The Scope of Permissibility Launch with Zeynab Gamieldien

How do you balance desire, ambition and expectations?

A stunning debut novel that follows the intertwined lives of three friends as they navigate the complexities of university life, adherence to their faith, and the transition into adulthood.

Bound together by their shared beliefs and alienation from wider Australian society, Sara, Abida and Naeem are drawn to their university’s Muslim Students’ Association. Within its walls, Sara and Naeem begin a covert relationship, while Abida campaigns for the group’s presidency. But Abida’s ambitions for leadership threatens both her longstanding friendship with Sara and the increasingly fragile relationship between Sara and Naeem.

As tensions rise and loyalties falter, the three must balance the demands of love, faith and ambition, with each decision they make having the potential to change their lives forever.

Told through three distinct perspectives, The Scope of Permissibility is a poignant coming-of-age tale that captures the push and pull of expectation and autonomy.

Zeynab Gamieldien is the inaugural winner of the 2022 WestWords–Ultimo Prize. She has written for publications such as Mamamia, the Sydney Morning Herald’s Daily Life section and the Australian Muslim Times on issues of race, relationships and religion. The Scope of Permissibility is her debut novel. Her work has previously been longlisted in The Borough Press BAME Open Submissions competition.

Mostafa Rachwani is a reporter with The Guardian Australia who has previously worked in Qatar and Turkey.