Identity and literature of migrant women

The writer Meryem El Mehdati and Fatima Zibouh, PhD in Political Science, will discuss literature, identity and migration. A discussion on the search for identity through literature and culture in societies shaped by emigration, and how these engage with diversity and inclusion. MERYEM EL MEHDATI Meryem El Mehdati (Rabat, 1991) is a Spanish writer and columnist. The daughter of immigrants, she was born in Morocco and moved to Spain when she was one year old, settling in Puerto Rico, in Mogán (Gran Canaria). She has worked as a private tutor, shop assistant, nanny and assistant director. She made her literary debut in the world of fan fiction. In 2022, she published her first novel, 'Supersaurio', with Blackie Books. The book was a finalist for the Mandarache Awards in Cartagena and was adapted into a musical in 2025. As well as her fiction, she writes opinion pieces for local newspapers. She has contributed to magazines such as Igluu Magazine, Radical and the SModa newsletter. She has also contributed to El Gran Libro de Satán and writes a weekly column for the newspaper La Provincia de Las Palmas. She currently leads a quiet life. Without a doubt, that is what she seeks above all else: to be left in peace. FATIMA ZIBOUH Fatima Zibouh holds a PhD in Political and Social Sciences, is a lecturer and a leader who has received numerous awards. She has been actively involved in Brussels’ civil society for 25 years and is an expert on issues relating to culture, diversity and inclusion. Fatima Zibouh holds a PhD in Political and Social Sciences. She has a degree in Political Science (ULB) and a specialised Master’s degree in Human Rights (UCL/Saint-Louis), and worked for 10 years as a researcher at the Centre for Studies on Ethnicity and Migration (ULg) and at the Institute for European Studies (ULB). Her doctoral thesis focuses on the cultural and artistic expressions of Belgian-Moroccans. Among other works, she has published 'Culture, Ethnicity and Politics: Artistic Expression of Ethnocultural Minorities' (Presses Universitaires de Liège, 2015) and 'City, Culture and Diversity' (VUB Press, 2018). More recently, she has co-authored three books: 'Grandmothers in the Spotlight' (Maëlstrom, 2024); 'I Have Two Loves' (CCME, 2025); and 'Belgica Biladi: A Belgian-Moroccan Story' (Free University of Brussels Press, 2025). She has given hundreds of lectures on urban, social, economic, and cultural issues related to diversity and inclusion. In addition, Fatima has been involved with Brussels’ civil society as a social entrepreneur for more than 25 years. Since February 2023, Fatima Zibouh has been appointed by the Brussels government as co-leader of the initiative to make Molenbeek-Brussels the European Capital of Culture in 2030. In January 2025, she was named “Brussels Leader of the Year” by the Lobby Awards.