Looking for Middle Eastern/Maghreb girls....The Ruby Sandal WANTS YOU!

The Ruby Sandal is looking for women from the Middle East and the Maghreb who would be interested in contributing to an anthology of original works that fit into the following theme:

"Female empowerment doesn't begin in the boardroom; it begins in the bedroom."

I promised I would help spread the word, so please pass it on....THANK YOU! (:

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Dear Ms. Myrtus,

I am writing to invite you to contribute to The Ruby Sandal, an anthology of original essays, monologues and poetry on modern femininity in the Middle East. The collection is a rich and complex portrait of the realities of Arab women and culture, with a special section on Arab women living in the West.

The Ruby Sandal draws upon candid interviews and original contributions from women with unique personal histories, anecdotes and observations on the themes of love, marriage, dual identity / citizenship, interracial relationships, motherhood, feminism, gender violence, and sexuality in the modern Arab world. With so many government-backed, ineffectual campaigns calling for the "empowerment" of Arab women, my intent is to demonstrate that female empowerment doesn't begin in the boardroom; it begins in the bedroom, and in every woman's psyche; that while many Arab women already enjoy economic and academic empowerment, they are yet to channel this power into the spiritual, artistic, and sexual expression that will ultimately feminize the region.

I would be grateful if you would forward this information to other women writers of Middle Eastern descent in your network, who may also wish to contribute to The Ruby Sandal  with an original essay or poetry submission, or who might agree to be interviewed (anonymously, if preferred) by email or telephone on their experiences for the book.

Submission and interview guidelines are detailed on http://therubysandal.blogspot.com/. Please do not hesitate to contact me at rubysandal@gmail.com should you require any further information. I look forward to hearing from you and very much hope to include you as an invaluable Contributor to The Ruby Sandal.

My warmest regards,

Louise Wayham

rubysandal@gmail.com

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Hi Najia,

Thank you for such a prompt response! I would absolutely include North Africa; I refer to 'Middle East' throughout this project as - like you said - the majority of people outside of the region don't realize that Egypt, Morocco, Sudan, Libya Tunisia and Algeria are geopolitical territories of North Africa and yet I am certainly including all of these countries in my outreach.

Please do not hesitate to contact me should you require any additional information; thank you for your support.

My warmest regards,

Louise