S6 Ep. 50: The African Coups: Leila Aboulela on Why They Happen, and the Violence in Sudan

fiction/non/fiction

Novelist Leila Aboulela joins co-hosts Whitney Terrell and V.V. Ganeshananthan on their 200th episode to talk about the fighting between rival military factions in her native Sudan, which has displaced millions of civilians. She compares the situation of Sudan, which underwent a coup in 2019, with the six other African countries that have experienced coups since 2020. Aboulela explains the historical precedents and particularities and reflects on how, when a country’s military is its mightiest institution, a coup can be the only way to change leadership. She also reads from her new novel River Spirit, which covers the period of time leading up to the British occupation of Sudan.

To hear the full episode, subscribe through iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app (include the forward slashes when searching). You can also listen by streaming from the player below. Check out video versions of our interviews on the Fiction/Non/Fiction Instagram account, the Fiction/Non/Fiction YouTube Channel, and our show website: https://www.fnfpodcast.net/

This episode of the podcast was produced by Anne Kniggendorf.

Leila Aboulela

• River Spirit
• Bird Summons
• Elsewhere, Home
• The Kindness of Enemies
• Lyrics Alley
• Minaret
• Coloured Lights
• The Translator
• Articles in The Guardian

Others:

• “What’s behind the wave of coups in Africa,” Al Jazeera
• “Chaos in Sudan: Who Is Battling for Power, and Why It Hasn't Stopped,” by Declan Walsh and Abdi Latif Dahir
• "How To Write About Africa," Granta, by Binyavanga Wainaina, 2005
• “Binyavanga Wainaina, Kenyan Writer And LGBTQ Activist, Dies At 48,” by Colin Dwyer, NPR, May 22, 2019
• Sudan, a coup laboratory - ISS Africa
• Khartoum (1966 film)

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