WINNER OF THE RSL ST. GILES AWARD FIRST PRIZE
“At once vulnerable and intellectually rigorous, here is an illuminating and trenchant exploration of Muslim feminism ... An essential read ”
For fans of Elaine Castillo’s HOW TO READ NOW, Rebecca Solnit’s MEN EXPLAIN THINGS TO ME and Cathy Park Hong’s MINOR FEELINGS, N.S. Nuseibeh’s NAMESAKE blends history, personal essay, and cultural criticism in a search to understand the author’s ancestor and namesake, the legendary Nusayba Bint Ka’ab al Khazrajiah, the warrior woman of 7th century Arabia.
I may not be (Arab/Muslim/good/brave) enough, but somewhere deep inside of me there is, perhaps, the kernel of someone who is...
So writes N.S. Nuseibeh in her kaleidoscopic examination of her namesake, the legendary Nusayba Bint Ka’ab al Kazrajiah, an early female convert who fought alongside the Prophet Muhammad at the dawn of Islam. Weaving in her own experiences as a Palestinian alongside stories of the 7th century woman warrior, Nuseibeh delves into a larger inquiry—one that takes her from superheroes and the glorification of violence to the role of memory in trauma, from Arab feminism to the emancipatory possibility of conversion. What is it to be a feminist, a mother, a warrior? What does bravery look like in the context of interminable conflict? By seeking to understand her namesake in the context of her own 21st century concerns, Nuseibeh connects our current ideas of Muslims and Arabs with their origins, looking at myth-making and identity, religion and nationhood, feminism and race, early Muslim history and contemporary Britain.
As intimate as they are thoughtful, these linked essays offer a dazzling exploration of heritage, gender and the idea of home, while also posing the larger question of how connecting with our history can help us understand ourselves and others today.
“Nuseibeh uses her ancestor’s life as a thread that runs through an eclectic and subtle collection…smart and self-deprecating, astute and amusing, disturbing and vital.”
— Doug Johnstone, The Big Issue
“a brave, insightful and important book. . . . I learned so much”
— Zeba Talkhani, author of MY PAST IS A FOREIGN COUNTRY
"brilliantly written . . . A collection of fascinating and rigorous essays, it's a generous, intimate invitation to reflect on the different ways we might understand ourselves and one another"
— Octavia Bright, author of THIS RAGGED GRACE
“Nuseibeh confronts the divisive and discriminatory issues that dog our times with a cosmopolitan ethic of justice and equality that seeks to build arguments, rather than to win them . . . Namesake explores vulnerability, fragility, anxiety and ambivalence as ways of beautifully coming to terms with the wounds and worries of the world”
— Homi K Bhabha, Professor of the Humanities at Harvard University
“self-deprecating and thoughtful and always interesting, a rare instance of a writer who seems to listen as much as she informs”
— Mark Haddon, author of THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME
“Writing about Muslim history and life in and beyond Jerusalem, Nuseibeh consistently and courageously refuses to take the easy route out, to settle for straightforward narrative closure. I recognise a great deal in this book, and I have also learned so much from it”
— Noreen Masud, author of A FLAT PLACE
About N.S. Nuseibeh
N.S. Nuseibeh is a British-Palestinian writer and researcher, born and raised in East Jerusalem. Her interests include issues around identity, ethics, inequality and education. She has previously written for the Atlantic and been shortlisted for the Commonwealth Short Story Prize, the Oxford Review short fiction prize, and the WordFactory Political Short Story Award . Namesake won the Giles St Aubyn Award first prize as a work-in-progress.