
Sandy Ibrahim is an Egyptian/German immigrant, settler and uninvited guest currently living on Lekwungen territory. She was shortlisted for the Malahat Review’s 2022 Constance Rooke Prize for her piece “Preparing the Eulogy” which is an intimate account of memories that surfaced after her father died. She doesn’t know if her grandmothers are rolling over in their graves or cheering her on.
Interviewed by Nikki Hillman
Nikki Hillman (NH): Did you face any ethical considerations or dilemmas while writing your work?
Sandy Ibrahim (SI): For the latest published piece in the Malahat Review, I had concerns about how my mother and brother might receive my work. I didn’t want to reopen any wounds or impose my version of events onto them so I published under a pseudonym.
(NH): What is your writing process like and what brings you to the writing desk?
(SI): Ha! It’s summertime and my writing process is a bit of a mess. I tend to be more disciplined during the colder months. I’m an endless note taker and can struggle to organize myself. Deadlines are a sure-fire way to get me in the chair. For me, writing the first draft of anything is brutal but once I have something on the page then I start enjoying the process. Writing is really a process of discovery. There’s an initial idea, but writing rarely takes me where I think I’m going. Part of the excitement and draw to the craft is discovering new ideas on the page.
(NH): Have there been risks you’ve taken with your writing? Have they paid off?
(SI): I think the biggest risk I take in writing is telling the truth as I understand it. In the case of personal non-fiction that means sinking into the felt memories and staying with the thread. Writing from memory is inherently risky because we all know memory is not reliable. So, I try to write as truthfully as possible, knowing that when it comes to telling the stories of my own life, I am inherently an unreliable narrator.
(NH): What author in your genre do you most admire?
(SI): There are many! But the first person to come to mind is Anne Lamott. Her truth-telling combined with her self-detracting humour makes her work irresistible to me. She was one of the first writers whose style I wanted to emulate.
(NH): How do you handle writers block or creative challenges.
(SI): I have a few creative endeavors, writing, music and gardening so I often rotate between them when one source feels dry. Yoga really helps my writing process and I often bring my notebook into my practice.
(NH):What’s your favourite writing snack or drink?
(SI): Mixed nuts. Hands down. And coffee.