New ways of writing the self or life-writing modes

What is it about?

This book tracks 6 young women who are human rights activists and life writers, 6 young women who have come to prominence over the last decade in their fight for human rights: Malala Yousafzai, Hyeonseo Lee, Yeonmi Park, Bana Alabed, Nujeen Mustafa, and Nadia Murad. In identifying shared features in their activist life-writing discourse, this book opes the door to activists and scholars alike to rethink life writing and the realm of possibilities it presents for advocacy. Herein I develop the idea of life writing as a form of self-construction, whereby victims may reframe their story as that of an empowered survivor.

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Why is it important?

At a time of global crisis and strife, it is important to shed light on how one person can make a difference and a significant impact in policy-making and shaping public views on certain issues. By starting locally, the activists the book focuses on move transnationally into a wider public sphere where human rights understood broadly are at stake. I examine strategic narrative devices typical of testimonial accounts that apply both to online and offline texts.

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