After your last memoir, what pushed you to write Finding My Way?
Nobel Laureate Malala Yousafzai (Courtesy the publisher)
When the world learned my name, I was in a coma, completely unable to speak for myself. Other people defined me and a lot of times they got it wrong.
This book is my reintroduction — not a symbol or someone to be idolized, but as myself — a young woman still figuring things out.
After receiving the Nobel Peace Prize at such a young age, in hindsight what would you say were the positive and negative implications in your life?
Most of the people who receive honours like this have spent their whole lives dedicated to their work, whether that’s medical research, literature or efforts to resolve major conflicts. For me, there was no roadmap. It felt like I had to spend the rest of my life proving I was worthy of the honours and titles people gave me. Personally, that was a lot of pressure.
But it also built a lot of awareness about the fact that millions of girls are still out of school around the world. And, to the extent that my life can be used to bring progress for other girls and women, I’m grateful for it.
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What was the most vulnerable chapter of your life that you revealed in your book, despite initial hesitation, and what encouraged you to share it with others?
One of the biggest inspirations for writing this book was knowing there might be someone out there going through what I went through, specifically struggling with their mental health — feeling lonely, anxious and unsure of where they belong in the world.
Those feelings can be so isolating, so overwhelming. And yet, they’re also so universal. That’s why I wanted to share the real details of my own journey — the awkwardness, the struggles, the doubts, the small moments of hope because I know how much it would have meant to me back then to hear that someone else had felt the same way. To know these things aren’t flaws or weaknesses, but part of being human.
How did your stance on marriage shift, and why, after you once suggested that being in a partnership was enough without marrying?
I still believe marriage is an institution that we should be cautious about, as it has so often been used to disempower women and keep them from pursuing their dreams. I do not regret taking my time to decide to get married, and I’m happy that I found a husband who supports my work and treats our marriage like an equal partnership.
In today’s world, where peace often feels elusive amid the genocide in Palestine, Sudan, and other regions facing grave challenges, what message would you share with the younger generation to inspire the pursuit of a just and peaceful future?
I think it’s understandable when people feel discouraged and hopeless about all the injustice and violence in the world, particularly in Afghanistan, Palestine and Sudan. As someone who lived through armed conflict and saw horrible violence as a child, I would tell people not to look away or to give up hope that things will change. It’s awful to feel like you’ve been abandoned and that no one cares about the suffering you’re experiencing. So, we must keep raising awareness and advocating for peace.
Since readers from many generations look up to you, what message do you want them to take away from your book?
I want people to know that it’s okay to not have all the answers. Ask for help when you need it, whether that’s at home, in school or college, or with your mental health. There’s no shame in telling people that you’re struggling or feeling lost in life. We are always changing and growing, and this book aims to show that there’s a lot of beauty and hope even in our darkest times.
Chittajit Mitra (he/him) is a queer writer, translator and editor from Allahabad. He is co-founder of RAQS, an organisation working on gender, sexuality and mental health
