Starlink, Chosen Family, and More
Round up of the Week
It’s been a jam packed week at Abdel-Magied HQ, Alhamdulilah. A couple of things I’ve been working on for months finally came to fruition, and ICYMI, I thought I’d share them with you today!
New Feature: Sudanese People Don’t Have the Luxury of Hating Elon Musk
“I don’t think Elon Musk is even aware of Sudan,” Alsarah tells New Lines. “He’s got his eyes on bigger prizes. He doesn’t see the people using it, to him it’s about the technology.”
I’m so pleased to have finally published what I have been calling ‘The Starlink Piece’ on New Lines. I’ve been fascinated by the contradictory feelings I’ve had about Musk over the last couple of years, because regardless of his shenanigans and you know, reckless and deadly choices, his Starlink Space X tech is effectively the only reason I can communicate with my family in Sudan, and how most on the ground are able to be in contact with each other and the outside world. I spoke to almost a dozen people for this story and am super pleased with how it turned out, Alhamdulilah, so I hope you enjoy the read.
Perhaps all my efforts trying to decide how I feel about Musk are a misuse of energy. Far more interesting than the whims of an individual man, no matter how powerful, is another question for Sudan and for Sudanese people: how to move beyond and outside the imaginations of techno-imperialists and elite-led, authoritarian, militarized governance.
When you have lived in many places, your chosen family becomes home
I’ve lived in six cities over the last twelve years. Despite having grown up not moving around a lot, it would appear that as an adult, I love it. Revel in it. Thrill in the shift and change and transformation a new place offers.
That being said, it’s not always easy… and finding community somewhere new isn’t something we are necessarily taught. Most of my moves have been to places without other family, and so I’ve had to learn how to recreate that structure when I arrive.
There aren’t guides for how to make a new city feel like home. How to find family, community, a sense of belonging. In my experience, it’s a combination of the right environment, boundless enthusiasm and a little bit of luck. The hand of fate, you might say. But even divine intervention requires your intention.
My latest piece for Hyphen is a love letter to the chosen family.
Even as I describe this, I feel myself bumping into the limitations of the English language. In Arabic, my first language, there are words beyond friend and family. From “zameel” (someone who you know like a colleague) to “qareen” (a soulmate you are inseparable from), language contains possibilities and creates realities.
Have you moved around a lot? Do you feel like chosen family is important to you, or not so much?
For Sudan
Where to even begin with this blockbuster evening? There will be a proper round up video soon, but suffice to say I’m so…overwhelmed by how fulfulling it was to be in a room full of Sudanese people and those who love us, celebrating, laughing, crying, dancing… may we always be gathered in times of joy, inshallah. Thanks also to my co-curating Waleed Elgadi and all the Shubbak and Grand Junction team who made the night possible.
Coming up… Workshops4Sudan
Inspired by Workshops4Gaza, this is a fundraising initiative supporting the Sudan Solidarity Collective, who “work through a mutual aid structure to provide direct support to civilian-led collectives tirelessly working on the ground in Sudan.”
I’m so honoured to be delivering the next workshop inshallah - on Monday! If you’re around, please come check it out (recording will also be available for those who buy tickets if you can’t make the live event).
Workshop Title: Sudan Through Story: The Power of Sudanese Art and Keeping Culture Alive.
Storytelling has a important role in the making of Sudanese identity and history. Join us to learn about Sudanese stories and Sudanese storytellers.
From the Kingdom of Kush to Tayib Saleh, from poet Obeid Abdul Nur to rapper Dafencii, this session is about deepening your understanding of Sudanese people through the nation's bountiful art and culture. Yassmin Abdel-Magied will be sharing the unique ways in which Sudanese stories are told, the myths and characters that have shaped society, the challenges faced by storytellers and the power of narrative in creating possibility, in the past and today.
Date: Monday, June 16th 2025.
Time: 4:30 PM EST
This week I also helped launch the Edinburgh International Book Festival program at the British Library - if you’ve in Edinburgh in August, please come to some of my events inshallah! I’m interviewing some incredible folks, including Melissa Lucashenko, Omar El Akkad, Mike Berners-Lee and many more. Hope to see you there inshallah!
…and I attend the launch of my dear friend Natasha’s debut book, Another World is Possible. My interview with her on this fantastic work will be out hopefully next week, so I will share it with y’all soon!
Now - I’m off to work on my next Emmerdale script (🥳🥳🥳🥳). The Yorkshire Dales await! Do let me know your thoughts on chosen family… or whether I might see you in Edinburgh in August inshallah!
See you next week (iA!)
Yx
Aha, I'm the opposite about moving - moved around heaps as a kid, and now as an adult, I want to stay in one spot. Been in my current place for five years and it's the longest I've been on one place for almost 30 years.
Just opened the article about Starlink and added Another World is Possible to my wishlist - thanks for the shout outs!