Shahd Alshammari

ABSTRACT

A Middle Eastern Memoir: Head Above Water

Dr. Shahd Alshammari

Gulf University for Science and Technology, Kuwait

Life narratives are rare in the Gulf region due to many issues. Kuwait women writing about their lives, bodies, illnesses, and disabilities is almost unheard of. By writing about their illness and disability,  authors re-claim their voice and agency, writing their silenced bodies as Helene Cixous urges women to write through Écriture feminine. This presentation considers the genre of illness narrative through using my memoir on Multiple Sclerosis, teaching, and academia. I will read excerpts from the memoir to contextualize the work in order to stimulate discussion. Head Above Water: Reflections on Illness is published May 30th, 2022, World MS Day. I will share excerpts from the work with the audience and point out relevant issues of the medicalization of the body. I want to share the work with students and academics alike and will be happy to visit campuses and schools to discuss the work. It is my hope that the presentation is accessible, creative, and inspires discussion.

BIO

Shahd Alshammari is Assistant Professor of Literature and the author of Head Above Water: Reflections on Illness (Neem Tree Press, London, 2022). Her research areas include illness narratives, Disability Studies, and Arab women’s narratives. Her website is www.shahdalshammari.com