Nawel Abdallah

What was your favorite book as a child?

As a child, Les Misérables by Victor Hugo was the book that left the deepest mark on me. My first encounter with it was through an excerpt in my school’s French reading book that moved me so profoundly that I rushed to the school library in search of the full text. At first, I found a simplified version in easy French for younger readers, but my yearning for the complete story led me to the Arabic translation. I still remember the evening I finished it, holding the book to my chest, overwhelmed by its depth and emotion. Now, in my library in Berlin, I keep a copy of the original French edition. There is something indescribable about knowing it is with me, a silent companion in my life abroad.

Do you remember the original reason or motivation why you started writing creatively?

I first discovered the joy of writing in primary school when one of my teachers would give us a single word each week and ask us to craft a story around it. One word, one story. I don’t know how my classmates felt about it, but for me, it was the best homework I could imagine. Then, at the age of twelve, during the Second Intifada in Palestine, I witnessed my Palestinian father watch the news with deep concern, his heart tethered to his homeland and the struggle for freedom. One evening, moved by everything unfolding, I wrote a long poem in Arabic and read it aloud to him. He was astonished. Encouraged by his reaction, I kept writing, especially poetry. His advice was simple yet profound: write whatever comes to mind, and never throw away a draft. He was my first audience, my first inspiration. For his memory, I will keep writing.

What was the most adventurous or thrilling thing you ever did/experienced?

I was born and raised in a small coastal town in Tunisia, living in a close-knit bubble of family with only a few friends. As a child of two identities, half Palestinian and half Tunisian, I was always trying to understand and embrace both sides of myself. Growing up, my world was shaped largely by education, books, movies, and the rich, daily conversations I had with my father, a well-traveled man whose stories became my window to places I had never seen. The first time I ever traveled, I was 26, attending a literary summit. Just a year later, I made the boldest decision of my life: I left everything behind to start anew in Berlin. A city too vast, too crowded, and too unfamiliar for someone like me. I was a stranger, suddenly thrust into a world of new rules, new concepts, new relationships, a new language, and even a new kind of weather. Looking back now, knowing the girl I was then, moving to Berlin felt like releasing a sheltered pet into the wilderness.

Do you listen to music while reading or writing?

I can’t listen to music while reading because it distracts me and makes it difficult to focus; I often find myself rereading the same paragraph multiple times. However, I do sometimes need music when I write. It helps set the right mood and allows ideas to flow more easily, though it’s not essential. I struggle to multitask, like writing and listening to music simultaneously, which I suspect may be related to my undiagnosed ADHD.