Picture an American storyteller who turned life’s toughest interruptions into a beacon of hope—meet Suleika Jaouad! Born in 1988, this Emmy Award-winning writer, advocate, and creator of The Isolation Journals captured hearts with her searing memoir, Between Two Kingdoms. Diagnosed with leukemia at 22, Jaouad transformed her journey into stories that resonate with resilience, reminding us to find beauty in life’s challenges.
With a knack for blending raw honesty with lyrical prose, Jaouad’s work spans journalism, memoirs, and community-building projects. Her voice, shaped by her Tunisian-Swiss heritage and global travels, invites readers to navigate the spaces between illness and wellness, isolation and connection. Ready to dive into her world? Let’s explore!
The Making of Suleika Jaouad
Born in New York City to a Tunisian father and Swiss mother, Suleika Jaouad grew up in a vibrant, multicultural household. Her father, a French professor, and her mother, an artist, nurtured her curiosity. As a child, she studied double bass at Juilliard’s pre-college program, but her heart leaned toward storytelling. At Princeton, she majored in Near Eastern Studies, minoring in French and Gender Studies, and worked on human rights campaigns in Morocco, Tunisia, and Egypt. Dreaming of becoming a foreign correspondent, she moved to Paris after graduation—only to face a life-altering leukemia diagnosis at 22.
Suleika Jaouad’s Unforgettable Stories
Jaouad’s writing is a tapestry of vulnerability and strength, weaving personal struggle with universal truths. Her breakout work, the New York Times column Life, Interrupted, chronicled her cancer journey with unflinching honesty, earning an Emmy Award. Written from her hospital bed, it resonated with readers worldwide, offering a raw glimpse into life with chronic illness.
Her 2021 memoir, Between Two Kingdoms, is a New York Times bestseller that traces her path from diagnosis to remission and a 15,000-mile road trip across the U.S. Critics praised its lyrical depth and hopeful spirit, with Publishers Weekly calling it “a stunning memoir, well-crafted and hard to put down.” In 2025, Jaouad released The Book of Alchemy, a guide to journaling that blends creativity and reflection, featuring contributions from luminaries like Elizabeth Gilbert and Jon Batiste, her husband. Her Isolation Journals, launched during the COVID-19 pandemic, fosters global creativity through weekly writing prompts, reaching over 100,000 people.
Jaouad’s style is intimate yet expansive, blending memoir with journalism to explore themes of resilience, identity, and community. Whether she’s writing for Vogue, The Atlantic, or her Substack newsletter, her words invite readers to transform adversity into art.
Why Suleika Jaouad Matters
Suleika Jaouad’s impact transcends literature. As a cancer survivor and advocate, she’s served on Barack Obama’s Presidential Cancer Panel and spoken at TED, the United Nations, and beyond, inspiring those navigating illness or hardship. Her Isolation Journals has built a global community, proving creativity can heal. By sharing her story, Jaouad bridges the divide between sick and well, reminding us that life’s interruptions can spark profound growth.
Her work resonates because it’s universal—who hasn’t faced a moment when life veers off course? Jaouad’s ability to find meaning in those moments makes her a vital voice in memoir and wellness, encouraging readers to embrace their own stories.
- Born: July 5, 1988, New York City
- Key Works: Life, Interrupted, Between Two Kingdoms, The Book of Alchemy
- Awards: News & Documentary Emmy, Estelle Frank Fellowship
- Fun Fact: She travels with her rescue dog, Oscar, in a 1972 Volkswagen camper van!
Snag Between Two Kingdoms or join The Isolation Journals to dive into Suleika Jaouad’s inspiring world of resilience and creativity!