In this new episode, I talk to Saleem Haddad about his novel Floodlines (2026), which came out yesterday, Feb 12.

Saleem Haddad was born to an Iraqi-German mother and a Palestinian-Lebanese father. His writing spans novels, short stories, essays, and film and television. His debut novel, Guapa (2016), won the Polari Prize and was awarded a Stonewall Honour. His second novel, Floodlines, is published by Europa Editions.

Episode references:

• Matthew Salesses, Craft in the Real World
• Stephen King, On Writing
• Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird 
• Clarice Lispector

Saleem's Book recs:

• Fernando Pessoa (trans. Richard Zenith), The Book of Disquiet
• Yasmin Zaher, The Coin
• Maya Abu Al-Hayyat (trans. Hazem Jamjoum), No One Knows Their Blood Type

Find Saleem on Instagram and at his website.

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Produced, hosted, and edited by Chris Lloyd.