Joumana Haddad is angry about the way Arab women are portrayed in the West. In I Killed Scheherazade she challenges prevalent notions of identity and womanhood in the Middle East and speaks of her own intellectual development and the liberating impact of literature on her life. Fiery and candid, this is a provocative exploration of what it means to be an Arab woman today. ‘A vivid assertion of individuality, free speech, free choice and dignity against religious bigotry, prejudice and the herd instinct both within and outside the Arab world, and within and outside Islam’ Guardian ‘A spirited call to Arab women to stand up’ New York Times ‘It takes genius to attain such radical freedom.’ Etel Adnan ‘In this courageous book Joumana Haddad breaks down the taboo of the silent absent Arab woman.’ Elfriede Jelinek ‘A very courageous and illuminating book about women in the Arab world. It opens our eyes, destroys our prejudices and is very entertaining.’ Mario Vargas Llosa ‘Joumana Haddad cannot be intimidated. This book is a lesson of courage for all those who fight to go beyond their own limits and chains.’ Roberto Saviano ‘Literature is often a storm that breaks the rules of decorum and forces us to come face to face with our weaknesses and illusions. Joumana Haddad is a poet who inhabits the storm.’ Tahar Ben Jelloun