Ayaan Adan, author of Daughters of Arraweelo: Stories of Somali Women
General Nonfiction Category, sponsored by The Duchess Harris Collection
Each week leading up to the 35th annual Minnesota Book Awards, we are featuring exclusive interviews with our finalists. You can also watch the authors in conversation with their fellow category finalists here.
Would you tell us one or two things about your finalist book that you are particularly proud of, and why?
I am quite proud of the community effort it took in order to write my book. I collected interviews from many Somali women who lent hours of their time and most importantly their stories in order to preserve and document the history of migration, identity, and what it means to make a home. Upon hearing about the project, many people also introduced me to incredible women that they recommended for interviews. It really took a village to collect this work and write a book that reflects the tenacity and depth of the Somali community.
What advice would you give to an aspiring writer with an interest in your category?
My advice to anyone interested in writing is to find that wonderful space where what you write sparks joy in you and your readers. There needs to be a connection between what you’re writing and yourself. That doesn’t mean you have to write about yourself or your material has to be extremely personal to you, but it means that you have to care about what you write. And when you have that basis, use discipline and routine to overcome the writer’s block and your ego. And then write because that’s what writers do.
Tell us about a favorite book. Why did you find it moving, influential, or otherwise memorable?
This might be unusual but I don’t have one favorite book. But my favorite books have always been books that tap into universal human experiences, writing that feels deeply personal and elicits raw human emotion. Whether it’s fiction or nonfiction, adventure, drama, romance, or memoir, my favorite authors know how to tell a story.
The Minnesota Book Awards is a celebration of writers, readers – and libraries. We’d love if you would share thoughts about the role and value of libraries.
It is without a doubt that libraries have played a pivotal position in my journey as a writer. I spent many days after school in a corner of a library with my nose buried in a book. I read library books when I should have been reading school books, I read during breakfast, and a book was the last thing I saw before I went to sleep. I was a reader before I was a writer. Those books expanded my worldview, allowed me to experience foreign lands and magical realms, and shaped my own voice as an author. The first book I purchased was as an adult, so without libraries, I would not be the avid reader I was in my youth and the writer I am now. To libraries, I owe my success.
Ayaan Adan is a UX designer, author, and organizer. She has a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Minnesota. As an advocate for privacy, civil liberties, and accessibility, she is committed to making a positive impact on the lives of others through storytelling.