What’s the last book you read? Would you recommend it?
The Finest Hotel in Kabul by Lyse Doucet. I would recommend it to everyone, regardless of how much you think you might know about the region. It tells the story of Afghanistan’s turmoil over the decades through the lives of those who work at the Inter-Continental Hotel in Kabul. The country’s trauma is brought to life by the people behind the politics, and all so beautifully told.
What’s a book that every child should read?
I’m a very proud girl dad, so I’m probably a little biased, but I think Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls is a must-read. Particularly at a time when we lack role models. I know my daughters were inspired by the stories of Rosa Parks, Marie Curie and Frida Kahlo, and they also took inspiration from more recent figures such as Malala, Simone Biles and Ashley Fiolek.
Do you follow any sports?
I am a lifelong Celtic fan (let’s not mention current form, please). I sadly hung up my football boots, so haven’t played five-a-side in a long time. I recently dusted off the badminton racket and even played a few matches in a local league. I can also confirm I have jumped on the pickleball craze—and am loving it!
Which podcasts can’t you live without?
If I were stuck on a desert island and could only listen to one podcast to keep me going, it would be Empire with William Dalrymple and Anita Anand. The chemistry between the two hosts is incredibly entertaining, and I learn so much with every episode.
The subtitle of your new book, Under Fire, speaks of “the cost of leadership”. What did those four weeks in autumn 2023, with your in-laws trapped in Gaza, teach you about that cost?
That leadership is often defined by how you deal with issues outside of your control—whether that is a global pandemic or your wife’s parents being trapped in the midst of a genocide. The cost is that you have to accept you are not always in control.
In Under Fire, you credit work such as The Voice of Hind Rajab and the Netflix series Mo with humanising Palestinians for western audiences. Can culture succeed where politics has failed?
Absolutely. Culture is often political. It puts a human face on an issue and tells a story in a way that can be far more powerful than politicians simply talking in statistics, data and policy jargon. Culture is often called “soft power”, but I think that diminishes the significant impact it can have.
You argue that vulnerability in leaders is a strength, not a weakness, especially in an age of “strongmen”. Do you see much of it in politics today?
No. And “strongmen” is a misnomer, as it glorifies the type of leadership that I think has been so corrosive over the years. People feel so disconnected from their politicians and leaders, partly because they don’t think they care. Showing empathy and humanity could go a long way to bridging that disconnect.
Suggest an alternative national anthem.
I love “Flower of Scotland” as Scotland’s anthem, but if I had to choose an alternative, I’d go with “Caledonia” by Dougie MacLean. It captures something deeply emotional about Scotland, its landscape, identity and sense of belonging.
What series are you bingeing at the moment?
The Gentlemen on Netflix. The penultimate episode had me absolutely gripped—one of the best hours of television I have seen in a long time.
Who should be the next James Bond?
After Riz Ahmed’s very entertaining show Bait, I think he should be given a shot. But if not him, then I would go with Theo James, having just watched his extraordinary performance in The Gentlemen. Sorry to all Idris Elba fans out there.
If you could only enjoy one country’s cultural output for the rest of your life, which would it be?
Scotland, obviously. Music from Lewis Capaldi, Burns’s poetry, Walter Scott’s novels and an Arbroath smokie, all washed down with a cold Irn-Bru from a glass bottle—bliss!
Humza Yousaf’s “Under Fire: My Family’s Escape from Gaza and The Cost of Leadership” (Bridge Street Press) is out now
