In Episode 72 of Literary Prospects, we talk with author Roohi Choudhry about her debut novel, Outside Women.
Roohi is was born in Pakistan and grew up in southern Africa. She holds an MFA in creative writing from the University of Michigan and is the recipient of a New York Foundation for the Arts fellowship and residencies at Hedgebrook and Djerassi. She worked as a researcher in criminal justice reform and public health, wrote for the United Nations, and facilitates creative writing workshops for community organizations. Her stories and essays have appeared in Ploughshares, Callaloo, Longreads, and the Kenyon Review. Her debut novel, Outside Women, is out now.
In this interview, Roohi talks about her long road to publication, braded narratives, uncovering joy amidst migrant women’s struggle, special tricks for getting “unstuck” and writing emotional scenes; and much more…