PODCAST: Loubna Haikal on Heritage, Immigration and the Power of Cooking

PODCAST: Loubna Haikal on Heritage, Immigration and the Power of Cooking

Loubna Haikal talks to Cheryl about their Lebanese heritage, displacement, immigration and the quiet beauty of cooking with others. She also reflects on the collaborative process behind Don’t Ask the Trees for Their Names, the powerful collection she edited and co-wrote with eight other Arab women. The book is out now.

About the Author

Loubna is a Sydney-based writer. Her first novel, Seducing Mr Maclean, was published by Picador in 2002. After completing her medical degree at Melbourne University, Loubna worked in general practice for ten years. She studied ballet for several years at the Victorian Ballet School and has directed and acted in many plays, including a Lebanese Folkloric Ballet, which she wrote and directed for the Melbourne Arts Festival.

Publisher details

Don’t Ask the Trees for Their Names
Authors
Loubna Haikal, Oula Ghannoum
Publisher
Gazebo Books
Genre
Non Fiction
Released
01 October, 2025
ISBN
9781763600966

Synopsis

In this richly woven tapestry of stories, nine Arab women share their deeply personal journeys of migration to Australia, each reflecting on the legacies of their homelands and the complexities of forging new lives.

In their own voices, they explore the challenges of adaptation, the resilience born from adversity, moments of joy, and the enduring ties to their heritage.

With unique perspectives, they examine Australian culture while confronting some of the world’s most pressing political injustices through the lens of lived experience.

Loubna Haikal
About the author

Loubna Haikal

Loubna Haikal was born in Beirut, Lebanon, and migrated to Australia as a teenager. A trained medical doctor, she worked as a GP before turning to writing. She is the author of Seducing Mr. Maclean (Picador, 2002), along with several short stories and plays. A mother of three sons and a grandmother, Loubna lives on the land of the Gadigal people in Merro-berah.

Books by Loubna Haikal

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