Zaynab Zubair, or Zee, grew up in the foothills of Kandy in Sri Lanka, which prepared her for life in Devon, by way of Bahrain and Australia.
This global childhood has left its mark on Zee's life and it has found its way into her relationship, her family, the book she's writing, and Baobab, the brand she's launching with her Gambian husband.
I talked to Zee about her soon-to-be-published novel, Finding Serendipity, which was started during lockdown. The novel began to take shape once Zee had met her husband. The Sri Lankan and West African voices are an integral part of the novel, and we view this through the eyes of the main protagonists.
Zee uses food, in particular, jollof rice and biryani, to help her characters explore their culture and identity as people growing up far from their homeland. This draws from Zee’s own life experiences. The fusion of Sri Lankan and West African cultures and identities continues to leave its mark on Zee's life.
We talk about Zee's dual heritage relationship and family, and how, by fusing their cultures, Zee and her husband launched Baobab, which expresses Sri Lankan and West African culture through food, fashion, events, and wellness.
Because I recorded this episode in the evening, and even though I told everyone to be quiet, my son gets a little overexcited during his PlayStation gaming session - apologies for that!
Go grab your cuppa, and settle in as I chat to Zee.
00:00 Welcome and Introduction
00:47 Childhood and Cultural Identity
05:26 Writing 'Finding Serendipity'
08:18 Food and Cultural Fusion
11:46 Sri Lankan Literature Recommendations
16:52 Pilgrimage to The Gambia and Sri Lanka
21:52 Exploring the Ga Literary Festival
24:03 The Fusion Brand: Boabab
24:28 The Mission of Boabab
28:11 The Supper Club Experience
30:14 Perfect Dinner Party Menu
33:51 Favourite Sri Lankan and West African Restaurants and Future Plans
Zee’s restaurant picks
Sri Lankan restaurants
West African Restaurants
Zee’s guide to getting started with Sri Lankan literature
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