Fictional narratives and the migrant experience: Exploring migration experience in Italy through the voices of Somali women writers

This thesis analyses fictional works of Somali migrant women in Italy through postcolonial and poststructuralist feminist lenses. The analysed texts are Far From Mogadishu (1994) by Shirin Ramzanali Fazel, Little Mother (2011) by Cristina Ali Farah, and Adua (2015) by Igiaba Scego. The thesis aims to uncover the ways fiction reflects the experiences of immigrants and discuss the implications of migration policies in the fictional works. It draws on the theoretical and conceptual insights of the fields of Migration Studies, Political Science, International Relations, and Literature. This interdisciplinary approach provides a platform for engaging with the complexities of migration and the multifaceted identities it engenders. The analysed narratives, which are based on historical and political events, promote a more in-depth comprehension of the migrant experience. They also act as advocates for a more individualistic perspective within the field of Migration Studies alongside broader structural analysis. This research contributes to the literature on migration, gender, and postcolonialism while emphasizing how critical it is to give marginalized communities' voices more weight in literary discourse. Keywords: Somalia, Italy, Women Migrant Writers, Postcolonialism, Poststructuralist Feminism