Flemish-Moroccan journalist and television presenter Nadia Dala published her first novel in 2008. Her Radio Books story is about a young woman faced with a difficult decision. Must she compromise her beliefs to be with the man she loves?

Nadia Dala - 'The Angel'

Nadia Dala was born in Antwerp to a Flemish mother and a Moroccan father. She studied Arabic language and literature at Catholic University Leuven. After her studies she received a grant to travel to Cairo where she spent a year as an intern for the English-language newspaper The Middle East Times.

Upon her return to Belgium, she worked for numerous Flemish periodicals. Dala has written two non-fiction books. The first was about the crisis in Algeria and in 2005 she published ‘Als sluiers vallen’ (When veils fall) in which ten Muslim women talk about why they may or may not choose to wear headscarves.

Beliefs and feelings

Dala has also presented several programs for Flemish television including Moslimas in which she interviewed a variety of Muslim women about their beliefs and their feelings about September 11th, as well as subjects such as sexuality and integration.

In 2008 Nada published her first novel, an unusual story of the love between a mother and daughter, provocatively titled ‘Waarom ik mijn moeder de hals doorsneed’ (Why I slit my mother’s throat). Her Radio Books story contains some of the conflicting dualities with which the writer has grappled in her own life.

“She had long ago realised that she belonged nowhere. And that hurt her. But still she didn't want to convert. Because living as a stranger in your own skin is a thousand times worse than being cast out by everyone around you. And the choice seemed to her terribly unfair: Either you can live like a stowaway with him. Or you can stay alone by yourself. Because neither the Belgians nor the Moroccans liked her. She was stuck.”

‘The Angel’ by Nadia Dala was translated by Michael O’Loughlin. The story is read by Jacky Spears.

The series Radio Books is an initiative of the Flemish-Dutch Huis de Buren in Brussels, in association with the Flemish radio broadcaster Klara and Radio Netherlands Worldwide.