Chimene Suleyman: On the Importance of Having a Supportive Team

Chimene Suleyman is a poet and writer of Turkish Cypriot descent who lives in London. She has written on the politics of race and immigration for the Guardian, the Independent, the BBC, NPR, and Sky News. She is the co-editor of The Good Immigrant USA. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram.

Chimene Suleyman

In this interview, Chimene discusses the process of writing her new memoir, The Chain, her hope for readers, and more!

Name: Chimene Suleyman
Literary agent: Aitken Alexander Associates (Lisa Baker is my agent)
Book title: The Chain
Publisher: Harper Collins (U.S.)
Release date: April 30, 2024
Genre/category: Memoir, nonFiction
Previous titles: The Good Immigrant USA (anthology, co-editor)
Elevator pitch: A memoir about one man’s betrayal of many women who united to help each other, and confront him and the society that enabled and protected him.

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What prompted you to write this book?

It was a mixture of needing to understand better and deconstruct what had happened to me, as well as realizing I was far from being alone in my experience of abusive men, even in such an extreme dynamic. There was so much to say when it became apparent to me that too many women can relate.

How long did it take to go from idea to publication? And did the idea change during the process?

It took seven years, but many of those (like during the pandemic) I didn’t even open the document to look at it. I would have a few months of intense writing, then step away sometimes for two years at a time.

Originally, I had planned to write a long-form article. But the more I wrote, the bigger I realized the project was. I wanted to explore the world around us that had allowed me to be in an abusive and deceitful relationship, and hope others in a similar situation would find a healing process, too.

Were there any surprises or learning moments in the publishing process for this title?

I didn’t realize just how necessary it is to have an editor who really understands not only your work, but you, too. There are points in the process where life gets in the way, and you need a team around you who can bring the best out of you as a person, not only the work.

Were there any surprises in the writing process for this book?

I think, given the subject matter, I always knew it was going to be emotionally hard and sometimes take its toll on me. So, if anything what surprised me was how enjoyable writing it was at certain points too.

What do you hope readers will get out of your book?

As corny as it sounds, I hope the people who need peace and answers from surviving their own abusive partners, find it somewhere in the book. I hope women who are in dynamics that are toxic and unhealthy with men find the strength to leave and be safe. And I hope the women who have blamed and questioned themselves, realize it was never about them at all.

If you could share one piece of advice with other writers, what would it be?

Find a couple of writers (or other good friends who get it) who make sure you don’t give up when you think you really want to. Send each other your work, your concerns, your pains, your frustrations, and your joys, and just keep each other going. 

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