The award-winning writer of books for adults and children, discusses her roots, her family, success and what is on her desk …
Susan Muaddi Darraj is an award-winning writer of books for adults and children. Her books include her short story collection, A Curious Land, as well as the Farah Rocks children’s book series. She has won an American Book Award, two Arab American Book Awards, and a Maryland State Arts Council Independent Artists Award. She lives in Baltimore, Maryland, where she teaches creative writing at Harford Community College and Johns Hopkins University. Her latest novel, Behind You Is The Sea, was published in June and was named a Best Book of 2024 by The New Yorker and Apple Books.
ON HOME I’m the daughter of immigrants – my parents came to the US in 1967. I was raised as a Palestinian American and my parents always talked about how they missed home, but I also felt very much at home in America as well. I’m a mother of three, so I would say now home is wherever my children are.
ON FAMILY I’m the eldest child and the situation of the eldest daughter in immigrant families is unique. We are the vice-president of the family; we are given a lot of responsibility. I was also my parents’ connection to American culture – they were assimilating into American life through me. I have three younger brothers. We’re all based in America, and one brother is here in Baltimore, so we’re very close.
ON ROOTS By the time I was born in 1975, my parents realised they were not going back to Palestine, which had been their original plan, because the situation had escalated. I always say they planned to raise me in Palestine but instead they raised Palestine in me. I was raised in a traditional conservative way but the cultures weren’t all that different. It’s funny how Americans and Arabs really don’t understand each other. My parents raised me to be an independent, self-sufficient person in a way that was aligned with feminist values, but I don’t think Americans saw it that way because there were certain conservative restrictions on me. I was not permitted to date when I was younger, for instance.
ON MY DESK My children call my bedroom ‘the cave’. I have a large L-shaped desk between two windows. I have two large bulletin boards and a chalkboard and on the desk itself I have an elevated computer monitor. I still write by hand a bit. There are the normal things – stapler, stamps, pens, fountain pen and bottles of ink, personal journals, notebooks for draft ing essays, notebooks for drafting fiction, notebooks for to-do lists. I have an obsession with pens and notebooks. I have a jar of candies for emotional support, a photograph of Toni Morrison, a quote by James Baldwin and a small statue of Anne of Green Gables that my daughter made. Anne of Green Gables was my favourite book growing up. When my daughter was about ten she read it and I re-read it, and it was a very special moment for us.
ON SUCCESS I suffer tremendously from imposter syndrome so I’m always grateful when people give me awards or write nice reviews. I’m hard on myself. I’ve never really thought, I’ve arrived, I’m here, I’m successful as a writer. In 2022, I bought a house. That felt like an accomplishment. I’m proud that my children saw their mother buy a home for them. It’s healthy for children to see their mothers achieving their goals. It was also a big moment for me because I never before had my own writing space, a space that was all mine.
ON BOOKSHOPS When I used to go to Palestine there were very beautiful old bookshops in Jerusalem and Ramallah. Here in Baltimore, I’ve launched all my books in the Ivy Bookshop. The bookshop occupies an entire house and the upper floor is a writing studio and there is a garden with a gazebo for children to play in and do activities. It’s just beautiful. We also have a Black-owned bookstore in the city called Urban Reads and Red Emma’s is a bookstore with a socialist bent.
Behind You Is The Sea is out now, published by Swift Press. @edelcoffey
