Background & Upbringing
Born in Alexandria, Egypt, Zahra moved with her family to Paris when she was ten. She grew up bicultural, navigating Egyptian traditions at home and French society at school.
Education
Studied International Relations at Sciences Po in Paris and later completed a PhD in Middle Eastern Studies in London.
Professional Background
Zahra worked at an NGO focusing on women’s rights in the Middle East. She began writing short stories exploring cross-cultural relationships and the challenges of diaspora life. Now, she writes both fiction and non-fiction on themes of identity and belonging.
Places Lived
Alexandria, Paris, and London. Her research also took her to Istanbul for a year.
Influences
She admires the work of Naguib Mahfouz for capturing Egyptian life and Simone de Beauvoir’s feminist insight. Musically, Zahra is drawn to the oud, classical Arabic singers like Umm Kulthum, and the café-inspired ambiance of French chanson. Her sense of romance is steeped in the interplay between tradition and modern independence.
