Writing Coercive Control Episode 4: Chimene Suleyman

Coercive control is endemic and therefore it must be cultural. If
1 in 2 women experience coercive control, it’s in our homes in
childhood. How does this affect us? And how do we talk—and
write—about it? This 6-part live-recorded, interactive talk
series will inspire writers and readers to explore literature
about coercive control in wider contexts, including state
control, parent/child relationships, historical control, and
control in industry and workplace. Guest authors Sahar Delijani,
Rowan Hisayo Buchanan, Winnie M Li, Chimene Suleyman, Kim Moore,
and Carla Jenkins, meet with host, author Abigail Tarttelin, to
discuss their experiences writing coercive control.


In this episode, London-based writer and co-editor of THE GOOD
IMMIGRANT USA Chimene Suleyman talks about writing her memoir of
an abusive relationship, THE CHAIN.


In January 2017, Chimene Suleyman was on her way to an abortion
clinc in Queens, New York with her boyfriend, the father of her
nascent child. It was the last day they would spend together. In
an astonishing sequence of events, Chimene was to discover the
truth of her boyfriend's life: that she and many other women had
been subtly, patiently and painfully betrayed in the most
traumatic and sinister of ways.


Exploring how women are duped every day by individuals, Chimene
interrogates how society itself continually allows this to
happen. She demonstrates that, no matter how intelligent,
educated or self-aware a woman might be, over time they can be
played into performing the age-old role of giver and nurturer:
self-sacrificing and subordinate.


Both a devastating personal testimony and a searing indictment of
persistent misogyny, The Chain is a book for any woman who has
questioned her relationship and buried her doubts, for any woman
who can't quite identify the source of her unease and for any
woman who has been sheltered by the fierce protection of her
female friends.


With host, author Abigail Tarttelin, Chimene talks about several
aspects of the book and her work, including socialisation of
women to care for men, normalising of weaponised incompetence,
and how we can save ourselves from coercive control.


Also, host Abigail reads from her own work-in-progress novel,
ORDINARY WOMAN TURNS 30, an autofiction novel about a woman
dealing with the aftermath of coercive control in an intimate
partner relationship as she approaches her 30th birthday.


Follow Chimene on https://Instagram.com/chimenesuleyman 


THE CHAIN is available now to purchase or order through all good
bookstores.


Follow Abigail as she writes her novel on Substack at
abigailtarttelin.Substack.com 


Send your questions and comments for the podcast to Abigail’s
https://Instagram.com/abigailtarttelin_


Abigail’s novels FLICK, DEAD GIRLS, and GOLDEN BOY are available
now to purchase or order through all good bookstores.


This podcast is co-produced by Abigail and Clear Lines Festival.
Clear Lines started in 2015 as the UK's first festival addressing
sexual assault and consent through the arts and discussion. Since
then, their events have continued to promote a survivor-centered
dialogue that emphasizes creativity, community, and artistic
self-expression. You can check out their website with videos of
past events at:


https://clearlines.org.uk/


And sign up to their newsletter to learn about upcoming events
through their network:


https://clearlines.org.uk/contact-us/


They also offer a free downloadable creative writing guide for
survivors of sexual violence and abuse:


https://clearlines.org.uk/our-free-creative-writing-guide-for-survivors-available-here/


This podcast is supported by Arts Council England.


Get full access to Abigail Tarttelin at
www.abigailtarttelin.com/subscribe