For the sixteenth episode of The Quarantine Hotline we talk to Mo. Mesrati, who is from Libya but currently lives in Manchester, UK.

Some of the topics discussed were second language writing, letting go of the mother tongue in order to make sense of the present, the dreaded question “where are you from?” in times of intolerance, and creating one’s own club when the existing clubs don’t want you as a member, or aren’t fit for purpose.

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Mo Mesrati is a Manchester-based Libyan writer and editor of Akhir Qissa, a new literary blog with the mission of publishing Arabic-language writing. Twitter: @mo_mesrati.

Fernando Sdrigotti is one of the members of the Minor Literature[s] cargo cult. His latest book is JOLTS. Twitter: @f_sd

Music: opening credits, Aerosilla, Charlie Egg; interval song, Abacus 700, Andrés Mantello; closing tune, Uptap, Klezmer Karoake Kit. All songs licensed under Creative Commons and available from PXVA 2020, a compilation of music from Rosario, Argentina, by arts collective and label Planeta X.