The Possibility in Story: Shugri Said Salh

Shugri Salh

My guest this week is Shugri Said Salh, the author of the beautiful memoir, The Last Nomad, Coming of Age in the Somali Desert and the passage comes from a novel she’s currently working on.

Shugri’s is the story of a woman who grew up in a culture very different from our own. A “spare daughter” she was sent to live with her nomadic grandmother in the desert at the age of 6. She tells the story of chasing warthogs, standing on termite mounds and listening for the sounds of predators in the distance as she watched over her herd of goats.

In the evening, when the work was done, they gathered around the fire and it was here that Shugri learned the power of storytelling. That extraordinary vehicle for sharing histories, imparting wisdom and making the wide world, just a little bit smaller.

We talk about the importance of noticing, of living in curiosity and the possibility of story to bring people together. About the generosity of the Somali people, and opportunity through the language of storytelling, to capture the beauty, that exists all around us. As Shugri says, we can not all walk in another’s shoes, but we can certainly learn from them by hearing their story and have compassion. At the end of the day, stories have a way of reminding us of our shared humanity. 

Shugri Said Salh was born in the Somali desert. In 1992, she emigrated to North America after civil war broke out in her home country. She attended nursing school at Pacific Union College and graduated with honors. Although this is her first book, Salh has been storytelling since she could talk. From her grandmother and the nomadic community in which she was raised, she heard stories and learned of their power to entertain, teach, and transform. When she isn’t writing or telling stories, she works as an infusion nurse. Salh lives in Southern California with her husband and three children.

You can listen to Shugri’s episode here.

Shugri's book, The Last Nomad, is available from bookstores and online booksellers.
Her website is https://www.shugrisalh.com.

To learn more about Robert Maggio, the composer of our theme music, please check out his website.

To learn more about the inspiration for this podcast, please check out Suzanne's memoir,  Estrellas - Moments of Illumination Along El Camino de Santiago. 

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