Laila Lalami: Arab American Heritage Month, Recognizing Immigrants and Refugees

Laila Lalami was born in 1968 in Rabat, Morocco, to a family of devoted readers. From an early age, Laila’s parents emphasized the importance of education and reading, encouraging her to read everything from sci-fi and thrillers to memoirs and nonfiction.

Lalami earned a License ès Lettres in English from Université Mohammed-V, an undergraduate degree equivalent to a Bachelor’s degree in the United States. Following her undergraduate work, she earned a Master of Arts in Linguistics from University College London and a Ph.D. in Linguistics from the University of Southern California.

Lalami launched her career as an author with her first book, Hope and Other Dangerous Pursuits, which documents the journey of Moroccan immigrants who cross the Mediterranean in a lifeboat. It was widely lauded in the literature world and was named a finalist for both the Oregon Book Award and the John Gardner Fiction Prize. Following the book’s success, the author published the novels Secret Son and The Moor’s Account, a Pulitzer Prize finalist. Both novels framed the anecdotes of Moroccan individuals and their journeys through different historical timelines. Her most recent novel, The Other Americans, a riveting murder mystery, depicts a Moroccan immigrant, family secrets, and associated small-town politics. The novel was critically acclaimed, earning national bestseller status and a best-of-the-year selection by NPR as well as recognition by Time, the Washington Post, and Variety. It was also named a finalist for the Kirkus Prize and the 2019 National Book Award in Fiction.

Lalami became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2000, while commenting that she initially never expected to become an immigrant or to write in English. Her own immigration experiences shaped her writing and the stories she tells, focusing on themes of home and, in her words, “people who don’t quite fit in anywhere.”

Despite her great success, Laila Lalami is still committed to her work in education. She currently serves as a professor of Creative Writing at the University of California, Riverside, and teaches seminars and workshops in both fiction and nonfiction. Laila was also the recipient of the prestigious Guggenheim Fellowship and was selected as a Young Global Leader at the 2009 World Economic Forum.