Why do we hide parts of ourselves, even from the people closest to us?Fatima Bala, author of Broken: Not a Halal Love Story, Hafsatu Bebi and The Lies We Tell, joins Hadiza Isma El-Rufai for a conversation about writing honestly, creating deeply human characters and telling Northern Nigerian stories without pretending difficult realities do not exist.Fatima reveals that Broken was originally written anonymously, giving her the freedom to write without constantly censoring herself. She reflects on the story behind the book, the relationships and generations explored in Hafsatu Bebi, and why secrets became central to her latest work, The Lies We Tell.They discuss love, family, faith, identity, marriage, appearances, private struggles and why some truths are easier to hide than confront.Fatima also opens up about her writing process, balancing motherhood with creativity, writing on her phone whenever she finds the time, being an introvert in an industry that requires visibility, and the responsibility she feels when representing Northern Nigerian life through fiction.And beyond her own books, she explains why she wants to see more Northern Nigerian writers telling their own stories.Guest: Fatima BalaHost: Hadiza Isma El-RufaiPodcast: The Booming Boomer PodcastSubscribe for more conversations across literature, business, culture and public life.
Fatima BalaGuest
Hadiza Isma El-RufaiHost