Nobel Laureate Nadia Murad Announces New Memoir and Exclusive Cover Reveal

Nobel Peace Prize winner Nadia Murad reveals the cover for her second memoir, I Choose My Beginning, a powerful look at her life as an activist and student.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 3, 2026, 10:27 AM EST

Source: People

A New Narrative of Reclamation and Joy

In an exclusive reveal with People, Nadia Murad introduced the world to I Choose My Beginning, a memoir that shifts the lens from her past trauma to her present reclamation of life. Published by S&S/Summit Books and co-written with Jenna Krajeski, the work is described as a lyrical exploration of what it means to build a future after surviving genocide. The cover features a serene, focused portrait of Murad, signaling a departure from the "victim" narrative that often defines survivors in the public eye. Murad noted that the book aims to show that survival is not just an ending, but a foundation for a new, self-determined start.

The Evolution of a Global Human Rights Icon

The 2026 memoir provides a strategic look at the "two selves" Murad has inhabited since winning the Nobel Peace Prize in 2018. While the world knows her as a fierce advocate for the Yazidi people and a champion against sexual violence in conflict, the book explores her private life as a student, a wife, and a friend. TRANSFORMATIVE ANALYSIS: This dual-perspective approach reflects a growing trend in memoir writing where public figures humanize their "hero" personas to connect more deeply with a younger, socially conscious generation that values vulnerability as much as strength.

Key Collaborators and the Feminist Influence

I Choose My Beginning features a foreword by legendary feminist Gloria Steinem and continues Murad's long-standing partnership with human rights lawyer Amal Clooney, who is prominently mentioned in the text. The narrative takes readers inside international courtrooms and high-level diplomatic meetings, but also into the quiet moments of Murad’s education—including attending classes via Zoom. By including these "ordinary" details, Murad highlights the universal right to an education and a peaceful life, which were nearly stripped from her during the 2014 ISIS attacks on her village of Kocho.