The Thread That Connects Us: Interviewing Ayaan Mohamud
“I never saw characters like me growing up... I've never seen the language written on the page.”
After a successful debut last year with her novel You Think You Know Me (2023), Ayaan Mohamud brings us another skilfully weaved together emotional journey with The Thread That Connect Us (2024). The story follows two young girls, Safiya and Halima, whose lives are upended by the choices of their parents. Safiya, struggling with her father’s departure and return with a new family, refuses to open up to love, even though she feels drawn to her neighbor, Yusuf. Halima, on the other hand, resents having to move to England with her stepfather, where she faces a difficult transition, including bullying and the challenge of learning a new language.
Mohamud’s work is reflective, focusing on authenticity and cultural representation; her work resonates with those of us seeking acknowledgement and a mirror into our own lives. Her journey begins in childhood, like many writers, writing stories often mimicking the literature she was consuming which lacked any form of diversity.
“I had names like Keira or Reece… never thinking this isn’t normal and I don’t know a Keira or a Reece… I could never go back to writing a Keira.”
It’s only until her teen years that Mohamud became inspired by the likes of Maya Angelou, Mohsin Hamid and Malorie Blackman, and writing about complex, real world issues like identity and belonging became a natural part of her writing focus. With a Somali Muslim background, she learnt to express her own truth — not unique to those around her, but certainly to the world of traditional publishing.
"To write about Muslim identity, Somali identity, it was just, I think there's just something so powerful... It’s writing about what’s true."
We often hear the words ‘unapologetically’ and ‘Muslim’ next to each other when seeing Muslim characters, but what does it really mean? In The Thread That Connects Us, it means depicting Muslim identities and experiences without diluting or over-explaining for a non-Muslim audience. Whether it’s in the depiction of prayer, language, or family customs, Mohamud allows her characters to embrace their spirituality and culture without hesitation, and navigate their family dynamics, personal struggles, and the wider world around them whilst staying true to their faith.
"We don't see enough family relationships in young adult books... I think that should become a bigger part."
Familial relationships, particularly blended families and sisterhood, encompass Mohamud’s novels and these themes stem from her own lived experiences and that of her community. Having the family dynamic be a central focus plays a large part of her wanting to capture the emotional connection to her heritage and home country, Somalia, where this is deeply valued, and we can see this connection as the novel dips into dual locations where Mohamud is able to explore language barriers and cultural differences.
Mohamud is currently working on a new project, exploring different genres and perhaps stepping away from the world of YA, and we can’t wait to see what more she will be bringing to the table.
You can purchase The Thread That Connects Us here: https://usborne.com/gb/the-thread-that-connects-us-9781803704517
By Asia Khatun