Venus Shells by Etta Dia

This is a searing collection of poems that are brilliantly tender, Dia is beautiful in telling stories where the truth creeps up on you in a quiet and powerful way. Venus Shells has in an honest and magical way mapped my journey of motherhood in a visceral, heart-breaking, and poignant new light. I would recommend this to all mothers, to find comfort and a sense of hope, in even the most exhausting and darkest moments. - Shagufta K. Iqbal

Venus Shells is collection of poems about individual identity within a predominately Muslim community. This wonderful debut follows family, relationships and a melding of cultural ideas, mixed with rich myth and tales told in Arabic and Indonesian.
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Etta Dia (Nadiia Malik) was born and raised in south east London to a mixed Muslim, English/French/Indonesian family. As a child she studied ballet and went on to practice fine art at university. Her professions have included librarian assistant, lifeguard, life model, pole dancer, cook and Ambulance call taker. Nadia is a single mother who writes candidly about trauma; its effects and the healing process. In her writing she discusses motherhood, sexuality, femininity, otherness, religion, heritage and the connection between people and their natural environment.