Safe Keep, Yael van der Wouden, 2024All Fours, Miranda July, 2024Time's Monster, Priya Satia, 2020The Lovers, Yumna Kassab, 2022Deep Water, James Bradley, 2024The Tribe, Michael Mohammed Ahmad, 2014Edith Trilogy, Frank Moorhouse, 1992-2011The Even More Complete Book of Australian Verse, John Clarke, 1994You can find these books and all the others we mentioned at your favourite independent book store.Socials: Stay in touch with Read This on Instagram and TwitterSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For our last show of 2024, Michael heads back to Fitzroy Pool to find out what people are reading as the weather warms up. Plus, some of our previous guests offer book recommendations for the summer holidays. Reading list: Memoirs of a Dutiful Daughter, Simone de Beauvoir, 1958 The Slap, Christos Tsiolkas, 2008 Ritual, Chloe Elizabeth Wilson, 2025 The Shadow of the Wind, Carlos Ruiz Zafón, 2001 I Could Not Believe It, Sean DeLear, 1979 Unlicensed: Bootlegging as Creative Practice, Ben Schwartz, 2024 Deadly Embrace, Jackie Collins, 2001 Of Love and Other Demons, Gabriel García Márquez, 1993 The Season, Helen Garner, 2024 The Safe Keep, Yael van der Wouden, 2024 All Fours, Miranda July, 2024 Time's Monster, Priya Satia, 2020 The Lovers, Yumna Kassab, 2022 Deep Water, James Bradley, 2024 The Tribe, Michael Mohammed Ahmad, 2014 Edith Trilogy, Frank Moorhouse, 1992-2011 The Even More Complete Book of Australian Verse, John Clarke, 1994 You can find these books and all the others we mentioned at your favourite independent book store. Socials: Stay in touch with Read This on Instagram and Twitter

As a young actor looking to make his mark, Michael Mohammed Ahmad faced one problem, people only wanted to cast him as a drug dealer. Yumi Stynes sits down with Michael Mohammed - novelist, playwright and founder of Sweatshop Western Sydney Literary Movement. We hear about his experiences growing up as a young Muslim Lebanese man in a post-9/11 world, the defining moments that have shaped his career, and how mirroring is key to nuanced representation.

“10 September 1996: Pauline Hanson delivered her maiden speech, and I lost all faith in Australian politics. 20 August 2018: Mehreen Faruqi was sworn in as the first Muslim Senator to join the Upper House, and my faith was finally restored." – Michael Mohammed AhmadMiles Franklin–shortlisted author Michael Mohammed Ahmad (The Other Half of You) speaks with Mehreen Faruqi about Too Migrant, Too Muslim, Too Loud, her no-holds-barred debut memoir. If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and follow our channel. Sydney Writers' Festival podcasts are available on all major podcast platforms.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Courtney talks with the Western Sydney writer, playwright and founder of Sweatshop Literacy Movement, ahead of the opening of his new play, The Demon. They dive deep into his short-lived acting career, his creative journey from novels to plays, and what it means to have his communities represented on the stages of the Opera House. For more Sydney Opera House podcasts, visit sydneyoperahouse.com/digital/podcasts or your favourite podcast platform.-- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We were joined by author Michael Mohammed Ahmad, founding director of the Sweatshop Literary Movement, to talk about his latest novel 'The Other Half Of You', reframing your relationships, and why Western Sydney sees so little crime fiction. This extended discussion goes into deeper detail on what fictions about Western Sydney we still see in the press, the growing literary scene, including the successes of Sweatshop, and more about this year's panel at BAD: Sydney Crime Writers Festival, 'Myths and Realities: "Middle Eastern Crime" in Western Sydney', where he spoke with Randa Abdel-Fattah, Amani Haydar & Sarah Ayoub. If you haven't yet, I'd also suggest checking out our colleague Andrew Pople's discussions with Michael Mohammed Ahmad on Final Draft, via the 2ser website or your podcast app of choice. Death of the Reader were provided media tickets to BAD: Sydney Crime Writers Festival 2022

We discuss chapters 8-14 of the eleventh Albert Campion novel by Margery Allingham. While committing some form of espionage he's probably supposed to know about, Albert Campion is shown the grand scale of the Bridge Institute's power, from dozens of lorries gathered in a cave, to powerful remote detonators that could change the face of warfare. The investigation is upended when his budding ally Superintendent Hutch is told Campion matches the description of a man who fled from a city hospital the day before. Unable to prove it wasn't him, Campion goes on the run, trying to solve what it is he even needs to solve. We're also joined by author Michael Mohammed Ahmad, founding director of the Sweatshop Literary Movement, to talk about his latest novel 'The Other Half Of You', reframing your relationships, and why Western Sydney sees so little crime fiction. This interview was recorded ahead of the BAD: Sydney Crime Writers Festival panel 'Myths and Realities: "Middle Eastern Crime" in Western Sydney', where he spoke with Randa Abdel-Fattah, Amani Haydar & Sarah Ayoub. Death of the Reader were provided media tickets to BAD: Sydney Crime Writers Festival 2022

Robert Watkins is the Publishing Director of Ultimo Press. He has over 20 years experience in the Australian book industry having worked in book retail, sales, marketing, publicity, publishing and more recently as Head of Literary at Hachette Australia. Robert's love for a good story well told has led to publishing some of Australia's most acclaimed contemporary authors, including Maxine Beneba Clarke, Claire G. Coleman, Sarah Schmidt and Michael Mohammed Ahmad. He is an advocate for progressive and inclusive publishing that speaks to contemporary issues, whether that be in narrative non-fiction or literary and reading group fiction. About The Garret Read the transcript of this interview at thegarretpodcast.com. You can also follow The Garret on Twitter and Instagram, or follow our host Astrid Edwards on Twitter or Instagram.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this exciting showcase of performances and readings, six of Sweatshop's most dynamic writers share their stories on love, fear and faith. Including readings from Jazz Money, Guido Melo, Maryam Azam, Shirley Le, Mark Mariano and L-FRESH The LION. Hosted by Sweatshop: Western Sydney Literacy Movement's Michael Mohammed Ahmad.  If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and subscribe to our channel.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Content warning: Domestic violence Acclaimed Sydney authors Michael Mohammed Ahmad and Amani Haydar examine the effects of love, expectation and trauma within families in their newest books, with a particular focus on fatherhood. Mohammed's novel, The Other Half of You, is a letter from the main character Bani to his son Kahlil, revealing a tender and loving father. Amani's memoir, The Mother Wound, tells of how she suffered the unimaginable when she lost her mother in a brutal act of domestic violence perpetrated by her father. Mohammed and Amani speak with Sarah Ayoub about the light and dark within families, and how racism and patriarchy perpetuate harm by dehumanising fathers. If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and subscribe to our channel. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Edgy Sydney author Michael Mohammed Ahmad talks about his latest book The Other Half of You… and about why writing is like boxing And we revisit the classic Australian Gothic novel that unsettled and mystified readers half a century ago – who needs castles and vampires when you have the truly chilling atmosphere of the Aussie Bush in Picnic at Hanging Rock Guests: Michael Mohammed Ahmad author of The Other Half of YouDr Lisa Bennett, senior Lecturer in Creative Writing, Flinders UniversityDr Kylie Cardell, senior lecturer in Creative Writing, Flinders UniversityOur Random Reader - PatrickMusic composed by Quentin GrantSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chaired by Geordie Williamson. Michael Mohammed Ahmad is an important voice in contemporary Australian literature and one of the few that heralds from Western Sydney. His first novel, The Lebs, was shortlisted for the 2019 Miles Franklin Award and kicked off the autobiographical House of Adam trilogy. These books speak on growing up Lebanese Muslim in one of Australia's most ethnically and culturally diverse regions and in an increasingly hostile post-9/11 landscape. The trilogy concludes with his most recent novel, The Other Half of You, a moving love letter written to the narrator's young son.

Twilight Talk | Authorial Voice Hosted by Michael Williams. Join us for our second Twilight Talk as we take on the big question of change and how to achieve it. Each of our panellists works tirelessly and effectively as an agent of change and a powerful advocate for their ideas and communities. Scott Ludlam is an activist, writer and former Deputy Leader of the Greens. Michael Mohammed Ahmad is a celebrated author and founder of the Sweatshop Literacy Movement that promotes writers and literature in and from Western Sydney. Joelle Taylor is a poet, social activist and fierce advocate for vulnerable and marginalised communities.

Growing up as an Arab-Australian Muslim during an era of the Cronulla riots and 9/11, Michael Mohammed Ahmad was determined to challenge negative perceptions of Arab-Australians through his love for literature.

Standing against Islamophobia in Australia. Michael Mohammed Ahmad, Randa Abdel-Fattah & Ghassan Hage moderated by Sara Saleh The 2001 September 11 terrorist attacks on New York City gave rise to bigotry, hate speech, and violence against Arab and Muslim communities around the world. Twenty years after the event, how much have things changed for Arab-Australians and Muslim-Australians? - Watch this talk and others at Antidote 2021 on Stream. The new streaming service from the Sydney Opera House. Register for free now and start watching. Follow the Sydney Opera House on: Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

Over the summer, we've been sharing some highlights of 2021. I hope you enjoy these conversations as much as we did. Award-winning author Michael Mohammed Ahmad and Cheryl Akle talk about being Lebanese-Australians, their parallel stories, and the normalised compromises migrants make to fit in. This is an important conversation about the lack of humanity Arabs are given and reclaiming that for their children. Ahmad's latest novel, The Other Half of You, is out now. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

For Michael Mohammed Ahmad, preserving his cross-cultural love story in his new book 'The Other Half of You' was an important part of raising his young son.

The Booker-winning author Pat Barker's preoccupation with who's allowed to speak and who isn't continues in The Women of Troy, a sequel to The Silence of the Girls, her exploration of women in the Ancient Greek classics. Also, New Animal author, Ella Baxter, on how her writing relates to her artistic practice, and the final in Michael Mohammed Ahmad's trilogy featuring his alter-ego, Bani Adam, with The Other Half of You.

The Booker-winning author Pat Barker's preoccupation with who's allowed to speak and who isn't continues in The Women of Troy, a sequel to The Silence of the Girls, her exploration of women in the Ancient Greek classics. Also, New Animal author, Ella Baxter, on how her writing relates to her artistic practice, and the final in Michael Mohammed Ahmad's trilogy featuring his alter-ego, Bani Adam, with The Other Half of You.

In this episode I chat with Australian Author & Director of Sweatshop Literacy Movement Dr Michael Mohammed Ahmad. We discuss; - Racism in Australia - Islamophobia - Terrorism & Islam - Identity & Stereotypes - Overcoming the raciam divide in Australia - The themes of his books Connect with Dr Michael Mohammed Ahmad https://www.sweatshop.ws/staff-individual/Michael-Mohammed-Ahmad Books https://www.booksdirect.com.au/author/michael-mohammed-ahmad Support us & go behind the scenes https://ideasdigest.substack.com/ Connect with us Tune in to our live podcast recordings on instagram https://www.instagram.com/ideasdigest/ https://twitter.com/ideas_digest Email: Ideasdigest@gmail.com Music: Lawson Hull https://www.instagram.com/lawsonhull/

Soulmates. Star-crossed lovers, couple goals, my other half. Or besties, brother-from-another-mother, my person. Whatever form they come in, they're the people we can't live without. So, what role do soulmates have in shaping our thoughts and ideas, emotions and behaviours, and all the significant and trivial aspects of our daily lives?

The Other Half of You is situated firmly within Michael Mohammed Ahmad's body of work. Beginning with The Tribe and following through The Lebs we discover unfolding the story of Bani Adam. Bani is a young Lebanese Australian man. He is an Alawite Muslim; a member of a family, a tribe, but also a young man trying to figure out where he belongs in a contradictory society that does not seem to make room for men like himThe Other Half of You is a continuation of this quest for identity both as an individual and within his family and his religion. It's also a beautiful love letter written by a man to his young son.The story opens with a kind of invocation. Bani tells his son Khalil “You brought me here, now let me take you back” and so begins a story at times serious, at times hilarious, moving through Bani's exploration of the world where he lives.A place situated in time; young Lebanese men felt the stigma of being branded rapists following the conviction of the Skaf brothers in the early 2000's.A place defined by family; working to respect, to honour, to please those who raised him and the extended clan who would forever be his life.AndA place scarred by politics, as Muslims were victimised in the wake of the September 11 attacks in America and closer to home in the riots unleashed by white supremacists at Cronulla.The Other Half of You describes Bani's attempts to reconcile his life, his love, his education in the search for someone he can spend his life with.The book is immediately fascinating for its dialogue between BAni and his young son. It's easy to forget as we progress that this open, honest and candid narrative is a confession and design for life from father to son.I don't want to overlook this. Because we live in a world where men talk to men in terms, harsh and combative. To be a man is to be defined more by violence than love.The Other Half of You opens up the history of an individual. It's a history, as I've mentioned, Mohammed carefully chronicles in his writing, and he welcomes a new generation to this story.Opening up this book I found parts of Sydney that I no longer get to visit. Areas in lockdown and areas that too often are only part of the food tourist trail for other suburbs.In his story Bani covers these grounds in an epic love story and an honest desire to communicate how that love came to be.I've found myself gravitating to incredible contemporary stories of Sydney lately. Partly because I'm now part of ‘Greater Sydney' living in the Blue Mountains. And partly because whatever your relationship to the streets of this city we are now separated in reality where we were previously separated by apathy.If you want to travel and find love though, check out Michael Mohammed Ahmad's The OTher HAlf of YouI'm a big fan of Michael Mohammed Ahmad's writing; both for his eloquent prose, his biting sense of humour and his sense that we as a city and as a country are not hearing the stories of so many people. If you want to hear more of Michael Mohammed Ahmad he and I have had many a conversation on the Final Draft podcast. Wherever you listen in...Want more great conversations with Australian authors?Discover this and many more conversations on Final Draft every week from 2ser.https://2ser.com/final-draft

Award-winning novelist Michael Muhammad Ahmed provides insight into how he went about writing his new novel, ‘The Other Half of You'. Caught between his desire to reject oppressive traditions and live on his own terms, we peer into lead character Bani's lens as a young Lebanese Muslim Australian man. Out now through Hachette. With presenter Mel Cranenburgh.Website: https://www.rrr.org.au/explore/podcasts/backstory

I only ever asked you for one thing,' my father said, a quiver in his voice. 'Just this one thing.' It was as though I had smashed the Ten Commandments. 'Oh father,' I cried, grovelling at his ankles while my mother and siblings looked on. 'The one thing you asked of me - is everything.' Bani Adam has known all his life what was expected of him. To marry the right kind of girl. To make the House of Adam proud. But Bani wanted more than this - he wanted to make his own choices. Being the first in his Australian Muslim family to go to university, he could see a different way. Years later, Bani will write his story to his son, Kahlil. Telling him of the choices that were made on Bani's behalf and those that he made for himself. Of the hurt he caused and the heartache he carries. Of the mistakes he made and the lessons he learned. In this moving and timely novel, Michael Mohammed Ahmad balances the complexities of modern love with the demands of family, tradition and faith. The Other Half of You is the powerful, insightful and unforgettable new novel from the Miles Franklin shortlisted author of The Lebs. Bede Haines is a solicitor, specialising in litigation and a partner at Holding Redlich, an Australian commercial law firm. He lives in Sydney, Australia. Known to read books, ride bikes and eat cereal (often). bede.haines@holdingredlich.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/literature

I only ever asked you for one thing,' my father said, a quiver in his voice. 'Just this one thing.' It was as though I had smashed the Ten Commandments. 'Oh father,' I cried, grovelling at his ankles while my mother and siblings looked on. 'The one thing you asked of me - is everything.' Bani Adam has known all his life what was expected of him. To marry the right kind of girl. To make the House of Adam proud. But Bani wanted more than this - he wanted to make his own choices. Being the first in his Australian Muslim family to go to university, he could see a different way. Years later, Bani will write his story to his son, Kahlil. Telling him of the choices that were made on Bani's behalf and those that he made for himself. Of the hurt he caused and the heartache he carries. Of the mistakes he made and the lessons he learned. In this moving and timely novel, Michael Mohammed Ahmad balances the complexities of modern love with the demands of family, tradition and faith. The Other Half of You is the powerful, insightful and unforgettable new novel from the Miles Franklin shortlisted author of The Lebs. Bede Haines is a solicitor, specialising in litigation and a partner at Holding Redlich, an Australian commercial law firm. He lives in Sydney, Australia. Known to read books, ride bikes and eat cereal (often). bede.haines@holdingredlich.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/australian-and-new-zealand-studies

Award-winning author Michael Mohammed Ahmad and Cheryl Akle talk about being Lebanese-Australians, their parallel stories, and the normalised compromises migrants make to fit in. This is an important conversation about the lack of humanity Arabs are given and reclaiming that for their children. Ahmad's latest novel, The Other Half of You, is out now. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Michael Mohammed Ahmad is the founding director of Sweatshop Literacy Movement. His debut novel, 'The Tribe', won the 2015 Sydney Morning Herald Best Young Novelists of the Year Award. His second novel, 'The Lebs', won the 2019 NSW Premier's Multicultural Literary Award and was shortlisted for the 2019 Miles Franklin Literary Award. In 2021 he has release his third novel, 'The Other Half of You'. CHAT WITH US Join our discussion using hashtag #AnonymousWasAWomanPod and don't forget to follow Jamila (on Instagram and Twitter) and Astrid (also on Instagram and Twitter) to continue the conversation. This podcast is sponsored by Hachette Publishing and is brought to you by Future Women. The podcast is produced by Bad Producer Productions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A nod to Romeo and Juliet, set in Sydney's West.

Michael Mohammed Ahmad is the founding director of Sweatshop Literacy Movement and editor of the critically acclaimed anthology 'After Australia'. Mohammed's debut novel, 'The Tribe', won the 2015 Sydney Morning Herald Best Young Novelists of the Year Award. His second novel, 'The Lebs', won the 2019 NSW Premier's Multicultural Literary Award and was shortlisted for the 2019 Miles Franklin Literary Award. 'The Other Half of You' is his third novel. Mohammed has previously appeared on The Garret discussing his 2019 shortlisting for the Miles Franklin Literary Award and the 2020 anthology 'After Australia'. About The Garret Read the transcript of this interview at thegarretpodcast.com. The interview was recorded by Zoom, and we can't wait to start recording in person again soon. You can also follow The Garret on Twitter and Facebook, or follow our host Astrid Edwards on Twitter or Instagram. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Michael Mohammed Ahmad's protagonist, Bani Adam, is encouraged to marry but must negotiate the customs and traditions inherent within his Lebanese Alawite community while simultaneously establishing where he stands in current day Australia as a young Muslim man. ‘The Other Half of You' continues the saga that began in ‘The Lebs'.  A Room called Earth takes place in just 24 hours but Madeleine Ryan has given us a universe of thoughts of how men and women live with each other and themselves. Is it possible to meet the perfect person, your soul mate, at a party?    

Andy Weir is most famous for The Martian, the science-heavy Mars survival story that was made in to a hit film starring Matt Damon, and now he's back now with a new book, Project Hail Mary. Journalist Jacqueline Maley on motherhood and ethics in her debut and the final in Michael Mohammed Ahmad's trilogy featuring his alter-ego, Bani Adam.

Andy Weir is most famous for The Martian, the science-heavy Mars survival story that was made in to a hit film starring Matt Damon, and now he's back now with a new book, Project Hail Mary. Journalist Jacqueline Maley on motherhood and ethics in her debut and the final in Michael Mohammed Ahmad's trilogy featuring his alter-ego, Bani Adam.

Words On The Wave Festival at Umina

Great Conversations features interviews with authors and writers, exploring books, writing and literary culture from Australia and the world.Today's episode features Michael Mohammed Ahmad discussing his new novel The Other Half of YouToday on the show...Bani Adam knows that his family expect him to do the Tribe proud. To marry the right kind of girl and grow their family. But Bani knows this is not the only way to be a good son, a good man.The Other Half of You is Bani telling the story of this life and this love to his son Khalil. To help Khalil understand the complexity of his identity as a Muslim, an Australian and a man Bani must tell both halves of his story.In Part two we explore the damage that media depictions of young lebanese men has done and the ways that Mohammed has worked in his writing to tell more nuanced stories. We also get into the heart of the novel and discover a humorous side to Mohammed.Join me as we discover Michael Mohammed Ahmad's The Other Half of You...

Great Conversations features interviews with authors and writers, exploring books, writing and literary culture from Australia and the world.Today's episode features Michael Mohammed Ahmad discussing his new novel The Other Half of YouToday on the show...Bani Adam knows that his family expect him to do the Tribe proud. To marry the right kind of girl and grow their family. But Bani knows this is not the only way to be a good son, a good man.The Other Half of You is Bani telling the story of this life and this love to his son Khalil. To help Khalil understand the complexity of his identity as a Muslim, an Australian and a man Bani must tell both halves of his story.In part one of our conversation Mohammad explores Love and the necessity of telling stories that represent, engage and transform the communities they represent.

Kate and Cassie read Michael Mohammed Ahmad's The Other Half of You, Cassandra Austin's Like Mother and Suyi Davies Okungbowa's Son of the Storm with writers Monica Dux and Eugen Bacon

After Australia (Affirm Press with the Sweatshop Literacy Movement 2021). No, Australia has not ended - it's a book edited by Michael Mohammed Ahmad. Climate catastrophe, police brutality, white genocide, totalitarian rule and the erasure of black history provide the backdrop for stories of love, courage and hope. An anthology, twelve of Australia’s most daring Indigenous writers and writers of colour provide a glimpse of Australia as we head toward the year 2050. Unique voices and a great editor - whose input is apparent, but he's humbly kept in the background to let the writers shine, and we all benefit.  Featuring Ambelin Kwaymullina, Claire G. Coleman, Omar Sakr, Future D. Fidel, Karen Wyld, Khalid Warsame, Kaya Ortiz, Roanna Gonsalves, Sarah Ross, Zoya Patel, Michelle Law and Hannah Donnelly. Edited by Michael Mohammed Ahmad. Original concept by Lena Nahlous. Michael Mohammed Ahmad is the founding director of Sweatshop Literacy Movement and editor of the critically acclaimed anthology, After Australia (Affirm Press, 2021). Mohammed's debut novel, The Tribe (Giramondo, 2014), won the 2015 Sydney Morning Herald Best Young Novelists of the Year Award. His second novel, The Lebs (Hachette Australia, 2018) won the 2019 NSW Premier's Multicultural Literary Award and was shortlisted for the 2019 Miles Franklin Literary Award. Mohammed received his Doctorate of Creative Arts from Western Sydney University in 2017 Bede Haines is a solicitor, specialising in litigation and a partner at Holding Redlich, an Australian commercial law firm. He lives in Sydney, Australia. Known to read books, ride bikes and eat cereal (often). bede.haines@holdingredlich.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/australian-and-new-zealand-studies

After Australia (Affirm Press with the Sweatshop Literacy Movement 2021). No, Australia has not ended - it's a book edited by Michael Mohammed Ahmad. Climate catastrophe, police brutality, white genocide, totalitarian rule and the erasure of black history provide the backdrop for stories of love, courage and hope. An anthology, twelve of Australia’s most daring Indigenous writers and writers of colour provide a glimpse of Australia as we head toward the year 2050. Unique voices and a great editor - whose input is apparent, but he's humbly kept in the background to let the writers shine, and we all benefit.  Featuring Ambelin Kwaymullina, Claire G. Coleman, Omar Sakr, Future D. Fidel, Karen Wyld, Khalid Warsame, Kaya Ortiz, Roanna Gonsalves, Sarah Ross, Zoya Patel, Michelle Law and Hannah Donnelly. Edited by Michael Mohammed Ahmad. Original concept by Lena Nahlous. Michael Mohammed Ahmad is the founding director of Sweatshop Literacy Movement and editor of the critically acclaimed anthology, After Australia (Affirm Press, 2021). Mohammed's debut novel, The Tribe (Giramondo, 2014), won the 2015 Sydney Morning Herald Best Young Novelists of the Year Award. His second novel, The Lebs (Hachette Australia, 2018) won the 2019 NSW Premier's Multicultural Literary Award and was shortlisted for the 2019 Miles Franklin Literary Award. Mohammed received his Doctorate of Creative Arts from Western Sydney University in 2017 Bede Haines is a solicitor, specialising in litigation and a partner at Holding Redlich, an Australian commercial law firm. He lives in Sydney, Australia. Known to read books, ride bikes and eat cereal (often). bede.haines@holdingredlich.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/literature

After Australia (Affirm Press with the Sweatshop Literacy Movement 2021). No, Australia has not ended - it's a book edited by Michael Mohammed Ahmad. Climate catastrophe, police brutality, white genocide, totalitarian rule and the erasure of black history provide the backdrop for stories of love, courage and hope. An anthology, twelve of Australia’s most daring Indigenous writers and writers of colour provide a glimpse of Australia as we head toward the year 2050. Unique voices and a great editor - whose input is apparent, but he's humbly kept in the background to let the writers shine, and we all benefit.  Featuring Ambelin Kwaymullina, Claire G. Coleman, Omar Sakr, Future D. Fidel, Karen Wyld, Khalid Warsame, Kaya Ortiz, Roanna Gonsalves, Sarah Ross, Zoya Patel, Michelle Law and Hannah Donnelly. Edited by Michael Mohammed Ahmad. Original concept by Lena Nahlous. Michael Mohammed Ahmad is the founding director of Sweatshop Literacy Movement and editor of the critically acclaimed anthology, After Australia (Affirm Press, 2021). Mohammed's debut novel, The Tribe (Giramondo, 2014), won the 2015 Sydney Morning Herald Best Young Novelists of the Year Award. His second novel, The Lebs (Hachette Australia, 2018) won the 2019 NSW Premier's Multicultural Literary Award and was shortlisted for the 2019 Miles Franklin Literary Award. Mohammed received his Doctorate of Creative Arts from Western Sydney University in 2017 Bede Haines is a solicitor, specialising in litigation and a partner at Holding Redlich, an Australian commercial law firm. He lives in Sydney, Australia. Known to read books, ride bikes and eat cereal (often). bede.haines@holdingredlich.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Randa Abdel-Fattah is a prominent Australian author, academic and human rights advocate. She seeks to translate her academic work into creative interventions which reshape dominant narratives around race, human rights and identity in popular culture - and she does this well in her 2021 non-fiction work Coming of Age in the War on Terror. Her debut novel Does My Head Look Big in This? has sold more than 100,000 copies in Australia, is published around the world and was performed on the stage in America. Randa is currently adapting the world as an Australian feature film.  Randa has also published eleven novels across a range of genres. In 2018 and 2019 she was nominated for Sweden's 2019 Astrid Lindgren Award, the world's biggest children's and young adult literature award. In this interview Randa mentions the anthology After Australia. You can listen to an interview on The Garret with Michael Mohammed Ahmad, the editor of After Australia, here. About The Garret Read the transcript of this interview at thegarretpodcast.com. The interview was recorded by Zoom, and we can't wait to start recording in person again soon. You can also follow The Garret on Twitter and Facebook, or follow our host Astrid Edwards on Twitter or Instagram. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this daring collection of speculative fiction, 12 Indigenous writers and writers of colour offer up visions of Australia’s possible futures: after colonisation, after white supremacy, and after climate change. Authors Claire G Coleman and Omar Sakr sit down with After Australia editor Michael Mohammed Ahmad to discuss their contributions and the broader aims of this bold, provocative, and galvanising anthology. Recorded at MWF Digital in 2020.Support MWF: https://mwf.com.au/donate/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After Australia Edited by Michael Mohammed Ahmad Climate catastrophe, police brutality, white genocide, totalitarian rule and the erasure of black history provide the backdrop for stories of love, courage and hope. In this unflinching new anthology, twelve of Australia’s most daring Indigenous writers and writers of colour provide a glimpse of Australia as we head toward the year 2050. Featuring Ambelin Kwaymullina, Claire G. Coleman, Omar Sakr, Future D. Fidel, Karen Wyld, Khalid Warsame, Kaya Ortiz, Roanna Gonsalves, Sarah Ross, Zoya Patel, Michelle Law and Hannah Donnelly. Edited by Michael Mohammed Ahmad. Original concept by Lena Nahlous. Published by Affirm Press in partnership with Diversity Arts Australia and Sweatshop Literacy Movement.

Omar Sakr is a poet and writer who brings the personal and political to life. In this interview, he discusses his writing craft, his foray into speculative fiction and the difference between what he publishes and what he writes for himself. Omar is the author of These Wild Houses, a collection of poetry shortlisted for the Judith Wright Calanthe Award and the Kenneth Slessor Prize for Poetry, as well as The Lost Arabs, which was shortlisted for the Queensland Literary Awards, the John Bray Poetry Award and the NSW Premier's Literary Awards. In 2020, Omar contributed to the anthology After Australia with the short story 'White Flu'. Elsewhere, Omar's articles and essays are published in The Saturday Paper, The Guardian,The Sydney Morning Herald, Archer, Meanjin, Kill Your Darlings, Going Down Swinging, SBS Online, SBS Life, SBS Comedy, The Wheeler Centre, and Junkee. If you enjoy this interview, you may also be interested in this interview with Michael Mohammed Ahmad, the editor of After Australia. About The Garret Read the transcript of this interview soon at thegarretpodcast.com. The interview was recorded by Zoom, and we can't wait to start recording in person again soon. You can also follow The Garret on Twitter and Facebook, or follow our host Astrid Edwards on Twitter or Instagram. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rawah Arja’s The F Team is set at Punchbowl Boys High School. Tariq and his friends in year ten have heard their entire lives that there is something wrong with the school. The media paints them as a training ground for terrorists and now the department is threatening to shut them down and disperse the students to other schools.But Tariq knows that this is his community and despite their attitude, the boys don’t want to lose their school. But what are they willing to do?When a tough new principle offers the group a chance they are sceptical. They must join students from Cronulla to form a football team. If they can prove not only that they can win but that they can get along there is hope to resurrect the school’s image.Rawah Arja is a teacher and mentor who has worked with teenage boys. Growing up in the Canterbury area she saw how media depictions of the area wore away at students' self image and their belief that they can be more than the stereotypes they are depicted.The F Team is a nuanced portrait of the area and features a stunning ensemble cast. Somehow Rawah has crafted deep, affecting portraits of more than a dozen characters and given them satisfying arcs. This gives the story terrific power because while we are concerned for Tariq, Huss, Ibby and PJ it is their relationships and the way these build up the community that give their story meaning.The story explores the impact of prejudice on these young men’s lives but it does not give them a free pass. At sixteen years old, these are young men whose childhood has been shrouded by media depictions of young muslim men in the wake of the Cronulla riots. Tariq and his friends are severely limited in their abilities to express themselves because they never know when their actions might be given up as just another example of the worst they can be.Through the football competition we are exposed to the challenges of being a man in a world that expects a certain performance of masculinity. This is juxtaposed with an interest in Slam poetry and the students becoming involved in Bankstown poetry Slam. In both arenas the message is simple and powerful; your words matter so choose them carefully and do not throw them around like weapons because you never know who they will hurt.In particular the book confronts the problematic attitudes that grow from young men believing that they have a free pass to treat women however they please. Within the world of Slam poetry Tariq must learn that expressing himself is a strength but that expression extends to listening and respecting everyone.This book is pure Sydney and it is part of a growing body of work that includes Michael Mohammed Ahmad, Felicity Castagna & Randa Abdul Fattah showing us the fullness of the city.

Editor, Michael Mohammed Ahmad and contributor, Kaya Ortiz Lattimore, discuss After Australia, a new essay anthology that features twelve Indigenous writers and writers of colour exploring the world we are handing down to the next generation; and newly appointed Voiceworks editor Adalya Nash Hussein chats about the latest issue, ‘Butter’, and the unusual Covid style cooking-show literary-event digital hybrid launch that accompanied it’s publication. With presenter Mel Cranenburgh. Website: https://www.rrr.org.au/explore/programs/backstory

After AustraliaI think there are a lot of ways you can approach a short story collection and After Australia absolutely hits all of these…Perhaps you’re looking for a way to discover new Australian writing and writers? Well, After Australia has a selection of twelve incredible Indigenous Writers and Writers of Colour including Ambellin Kwaymullina, Karen Wyld, Omar Sakr, Future D Fidel and Zoya Patel.Maybe you like reading a story in a single sitting? After Australia is like a moreish pack of mixed lollies that you promise yourself your only going to have one of but end up finishing way more than intended.Maybe you love writing around a theme that lets you explore ideas from different perspectives. Well After Australia promises to imagine an alternate Australia - after empire, after colony, after white supremacy.See After Australia is the book we’ve needed but perhaps didn’t know it. As we all try to come to grips with the impact of pandemic on our lives it is unavoidable that the structural imbalances in our society are tipping further against marginalised communities.After Australia seeks futures where these balances are challenged, inverted or perhaps simply upended as environmental destruction flips the game board.In a collection like this there’s simply so much to talk about. I’m going to hone in on one story to give you all an idea of what After Australia has on offer…Claire G Coleman’s Ostraka takes us into the searing heat of an isolated, remote compound. An individual waits against the chain-link fence in a seeming prison of inertia. Around the compound are others; pale skin turning a vivid, painful scarlet in the unforgiving heat.It is Australia’s near future and the government has enacted the Ostraka law. Hearkening back to classical Athenian democracy the Ostrakismos gives the body politic the power to ostracise citizens. But who is to be ostracised and why?!In Ostraka Claire does so much in a very short space. The pain and remoteness of ostracism is immediately apparent in the harsh environment, as is the purgatory of uncertainty as the lawyers line up periodically to give their clients next to no news.Ostraka complicates this narrative though as it shows us the Ostraka laws were seemingly built around the established precedent of offshore detention and individuals are buried under mountains of go nowhere paperwork.The callous inhumanity of the existing system of offshore and endless detention is highlighted simply by applying it to everyday people (and by everyday let’s just understand we mean white and middle class).So do we hate the increasingly authoritarian government that through mission creep might one day enact such laws? Or do we hate ourselves for being willfully blind as it happened to others, only to sit up when it happened to us? Maybe we should thank Claire G Coleman for showing us this vision, so that we might do something before it’s too late.And that’s just a sampling! After Australia is a mighty collection of twelve incredible Indigenous Writers and Writers of Colour, it’s been edited by Michael Mohammed Ahmad who is the founding director of Sweatshop Western Sydney Writers Collective. It’s a book that’s able to look our historical moment square in the eye and it has a lot to say to Australia today...

Great Conversations features interviews with authors and writers, exploring books, writing and literary culture from Australia and the world.Today's episode features Michael Mohammed Ahmad discussing the anthology After Australia.After Australia offers a selection of twelve incredible Indigenous Writers and Writers of Colour including Ambellin Kwaymullina, Karen Wyld, Omar Sakr, Future D Fidel and Zoya Patel. Together they imagine Australia for 2050 and beyond.Michael Mohammed Ahmad is the author of The Tribe and The Lebs, as well as the founding Director of Sweatshop. He has edited the collection.

Michael Mohammed Ahmad is both a writer and editor. He received the Sydney Morning Herald's Best Young Australian Novelist Award for his debut novel The Tribe, and the sequel, The Lebs, was shortlisted for the Miles Franklin Literary Award. In 2020 he is the editor behind After Australia, a collection of short stories about Australia's potential futures, and it is this work that the interview focuses on. The anthology includes works from Ambelin Kwaymullina, Claire G. Coleman, Omar Sakr, Future D. Fidel, Karen Wyld, Khalid Warsame, Kaya Ortiz, Roanna Gonsalves, Sarah Ross, Zoya Patel, Michelle Law and Hannah Donnelly. Mohammed is also the founder and director of Sweatshop Literary Movement in Western Sydney.  If you enjoy this interview, you may also be interested in this subsequent interview with Omar Sakr, a contributor to After Australia. About The Garret Read the transcript of this interview at thegarretpodcast.com soon. The interview was recorded by Zoom, and we can't wait to start recording in person again soon. You can also follow The Garret on Twitter and Facebook, or follow our host Astrid Edwards on Twitter or Instagram. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the day that Donald Trump is elected president of the United States, four Western Sydney youths clash in a string of violence, substance abuse and sexual encounters. Written by four of Australia’s most exciting new writers – Winnie Dunn, Stephen Pham, Maryam Azam and Shirley Le – Sex, Drugs & Pork Rolls is an oral storytelling experience from the heart of multicultural suburbia. Directed by Michael Mohammed Ahmad and featuring Emily Havea, Andy Trieu, HaiHa Le and Tasnim Hossain. Presented by Sweatshop: Western Sydney Literacy Movement.

Welcome to the season finale of season one! In our final instalment, we have Michael Mohammad Ahmad. Mohammed is an award winning Arab-Australian author who has written The Tribe and The Lebs. He is also the founder of Sweatshop, a literacy based organisation aimed at empowering Indigenous and culturally and linguistically diverse communities. Mohammed chats with Olivia about the importance of representation, how writing is inherently phantasmagorical, and why flared jeans are the best kind of jeans.Books mentioned:The Lebs by Michael Mohammed AhmadThe Tribe by Michael Mohammed AhmadSweatshop Women by SweatshopThe Prophet By Kahlil GibranThe Autobiography of Malcolm X by Alex Haley and Malcolm XThe Qur’an

Michael Mohammed Ahmad came of age as a young Muslim man in Western Sydney in the notoriously violent world of Punchbowl Boys High. This became the setting for his award-winning book a work of autobiographical fiction called The Lebs. He is also the founder and director of Sweatshop, a literacy movement in Western Sydney devoted to empowering culturally and linguistically diverse communities through literacy and creative expression. | Producers: Bre Jones and Nicole De Palo

As a lover of literary fiction, Bani Adam is unique in the sea of hyper masculinity at his school, Punchbowl Boys High, Western Sydney.

The shortlist for the 2019 Miles Franklin Literary Award was announced on 2 July in Sydney. Rodney Hall (shortlisted for A Stolen Season), Michael Mohammed Ahmad (The Lebs) and Gregory Day (A Sand Archive) appear in this interview, which was recorded on 3 July and released on 4 July 2019. Rodney is first, followed by Mohammed at 15:40 and Gregory at 29:50. You can listen to interviews with the other three shortlisted authors - Gail Jones, Jennifer Mills and Melissa Lucashenko - in Part 1. About The Garret You can read the transcript of this interview at thegarretpodcast.com. You can also follow The Garret on Twitter and Facebook, or follow our host Astrid Edwards on Twitter or Instagram. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The shortlist for the 2019 Miles Franklin Literary Award was announced on 2 July in Sydney. Gail Jones (shortlisted for The Death of Noah Glass), Jennifer Mills (Dyschronia) and Melissa Lucashenko (Too Much Lip) appear in this interview, which was recorded on 2 and 3 July and released on 4 July 2019. Gail Jones is first, followed by Jennifer Mills at 14:10 and Melissa Lucashenko at 24:05. You can listen to interviews with the other three shortlisted authors - Rodney Hall, Michael Mohammed Ahmad and Gregory Day - in Part 2. About The Garret You can read the transcript of this interview at thegarretpodcast.com.  You can also follow The Garret on Twitter and Facebook, or follow our host Astrid Edwards on Twitter or Instagram. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Award-winning hip-hop artist and writer Akala joins Michael Mohammed Ahmad in conversation about his bestselling debut, Natives: Race and Class in the Ruins of Empire, a searing, modern polemic on race and class in the British Empire. He reflects on growing up poor, mixed-race and politicised in Britain during the 1980s and 90s, widening his experiences into a nuanced historical treatise that demonstrates why The Guardian has lauded his as “the kind of disruptive, aggressive intellect that a new generation is closely watching”.

Meredith Lake heads to an iftar dinner at the home of a Turkish Australian family in western Sydney, and Mariam Chehab catches up with award-winning author Michael Mohamed Ahmed for his Ramadan reflections.

Meredith Lake heads to an iftar dinner at the home of a Turkish Australian family in western Sydney, and Mariam Chehab catches up with award-winning author Michael Mohamed Ahmed for his Ramadan reflections.

A look at toxic masculinity from two different writers, Tim Winton and Michael Mohammed Ahmad, inside the writing room of Miles Franklin winner Josephine Wilson, a history of the blurb and an ode to grammar with cabaret performer Louisa Fitzhardinge.

Dani Vee chats about the podcast having a social conscience and discussing books that talk about serious issues that can open up conversations and eventually positive change. Dani talks about the reasons for beginning the podcast; to encourage reading, as a free resource for educators and students and to create something that brought some good into the world and had a social conscience. This tiny podcast with big ideas talks stats and how listenership continues to grow thanks to the incredible authors who have been part of the conversation. Shout outs to Trent Dalton, Craig Johnson, Elliot Perlman, Jack Heath, Lexi Frieman, John Purcell, Michael Pryor, Dr Michael Mohammed Ahmad, Megan Jacobson, Kate Forsyth, Christian White, Sarah Bailey, Alice Nelson, Will Kostakis, Alex Miles, JP Pomare, Nicole Hayes & Rusty Young. Hello Mexico!

Michael Mohammed Ahmad is a writer whose novels explore Australia’s smouldering tribalism – found as much within its communities as between them – eschewing clichés and easy, feel-good conclusions. His first novel, The Tribe, introduced readers to the complex family life of protagonist Bani Adam, a young boy from a religious Lebanese Muslim family in western Sydney. In The Lebs, Bani is a teenager grappling with a different set of conflicts – about superiority, sexuality, violence and faith – played out against the backdrop of high school and graduation. Ahmad’s writing stings and sparks; it’s tense, insistent and unsettling, deploying a hungry, confrontational vernacular. Bani’s narration doesn’t present a worthy, heartwarming model of Lebanese Australian-ness. Instead, we’re offered a provocative, complex and sometimes brutal portrait – take or leave it. In conversation with host Elizabeth McCarthy, Michael Mohammed Ahmad discusses multicultural identities, coming of age and the disorienting power of language. Books and Ideas at Montalto series sound design and music: Jon Tjhia.

In his book The Lebs, Mohammed reinterprets events from his own life growing up during the peak of anti-muslim rhetoric. His work capturing the racism, anger & struggles confronting young Australians of migrant heritage who found power in the scaring of the white middle class.In conversation we discuss the influence of Malcolm X, the cultural significance of a Big Mac, and how boxers and writers need to remain focused, even when they’ve taken too many laxatives.Mohammed is an author, academic, playwright, activist and the director of Sweatshop, a literary movement devoted to empowering marginalised communities in Western Sydney.Follow Mohammed and the team at Sweatshop on Twitter: @sweatshopws

Great Conversations features interviews with authors and writers, exploring books, writing and literary culture from Australia and the world.Today's episode features Michael Mohammed Ahmad discussing his latest novel The Lebs.The Lebs draws on events in Sydney through the late nineties, through the September 11 attacks in New York and the Cronulla riots. The Lebs explores the experience of being a young Arab man in a country that sees you as a demon.

Dr Michael Mohammed Ahmad, author of the compelling novel The Lebs talks about his original manuscript and how it formed the basis of his PhD. We chat about the novel through an academic lens and he takes us through his personal experiences of growing up Lebanese in Australia, and his work of fiction detailing Bani Adam's experiences attending Punchbowl High School. An insightful and robust discussion about Australian culture and where we go from here. An episode certainly not to be missed.

An extended interview with Michael Mohammed Ahmad about his novel, The Lebs, which illustrates the struggles of Bani Adam who is coming to terms with his sexual and cultural identity in the Australian Muslim community of Sydney's Punchbowl.

Author Peter Polites remembers his visits to the Greek and Gay Group - GAGG. Peter Polites is a writer of Greek descent from Western Sydney. As part of the SWEATSHOP writers collective, Peter has written and performed his work all over Australia. Alongside SMH Best Young Novelists Luke Carman and Michael Mohammed Ahmad, Polites wrote and performed THREE JERKS - a spoken word piece about the Cronulla riots - to sellout crowds in Sydney and Melbourne. His novels Down the Hume and The Pillars are published by Hachette, and he is featured in the Queerstories book which can be ordered on Booktopia. Queerstories is an LGBTQI+ storytelling night programmed by Maeve Marsden, with regular events around Australia. For Queerstories event dates, visit www.maevemarsden.com, and follow Queerstories on Facebook. The Queerstories book is published by Hachette Australia, and can be purchased from your favourite independent bookseller or on Booktopia. To support Queerstories, become a patron at www.patreon.com/ladysingsitbetter And for gay stuff and insomnia rants follow me - Maeve Marsden - on Twitter and Instagram.   See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

In this week’s podcast we watch Greta Gerwig’s coming-of-age dramedy film Lady Bird (3:57). Then from teen girls to teen boys, we get Punchy as we read Michael Mohammed Ahmad’s novel The Lebs (22:18). And finally, we make it rain by listening to the ABC personal finance podcast The Pineapple Project (37:41).

According to our national anthem we have boundless plains to share. Since 1788, Australia has experienced successive waves of immigration, from post-war Europeans to refugees from Africa. Liza-Mare Syron discusses how diverse voices become part of the national story with Hani Abdile, Michael Mohammed Ahmad, Hoa Pham, and Markus Zusak. Presented by NSW Writers’ Centre. Welcome to country by Jennifer Newman. Audio Credits Introduced by Shelia Pham Recorded and Produced by Zacha Rosen

Our guest this week, Michael Mohammed Ahamad, is director of Sweatshop: Western Sydney Literacy Movement and author of The Tribe. We chatted about how music influences the Western Sydney Community, the importance of literacy and a bit of academia.