Shahed Ezaydi

Hello! I can't believe our campaign for The Othered Woman launched 3 weeks ago today and it's already nearly 19% funded. I'm still wrapping my head around it all (I'm writing a book! What!) but the biggest of thank yous to everyone who has pledged so far, who have shared links on social media, and who have sent kind messages of support. I can't express how much the belief and support for my book has meant to me, especially in the early stages of researching and writing. I'm turning 28 this month and my goal for October is to reach 25% funding by the end of the month - which just so happens to be my birthday - so please do keep sharing the campaign with your family, pals, and colleagues. Thank you!

<p>Hello! I can't believe our campaign for The Othered Woman launched 3 weeks ago today and it's already nearly 19% funded. I'm still wrapping my head around it all (I'm writing a book! What!) but the biggest of thank yous to everyone who has pledged so far, who have shared links on social media, and who have sent kind messages of support. I can't express how much the belief and support for my book has meant to me, especially in the early stages of researching and writing. </p>

<p>I'm turning 28 this month and my goal for October is to reach <strong>25% funding</strong> by the end of the month - which just so happens to be my birthday - so please do keep sharing the campaign with your family, pals, and colleagues. Thank you!</p>


A big old thank you

Hello! I can't believe we're three days into 2023 already but I for one am glad to see the back of 2022. I'm a big fan of fresh starts, resolutions, and embracing the 'new me' attitude. Even if it only lasts for a few weeks... As well as exercising more and going on social media less, I also included feeling hopeful as one of my new year resolutions. I really do think hope is a powerful thing and something that's been missing from so many of our lives as we see the UK (and the world) become that bit more grim. Because it isn't all grim - there are so many positive and joyful things to care about and feel hopeful towards, especially when it comes to fighting for a better world. And so, yes, I want to make sure that I focus less on the negativity (but not completely ignore it) and actively look for the hopefulness in my life and the world around me. Another goal that I have for 2023 is to get this book funded! I'm so very grateful for all the support we've received so far, it's been amazing and emotional to see all the pledges come through over the past few months. The Othered Woman was even named on Dazed's political books to look out for, which is just unreal to me? Speechless. For January, I've set the pretty ambitious goal of reaching 50% funding by the end of the month. So, please do pledge what you can or if you've already pledged, forward on the campaign link to family, friends, colleagues etc. Thank YOU.

<p>Hello! I can't believe we're three days into 2023 already but I for one am glad to see the back of 2022. I'm a big fan of fresh starts, resolutions, and embracing the 'new me' attitude. Even if it only lasts for a few weeks... As well as exercising more and going on social media less, I also included feeling hopeful as one of my new year resolutions. I really do think hope is a powerful thing and something that's been missing from so many of our lives as we see the UK (and the world) become that bit more grim. Because it isn't all grim - there are so many positive and joyful things to care about and feel hopeful towards, especially when it comes to fighting for a better world. And so, yes, I want to make sure that I focus less on the negativity (but not completely ignore it) and actively look for the hopefulness in my life and the world around me.</p>

<p>Another goal that I have for 2023 is to get this book funded! I'm so very grateful for all the support we've received so far, it's been amazing and emotional to see all the pledges come through over the past few months. The Othered Woman was even named on <a href="https://www.dazeddigital.com/life-culture/article/57704/1/all-the-books-you-should-read-in-2023-politics-radical?utm_campaign=later-linkinbio-dazed&amp;utm_content=later-31935134&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=linkin.bio">Dazed's political books to look out for</a>, which is just unreal to me? Speechless.</p>

<p>For January, I've set the pretty ambitious goal of reaching 50% funding by the end of the month. So, please do pledge what you can or if you've already pledged, forward on the campaign link to family, friends, colleagues etc. Thank YOU.</p>


A very happy new year

I still cannot believe that we launched The Othered Woman's crowdfunding campaign in September and we're already SO close to being a third funded! Not only that but I've also had so many lovely conversations with people and publications about the book and why it's so needed in the world of feminist literature, and beyond. So, I'm deeply humbled and honoured. But the hard work isn't over yet! If you haven't pledged yet, please do support the book if you can, and if you've already pledged, please send the crowdfunder to family, friends, colleagues, exes - you name it. Spreading the word is key. Regarding the writing process, I've nearly finished working on the second chapter which is quite exciting and finding the process so enriching and enlightening, which I hope you will too when it comes round to reading the (hopefully!) published book.

<p>I still cannot believe that we launched The Othered Woman's crowdfunding campaign in September and we're already SO close to being a third funded! Not only that but I've also had so many lovely conversations with people and publications about the book and why it's so needed in the world of feminist literature, and beyond. So, I'm deeply humbled and honoured. But the hard work isn't over yet! If you haven't pledged yet, please do support the book if you can, and if you've already pledged, please send the crowdfunder to family, friends, colleagues, exes - you name it. Spreading the word is key.</p>

<p>Regarding the writing process, I've nearly finished working on the second chapter which is quite exciting and finding the process so enriching and enlightening, which I hope you will too when it comes round to reading the (hopefully!) published book.</p>


Approaching a third funded, thank you!

And just like that, we've reached another International Women's Day. As much as the day has been commercialised and become increasingly 'girlboss' feminism heavy, it's still a day that I find spreads love and compassion through radical feminism and grassroots & community-led activism. It also serves as a much needed reminder of all the women who came before us and the shoulders of giants we stand on as we continue to fight for liberation from oppressive forces. And it's a reminder that I'm trying to keep at the forefront of my work as I research and write The Othered Woman. Women's History Month is always a bit of a chaotic month for me, in the best of ways, and this month is certainly no different. I'm currently gearing up to appear on a panel at WOW Festival on Friday 10th, titled 'Whose Feminism Is It Anyway?' alongside some brilliant people doing brilliant work in their fields. If you fancy coming along to the event or festival in general, you can grab tickets from the Southbank Centre. And I'm also speaking about The Othered Woman and its themes at an event on Muslim Women's Day (27th March) at Libreria bookshop, which I'm both very excited and nervous for! Tickets are free but you'll need to register to attend. Finally, there's an IWD discount code (PAYGAP10) you can use and share with loved ones to pledge towards my book, valid until Sunday 12th March.

<p>And just like that, we've reached another International Women's Day. As much as the day has been commercialised and become increasingly 'girlboss' feminism heavy, it's still a day that I find spreads love and compassion through radical feminism and grassroots &amp; community-led activism. It also serves as a much needed reminder of all the women who came before us and the shoulders of giants we stand on as we continue to fight for liberation from oppressive forces. And it's a reminder that I'm trying to keep at the forefront of my work as I research and write The Othered Woman.</p>

<p>Women's History Month is always a bit of a chaotic month for me, in the best of ways, and this month is certainly no different. I'm currently gearing up to appear on a panel at WOW Festival on Friday 10th, titled 'Whose Feminism Is It Anyway?' alongside some brilliant people doing brilliant work in their fields. If you fancy coming along to the event or festival in general, you can <a href="https://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/whats-on/literature-poetry/friday-wow-festival-day-pass?eventId=919231">grab tickets from the Southbank Centre</a>.</p>

<p>And I'm also speaking about The Othered Woman and its themes at an event on Muslim Women's Day (27th March) at Libreria bookshop, which I'm both very excited and nervous for! <a href="https://secondhome.io/event/muslim-womens-day-making-feminism-inclusive-with-shahed-ezaydi/">Tickets are free but you'll need to register to attend</a>.</p>

<p>Finally, there's an IWD discount code (PAYGAP10) you can use and share with loved ones to pledge towards my book, valid until Sunday 12th March.</p>


Happy IWD!

Hello! I was supposed to write this a few days ago but in true imposter syndrome style, something stopped me in my tracks. So here I am, on the morning of my birthday, sharing some thoughts with you lovely people. My feelings of imposter syndrome have really made a home for themselves within my mind over the last few months, and it’s something that has made my anxiety even trickier to deal with. The feeling that you are undeserving of a commission or an opportunity or that you don’t belong in a certain space can be quite the debilitating feeling. Well, for me anyway. It’s meant I’ve talked myself out of cool opportunities or events because I feel like a massive fraud. Even with the publicising and writing of this book, I still can’t believe it’s actually happening and I regularly feel undeserving and inexperienced to be taking on such a task. But why? Why do I feel like I can’t (or shouldn’t) do all these things? This is the question I’m trying to ask myself more and more these days. I’ve been a writer for over three years now and have worked hard to get to where I am today. In the early stages of my career, I was working most evenings and weekends (which I do not recommend because boundaries are important!) and writing as much as I can in order to carve a space and career for myself. Yes, I don’t have an educational background in journalism but I have good ideas and a passion for research and storytelling. So why do I feel like such a fraud when I’m more than qualified to be doing the job I’m doing? I think it’s a question of confidence and never really seeing someone who looks like me in journalism and writing when I was growing up. And so it feels as though my career is living on borrowed time. But it isn’t. And I’m trying to remind myself of that. I’ve started saving nice emails and feedback from editors and writers about my work so I can look back and remember it all. I’ve never been one to journal or keep a diary but I’m also making an active effort to write down my thoughts, both when I feel like a fraud and when I feel great about a piece of work. Fellow writers often ask me about confidence and imposter syndrome and I guess I can’t really offer any answers on that front but I can say that it’s *hard* out here and we all need to treat ourselves with a bit more softness and kindness.

<p>Hello! I was supposed to write this a few days ago but in true imposter syndrome style, something stopped me in my tracks. So here I am, on the morning of my birthday, sharing some thoughts with you lovely people.</p>

<p>My feelings of imposter syndrome have really made a home for themselves within my mind over the last few months, and it’s something that has made my anxiety even trickier to deal with. The feeling that you are undeserving of a commission or an opportunity or that you don’t belong in a certain space can be quite the debilitating feeling. Well, for me anyway. It’s meant I’ve talked myself out of cool opportunities or events because I feel like a massive fraud. Even with the publicising and writing of this book, I still can’t believe it’s actually happening and I regularly feel undeserving and inexperienced to be taking on such a task. But why? Why do I feel like I can’t (or shouldn’t) do all these things?</p>

<p>This is the question I’m trying to ask myself more and more these days. I’ve been a writer for over three years now and have worked hard to get to where I am today. In the early stages of my career, I was working most evenings and weekends (which I do not recommend because boundaries are important!) and writing as much as I can in order to carve a space and career for myself. Yes, I don’t have an educational background in journalism but I have good ideas and a passion for research and storytelling. So why do I feel like such a fraud when I’m more than qualified to be doing the job I’m doing? I think it’s a question of confidence and never really seeing someone who looks like me in journalism and writing when I was growing up. And so it feels as though my career is living on borrowed time. But it isn’t. And I’m trying to remind myself of that.</p>

<p>I’ve started saving nice emails and feedback from editors and writers about my work so I can look back and remember it all. I’ve never been one to journal or keep a diary but I’m also making an active effort to write down my thoughts, both when I feel like a fraud and when I feel great about a piece of work. Fellow writers often ask me about confidence and imposter syndrome and I guess I can’t really offer any answers on that front but I can say that it’s *hard* out here and we all need to treat ourselves with a bit more softness and kindness.</p>


Imposter syndrome in writing

Do you remember those friendship necklaces you used to get that were two halves of the same heart? Or when Bebo used to exist and the only painstakingly hard decisions you had to make were who was in your top 16 and who to share your three loves of the day with? These were the nature of female friendships when you’re a kid, which looking back now seemed oh so simple. You saw your friends every day at school, brimming with love and gossip over peanut butter sandwiches on the school field. I mean, it obviously wasn’t without its own teenage uneasiness but maintaining and navigating friendships as an adult is a whole different ballgame. The things we value and prioritise of course change over the course of all of our lives, but something I didn’t really think about until recently is how this is then reflected in how friendships then have to adapt and change too. I’m definitely not the same person as I was at 18, and I’m sure my friends aren’t either. And this emotional distance, as well as living miles apart, is becoming more and more apparent. The awkward silences, which seem to hold so many unspoken words, have become much more noticeable. The unanswered texts and missed scheduled calls. That’s not even mentioning the natural drifting and growing apart that can happen after years of friendship. You cannot just coast along. Staying friends with people in adulthood requires dedicated time and energy, and in the sheer chaos that is your 20s, this can prove to be quite difficult sometimes. And now in a cost of living crisis? Please. Maintaining a friendship is a two-way street, and I’ve definitely been known to let the side down, especially when I find myself in ball of stress and anxiety. A feeling that has been quite a familiar one this year. The sound of my phone pinging or seeing the red little number on the WhatsApp icon can sometimes make me want to throw my phone deep into the ocean and go into my little hole of silence for weeks on end. The loneliness then inevitably hits you like a tonne of bricks but you know that you are probably partly to blame as you’ve been airing your friends for weeks. And the spiralling begins. Do my friends still love me? Do they still want to hang out with me? Or are they still friends with me out of a sense of obligation? And the thing about spiralling anxiety is that I become a very selfish person. It's as if I've developed blinders to anything but my own feelings. I forget that others have just as busy and stressful lives as myself. Circumstances that might prevent them from picking up the phone or sending a text. The saying has never been more true, you never truly know what’s going on behind closed doors. Something that I’m really trying to remember and hold on to. Female friendships are messy, passionate and beautiful and my word are they some of the most important relationships in my life. But I think it’s also important to know when some friendships have come to an end. An acknowledgement that I'm trying to reflect and work on myself. This doesn't have to be because of anything in particular or involve shouting matches, it can be simply because you've outgrown each other and are following different roads in life. And that's okay.

<p>Do you remember those friendship necklaces you used to get that were two halves of the same heart? Or when Bebo used to exist and the only painstakingly hard decisions you had to make were who was in your top 16 and who to share your three loves of the day with? These were the nature of female friendships when you’re a kid, which looking back now seemed oh so simple. You saw your friends every day at school, brimming with love and gossip over peanut butter sandwiches on the school field. I mean, it obviously wasn’t without its own teenage uneasiness but maintaining and navigating friendships as an adult is a <em>whole</em> different ballgame.</p>

<p>The things we value and prioritise of course change over the course of all of our lives, but something I didn’t really think about until recently is how this is then reflected in how friendships then have to adapt and change too. I’m definitely not the same person as I was at 18, and I’m sure my friends aren’t either. And this emotional distance, as well as living miles apart, is becoming more and more apparent. The awkward silences, which seem to hold so many unspoken words, have become much more noticeable. The unanswered texts and missed scheduled calls. That’s not even mentioning the natural drifting and growing apart that can happen after years of friendship. You cannot just coast along. Staying friends with people in adulthood requires dedicated time and energy, and in the sheer chaos that is your 20s, this can prove to be quite difficult sometimes. And now in a cost of living crisis? <em>Please</em>.</p>

<p>Maintaining a friendship is a two-way street, and I’ve definitely been known to let the side down, especially when I find myself in ball of stress and anxiety. A feeling that has been quite a familiar one this year. The sound of my phone pinging or seeing the red little number on the WhatsApp icon can sometimes make me want to throw my phone deep into the ocean and go into my little hole of silence for weeks on end. The loneliness then inevitably hits you like a tonne of bricks but you know that you are probably partly to blame as you’ve been airing your friends for weeks. And the spiralling begins. Do my friends still love me? Do they still want to hang out with me? Or are they still friends with me out of a sense of obligation?</p>

<p>And the thing about spiralling anxiety is that I become a very selfish person. It's as if I've developed blinders to anything but my own feelings. I forget that others have just as busy and stressful lives as myself. Circumstances that might prevent them from picking up the phone or sending a text. The saying has never been more true, you never truly know what’s going on behind closed doors. Something that I’m really trying to remember and hold on to.</p>

<p>Female friendships are messy, passionate and beautiful and my word are they some of the most important relationships in my life. But I think it’s also important to know when some friendships have come to an end. An acknowledgement that I'm trying to reflect and work on myself. This doesn't have to be because of anything in particular or involve shouting matches, it can be simply because you've outgrown each other and are following different roads in life. And that's okay.</p>


Navigating friendships as an adult and when to let go

Hello again! I cannot believe it but in just over four months of the crowdfunder being live, The Othered Woman is now 50% funded. Unbelievable... I'm so grateful to each and every one of you who have pledged for the book so far and who have made the likelihood of The Othered Woman appearing in bookshops that much more of a reality. This book is really important to me but I also think it's a much needed book in the world of feminist literature, especially when it comes to centring the lives and experiences of Muslim women. And so, please do carry on spreading the word far and wide! Thought I'd share some bits related to the book: I was interviewed by Polyester Zine about The Othered Woman and intersectional feminism. The Othered Woman was named a political book to look out for by Dazed. I'm hosting an event at WOW Festival (!!) on March 10 centred on feminism, care, and inclusivity. And watch this space for some exclusive subscriber-only interviews/essays coming soon too.

<p>Hello again! I cannot believe it but in just over four months of the crowdfunder being live, The Othered Woman is now 50% funded. Unbelievable... I'm so grateful to each and every one of you who have pledged for the book so far and who have made the likelihood of The Othered Woman appearing in bookshops that much more of a reality. This book is really important to me but I also think it's a much needed book in the world of feminist literature, especially when it comes to centring the lives and experiences of Muslim women. And so, please do carry on spreading the word far and wide!</p>

<p>Thought I'd share some bits related to the book:</p>

<ul>
	<li>I was interviewed by <a href="https://www.polyesterzine.com/thedollhouse/the-othered-woman">Polyester Zine about The Othered Woman</a> and intersectional feminism.</li>
	<li>The Othered Woman was named a <a href="https://www.dazeddigital.com/life-culture/article/57704/1/all-the-books-you-should-read-in-2023-politics-radical?utm_campaign=later-linkinbio-dazed&amp;utm_content=later-31935134&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=linkin.bio">political book to look out for by Dazed</a>.</li>
	<li>I'm <a href="https://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/whats-on/literature-poetry/friday-wow-festival-day-pass">hosting an event at WOW Festival</a> (!!) on March 10 centred on feminism, care, and inclusivity.</li>
</ul>

<p>And watch this space for some exclusive subscriber-only interviews/essays coming soon too.</p>


Reaching the halfway point

Aliya Gulamani

Thank you to each and every one of you for supporting my debut book's campaign, I'm so pleased and honoured to share that The Othered Woman is now completely funded. I've been blown away by the support I've gotten over the past 15 months but we did it! The next stage will be getting on with the researching and writing of the book which I'll be continuing to do over the next few months. This is a dream come true, deeply grateful and overjoyed. Shahed x

<div data-mce-fragment="1">Thank you to each and every one of you for supporting my debut book's campaign, I'm so pleased and honoured to share that The Othered Woman is now completely funded. I've been blown away by the support I've gotten over the past 15 months but we did it! The next stage will be getting on with the researching and writing of the book which I'll be continuing to do over the next few months. This is a dream come true, deeply grateful and overjoyed.</div>
<div data-mce-fragment="1"></div>
<div data-mce-fragment="1">Shahed x</div>

The Othered Woman is funded!

Hello! It's been a little while since I've posted on here but that's mostly because I've been writing away in the background as my deadline approaches. Now that I'm in the thick of the researching and writing process, it's reaffirmed to me just how important this topic is - especially when we've seen white feminism play out again and again in relation to Muslims in the past few months. One book will never be enough to cover the breadth and range of the experiences of Muslim women but I'm hoping The Othered Woman will form part of a wider community of Muslim feminist writers. I've been working on this book since 2022 and I'm sure it'll feel surreal to hand in a whole manuscript and think of it as a whole book rather than an array of word documents (as it exists now!) Thank you again for supporting me and my work, I'm forever grateful.

<div data-mce-fragment="1">Hello! It's been a little while since I've posted on here but that's mostly because I've been writing away in the background as my deadline approaches. Now that I'm in the thick of the researching and writing process, it's reaffirmed to me just how important this topic is - especially when we've seen white feminism play out again and again in relation to Muslims in the past few months. One book will never be enough to cover the breadth and range of the experiences of Muslim women but I'm hoping <strong><em>The Othered Woman</em></strong> will form part of a wider community of Muslim feminist writers. I've been working on this book since 2022 and I'm sure it'll feel surreal to hand in a whole manuscript and think of it as a whole book rather than an array of word documents (as it exists now!)</div>
<div data-mce-fragment="1"></div>
<div data-mce-fragment="1">Thank you again for supporting me and my work, I'm forever grateful.</div>

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