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Outlook: Hostage, part 1: A spider, starvation and solitude in the desert

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Edith and Luca travelling in Africa before they were taken hostage

15/11/2021 GMT

Hostage, part 1: A spider, starvation and solitude in the desert

BBC World Service - Outlook, Hostage, part 1: A spider, starvation and solitude in the desert

Edith Blais was kidnapped by al-Qaeda and held captive in the Sahara for 450 days

When Canadian Edith Blais was held hostage, she endured periods of intense isolation. To keep sane, she would sing Disney songs to hear her own voice and befriended a spider.

While travelling through West Africa in 2018, Canadian Edith Blais and her companion Luca Tacchetto were kidnapped by al-Qaeda. They were taken to the desert in a lawless area of Mali where they were, initially, held together for some months. But then they were separated, and Edith found herself alone for long periods of time. As well as suffering physically with dehydration and starvation, she had to find different techniques to keep her mind strong and stay sane. A borrowed pen enabled her to write poetry, she sang songs to remind herself of her own voice, and a very special relationship with a spider helped ease her loneliness. She has written a book about her time in captivity called The Weight of Sand. 

Part two will be available in the next edition of Outlook, or click on the link below to listen to the whole interview as a podcast.

Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com

Presenter: Jo Fidgen 
Producer: Katy Takatsuki

(Photo: Edith and Luca travelling in Africa before they were taken hostage. Credit: Edith Blais)

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