Little girls dream of being princesses. I, for one, was all about She-Ra, Princess of Power. And grown women seem to retain this childhood fantasy. Just look at the pomp and circumstance surrounding the royal wedding and endless conversation about Princess Kate. So when my dear friend, Misan Harriman, introduced me to Princess Alia Al Senussi, I had a bit of a “pinch-myself-I’m-emailing-with-a-princess” moment. The Al Senussi family was exiled from Libya when Gaddhafi seized the throne in a coup d’état. But that hasn’t stopped Alia from flexing her respective royal muscle. Alia is on the Board of Trustees for Global Heritage Fund, where she concentrates on their activities in Libya.
So yeah, she’s cool.
She graduated from Brown in 2003 with a double major in International Relations & Middle East Studies. She also has her MSc in Law, Anthropology & Science from the London School of Economics, and is working on her PhD in Middle Eastern Politics.
So yeah, she’s smart.
As VIP Relations for Art Basel, the world’s premier international art show for modern and contemporary works, she actively promotes Middle Eastern art on a global level. Shifting preconceived notions, and advancing the understanding of some lesser known works is all part of the day job for this incredible woman of the world. It is my pleasure to find out what gets this Princess ticking in her TIG Talk.
- My nickname is: Alia, and some friends dip in and out of calling me Senuss, which I HATE!
- The first thing I do when I wake up is: Check my emails, boring but that little red flashing light kills me, then the New York Times, all in bed on my phone.
- I can’t live without: My Blackberry–yes, yes, I know I should join my generation and embrace iPhone and Samsung, but I just love the keyboard on a Blackberry.
- If I had one week to escape: Go to a quiet island and just swim, sun and relax.
- If I only had $10 in my pocket: I would buy a Starbucks soy latte, iced or hot depending on the season.
- Everything tastes better with: A little BUTTER (thanks to my Minnesotan grandmother’s lifelong instruction).