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EVENTS
Talk: History and storytelling
08/03/2024: GEMS Wellington Academy, Silicon Oasis, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Once again thanks to Librarian, Premil Subramanian, for inviting me back to speak around World Book Day. This time we had an entire year group of very excited students and lots and lot of highly engaging questions, including who was my favourite football team, which I tried to avoid answering, but alas the students got it out of me. the answer left most cheering and a few grumbling!
Judge: Oxford University Press Story Writing Competition 2024
04/02/2024: Emirates Literature Festival, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
I had an opportunity for the second year running to be a judge on the Oxford University Press Writing competition, for the 18-25 age group. It’s always a pleasure to read the entries, and this year’s entries in the 18-25 age group provided a broad range of settings, characters and plotlines. From stories that centered on inner soul searching, to others which involved fantastical environments, the writing was expansive in its range and provided a wonderful prism into how different writers conceive their work. Writing fiction is a craft and I would encourage all those who entered the competition to keep working on their craft – it’s hard work, but by taking small incremental steps over several years, the craft becomes honed.
Moderating: The Stoy of Us
04/02/2024: Emirates Literature Festival, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
The modern interplay of cultures through art, food, religion and communities has resulted in a world splendid in its diversity but which raises profound questions of identity and belonging. To discuss this question, I had the pleasure to be in conversation with Dr. Martin Puchner, Professor of English and Comparative Literature at Harvard University and a global fellow at Queen Mary University of London. We were speaking ahout his recent book Culture: The Story of Us, from Cave Art to K-Pop which is a global history of the arts and humanities. In addition, I had the opportunity to speak with the delightful Aanchal Malhotra who is an oral historian and writer based in New Delhi. We were speaking about her novel The Book of Everlasting Things, which is a historical fiction romance set around the 1947 Partition of India and Pakistan. And the panel was made up by the energetic Nadir Nahdi, Presenter, filmmaker and producer who has made a name for himself with his captivating video content that articulates the unique experiences of children of the diaspora. Most recently his videos exploring the intersection of food and history take the audience through recipes that are intertwined with culturally significant moments.
Moderating: The Time Travellers Pen
03/02/2024: Emirates Literature Festival, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Wonderful opportunity to speak with Leila Aboulela the first winner of the Caine Prize for African Writing. We were speaking about her sixth novel, River Spirit, which was described by the New York Times as ‘Dazzling… a novel of war, love, faith, womanhood and – crucially – the tussle over truth and public narratives’. As well as Dr. Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai, a multi-award-winning writer in both Vietnamese and English languages, author of twelve books of poetry, fiction and non-fiction. We were speaking about her novel Dust Child. And Dr. Reem Bassiouney who is a professor and head of the Linguistics Department at The American University in Cairo. We were speaking about her novel Al-Qata'i: The Ibn Tulun Trilogy.
Talk: History and storytelling
24/07/2023: Arkana College, Kingsgrove, Sydney, NSW, Australia
Wonderful to visit Sydney as part of a book planning tour. Huge thanks to Peter Gould for making an introduction to the school and conenctign with such a welcoming group of teachers, including Shadia Ghazi and Osman Karolia.
Talk: History and storytelling
02/03/2023: GEMS Wellington Academy, Silicon Oasis, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Thanks to Librarian, Premil Subramanian, for organising my visit to speak with a hughely enthusiastic year group. It was World Book Day and many of the students (as well as teachers) came dressed in their favourite characters.
Talk: History and storytelling
28/02/2023: GEMS Wellington Al Khail, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Thanks to Librarian, Lolita Deang, for organising my visit to speak with the delighteful a few of the year groups at the school. It was a highly enjoyable session with a lot of enthusiastic students.
Talk: History and storytelling
21/02/2023: The English College, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Thanks to Librarian, Jenny Apello, for organising my visit to speak with the delighteful Year 6, Year 7 and Year 8, in the school. They are were keen to ask questions and soon enough we found the time running out for the session.
Moderating: Through the magnifying glass
05/02/2023: Emirates Literature Festival, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
It was great to moderate a session on examining history through a day to day lens of ordinary peoples lives. The panellists I spoke with were: Lucy Worsley OBE, Chief Curator at the charity Historic Royal Palaces and presenter of history documentaries for the BBC. James Fox, Director of Studies in History of Art at Emmanuel College, Cambridge, and a BAFTA-nominated broadcaster and art historian. Ambeth Ocampo, a public historian and independent curator whose research covers the late 19th century Philippines: its art, culture, and people.
Talk: History and storytelling
30/01/2023: Dubai British School, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Thanks to Year 4 reading leader, Laura Yates, for contacting me and organising this visit to speak with her students. It was a large group of students who were thoroughly excited by the material and fitted in nicely to the build up to the Emirates Literature Festival.
Talk: History and storytelling
17/11/2022: Islamia Primary School, London, United Kingdom
Thanks to headteacher Sajid Mahmood and deputy Hussain Shefaar, for hosting me on the day and introducing me to their highly enthusiastic students in their wonderful building. The students asked some excellent questions and it was a delight to speak with the teachers present.
Talk: History and storytelling
16/11/2022: Al Sadiq & Al Zahra School, London, United Kingdom
Thanks to Erum Jaffri for organising this wonderful visit. The teachers and students were very hospitable and the students engaged really well with the material. The cavernous historical site of the school provided plenty of nice talking points.
Masterclass: How to design a novel
15/11/2022: Lady Nafisa School, West Drayton, United Kingdom
Thanks to Aaminah Braich for organising this visit and being such a generous host on the day. The students asked some great questions and engaged well with the material for the masterclass. Despite the torrential rain, the event went well.
Masterclass: How to design a novel
14/11/2022: Azhar Academy , Romford, London, United Kingdom
Thanks to Fateha Begum for initiating the visit and hosting me on the day in their grand building. The questions from the students were well thought-through and it was a pleasure to engage with them on the material.
Masterclass: How to design a novel
11/11/2022: Al-Madani Independent Grammar School , Slough, United Kingdom
Thanks to headteacher Nyron Gonzales for hosting me on the day and also joining the session with the students. It was really nice to talk to the students and also learn about the history projects they were involved with as part of the school curriculum.
Talk: History and storytelling
10/11/2022: Al Khair Prep School, Croydon, United Kingdom
Thanks to Sameera Sacoor, for hosting me on the day and introducing me to such a wonderful group of excited primary school children. I really enjoyed spending time with the various year groups and listening to the fabulous questions they had.
Talk: History and storytelling
09/11/2022: Apex Primary School, Ilford, London, United Kingdom
Thanks to Melanie Hodgson, Assistant Head for inviting me to the school, and Class Teacher Nirene Malik for hosting me on the day with a delightful group of students. It was wonderful speaking with the students and staff.
Masterclass: How to design a novel
08/11/2022: John F Kennedy School, Hemel Hempstead, United Kingdom
Thanks to Rachel McDonald, Librarian at the John F Kennedy catholic School for organising my trip. The masterclass was delivered in the library to a very smart group of students who had some really good questions.
Talk: History and storytelling
07/11/2022: Suffah Primary School, Hounslow, London, United Kingdom
Thanks to Hafsa Butt, Year 6 class teacher for arranging my visit to the school. The children were very excited and engaged throughout the talk.
Talk: History and storytelling
14/09/2022: Kings Nad El Sheba, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Thanks to the folks at the Emirates LitFest for suggesting to Nosheen Khan (Head Librarian) to get in touch with me to give a talk to Year 8’s and 9’s to coincide with the opening of their state of the art library by Principal Kerry Dalton.
Masterclass: How to design a novel
13/07/2022: The Wisdom Academy, Birmingham, United Kingdom
Thanks to Soraya Garnier (Deputy Head) for hosting me for this workshop, after the event was organised by the AMS. As always lovely speaking with a smart group of students eager to improve their storytelling skills.
Talk: History and storytelling
12/07/2022: Ripley St Thomas Church of England School, Lancaster, United Kingdom
Thank you to Rosalind Buckland (Librarian) for reaching out to me to organise this school visit after a recommendation for my books from the Head of Music. Thoroughly enjoyed speaking with a bright group of 300 pupils in the main hall and signing books afterwards.
Talk: Distractable - Improving Positivity and Finding Purpose
28/05/2022: Abu Dhabi International Book Fair, ADNEC, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
This talk at the fair was an opportunity to share with the audience some of my thoughts around why we are so distracted, and what can we do about it. I presented some of the material from the self-help business book I’ve written - Distracting Ourselves to Death (2021).
Interview: Finding the balance - Science fiction, fantasy and the rise of Africafuturism
27/05/2022: Abu Dhabi International Book Fair, ADNEC, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
I had the pleasure of interviewing one of the biggest names in science-fiction and fantasy, Nnedi Okorafor. We discussed her take on Africafuturism, her novels, how her background as a Nigerian-American writer shaped her stories, and some of the memorable characters she has created.
World Book Day: Virtual Author Visit
22/04/2022: Al Salaam Community School, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Thanks to the folks at the Emirates literature Festival for connecting me to the great teacher team at the school - these being Ian Ramsay and Hellen Spargo. As it was Ramadan, they arranged for me to speak to a number of year groups virtually.
Interview: My Writing Journey
22/03/2022: Peach Magazine at Queen Mary University, London, United Kingdom
Thoroughly engaging interview and conversation with the students of Queen Mary University. We ran the session over Zoom, as we were not able to get together on my recent London Trip. Big thanks to Anthony Crittenden, for reaching out, organising the session and fielding the questions.
Talk: History and storytelling
16/03/2022: Tarbiyyah Primary School, Hounslow, London, United Kingdom
I had the pleasure to speak with all of the year groups, from the 5 year olds, up to the 13 year olds and it was a real joy. The students were excited by the material and asked an excellent set of questions. We could have kept going for at least another hour of Q&A, but alas had to call it quits. Thank you to Head Teacher, Lubna Khan for setting up this highly memorable visit and for ordering so many books!
Talk: History and storytelling
11/03/2022: Prendergast Ladywell School, Lewisham, London, United Kingdom
Speaking to a group of students who had studied the first book and also made their own commentary, was really fascinating. How they interpreted certain characters, was different in some cases, to how I had written them. It was a bright group of secondary school students and a very rewarding visit. Thanks to Florence Bauhofer from the English department for organising the visit.
Talk: Develop habits to help keep focussed
10/03/2022: University of Westminster, London, United Kingdom
This was an opportunity to speaking with a group of University students about the right habits to develop to become more productive. Some of these habits writers develop over the years. I spoke about these, aw well as providing examples from my self-help book Distracting Ourselves to Death. Thanks to Tierney Holloway and Alyssa Martin for organising the session.
Talk: History and storytelling
09/03/2022: Lantern of Knowledge School, Leyton, London, United Kingdom
The boys from all year groups attended , the talk and were excited to engage with the content. They asked an excellent set of follow up questions and could have asking many more, but alas our time ran out. Thanks to Head Teacher, Shakil Ahmed for organising the visit.
Talk: History and storytelling
08/03/2022: Northampton International Academy, Northampton, United Kingdom
Many of the students had already read A Tudor Turk, so were familiar with the sixteenth century setting of the novel. They engaged really well with the material and asked an excellent set of questions. Once more, we timed out, as they had a lot more questions to ask. Thanks to Geraldine Tandoh from the English department for organising the visit.
Talk: History and storytelling
07/03/2022: Ayesha Siddiqa Girls School, Southall, London, United Kingdom
The majority of the school were present for this session, and they asked brilliant questions related to the novels, the writing process, and literature. They actively followed the material and I was hugely impressed with the level of quality of the engagement. Thanks to Deputy Head Teacher, Mrs Osmani and Senior Administrator Fatima Naveed for organising this visit.
Panel: Uncharted Stories
05/02/2022: Emirates Airline Festival of Literature, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Great conversation about the stories that do not get told in the history books. The panelists were: Ella Al-Shamahi, a National Geographic Explorer, paleoanthropologist, evolutionary biologist and author of The Handshake; Fadel Al Mheiri an Emirati filmmaker, and author of Kingdom of Peacocks; and Raphael Cormack an award-winning editor, translator and academic, as well as author of Midnight in Cairo.
Panel: East Meets West
04/02/2022: Emirates Airline Festival of Literature, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
It was wonderful to be in conversation with Daniel Newman, Chair of Arabic Studies at the University of Durham; Karim Hauser, Head of International Relations at Spain’s Casa Árabe; and Lucinda Dickens Hawksley, a descendent of Charles Dickens and a prolific author of fact and fiction. We discussed the long history of globalisation and how it is reflected in our art, literature and food.
Talk: Storytelling
29/09/2021: GEMS New Millennium School, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
The teachers and the students provided me with a hugely warm and rapturous greeting. I was truly humbled by how well they looked after me. The smart savvy students asked me a series of questions, before I presented the importance of storytelling. Thanks to headteacher, Fatima Martin, and her enthusiastic team for a wonderfully engaging visit.
Panel: Plagues, pandemics and the influence on civilisations.
24/05/2021: Abu Dhabi International Book Fair, United Arab Emirates
It was a pleasure to moderate a panel discussion with Bettany Hughes and Peter Hellyer. Bettany is an award- winning historian, author and broadcaster. She has many popular books to her name, such as Istanbul: A Tale of Three Cities, and Helen of Troy. Peter Hellyer is an Adviser for the Ministry of Culture and Youth and author books on the UAE’s archaeology, history and environment.
We spoke about plagues through history: such as Athens and Sparta, the Antoine Plague, the Justinian Plague, the Black Death, the American Plagues and all the way through to the current pandemic. Though the topic was morbid, we ended on a positive note, as both historians reflected that following pandemics, there are periods of great creativity and human endeavour, in which societies come together. Watch the recording here:
Masterclass: How to Design Historic Fiction
12/02/2021: Emirates Airline Festival of Literature, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Running a workshop whilst wearing a mask is not easy. Initially when I turned up the face-mask I had brought from home was too hot, and I started sweating. Flora Rees, part of the LitFest team very kindly provided me with a thinner surgical type mask, which made delivering the workshop a lot more comfortable. The delegates were seated on tables amply spaced out from one another, and we had a really good session with plenty of questions.
Talk: What makes a great (Hi)story? - Video presentation and Q&A
21/04/2020: GEMS International School, Dubai, United Arab Emirates Thanks to the team at the Emirates LitFest, this talk was organized virtually. Locally I must thank English Teacher, Scarlett Housley-Stott for coordinating matters to ensure all of the students were in the right place and that we had a smooth Q&A session.
Talk: What makes a great (Hi)story? - Video presentation and Q&A
15/04/2020: Khalifa University, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Big thanks to Dr Ahmed Al Shoaibi, who after attending one of my masterclasses suggested I speak with some of his students at Khalifa University who have an interest in writing. The meeting was well-managed by Nazah Al Shehhi, who kindly arranged for copies of A Tudor Turk to be delivered to the University bookshop on campus. The students particularly appreciated examples of the cross-cultural links between east-west which I spoke about through the lives of various travelers and diplomats.
Panel: Legends in their Own Time
08/02/2020: Emirates Airline Festival of Literature, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
When running a panel session with historians, it helps a lot if the subjects of their books are somewhat related. On this occasion, the two books in question could not have been further apart. As a result, managing the transition between the conversation was rather tricky.
I did however have the pleasure of moderating a conversation with the wonderful Bettany Hughes, author of Venus & Aphrodite. Her new book examines the Roman & Greek deities’ complicated roots. As well as Jonathan Phillips, author of The Life and Legend of the Sultan Saladin. As Professor of History of the Crusades at Royal Holloway University of London, he researches the legacy of the Crusades in East and West.
We discussed what did historical heroes and legends mean to the people of their time? When we invoke the name of Saladin or refer to the Roman pantheon, who are we really discussing?
Panel: A Fantastical Writing Conversation
08/02/2020: Emirates Airline Festival of Literature, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Fellow panelist Alwyn Hamilton, author of Rebel of the Sands, and I had the opportunity to share some ideas about how we construct our novels. We were ably moderated by the fantasy gaming enthusiast Mohammed Al Khan, who smoothly maintained the conversation flow.
Masterclass: How to Design Historical Fiction
07/02/2020: Emirates Airline Festival of Literature, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
There was a really good attendance at this workshop, where I spoke about the technicalities of how to design a novel, particularly in the genre of historical fiction. The attendees had some great ideas for stories of their own and I hope the session provided them with the tools to complete those novels.
Panel: Tomorrow, I Will Fly: Stories and Essays from Dubai’s Penal and Correctional Institutions
06/02/2020: Emirates Airline Festival of Literature, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
This was a very unique, memorable and highly emotional event, as we were discussing a new book which had just been published, with stories written by inmates of Dubai Prison. The title was Tomorrow, I Will Fly. Earlier in the day the book had been launched at the prison and in this session. I had the opportunity to moderate a discussion with some of those responsible for seeing the stories turn into a printed book.
They were Clare Mackintosh, author of the multi-award-winning I Let You Go, I See You and Let Me Lie. Annabel Kantaria, author of Coming Home, The Disappearance, The One That Got Away and, most recently, I Know You. Colonel Jamila Al Zaabi, director of Dubai Women’s Prison, and Major General Nasser Al Razooqi, who was one of Dubai’s very first police officers, to explore the project’s positive impact on rehabilitation.
Talk: What makes a great (Hi)story? - Presentation and Q&A
26/01/2020: Kings Al Barsha, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Thanks to Robyn Louise Adams, Head of History for hosting me. I spoke with Year 10’s-12’s on how history informs our daily lives and how to build great stories using historic material.
Interview: Bookshelf
11/01/2020: Talking of Books on Dubai Eye Radio, United Arab Emirates
I was asked about some of the historical research process that went into writing A Tudor Turk, plus we discussed the upcoming Emirates Airline Festival of Literature. Asking the questions were the inspiring Isobel Abuhoul, Yvette Judge and Annabelle Corton. You can listen to the interview here:
Masterclass: How to Design a Novel
24/09/2019: Dubai Men’s Prison, Al Awir, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
This is the first time I had given a masterclass in a prison and it was a very heart wrenching experience. I spoke with about 30 inmates. All of whom had a story to tell, about what had happened to them, and how they had ended up in jail. They were enthusiastic to learn the craft of writing so that they could express the stories they had bubbling away inside of them on paper. Following the masterclass, I was given a tour of the prisons very impressive library.
Talk: Building Empathy - The Secret of a Good Story
28/04/2019: Abu Dhabi International Book Fair, United Arab Emirates
This was an opportunity to speak with a diverse group of school children on how to construct a good story, particularly focusing on the setting, characters and plot.
Interview: Secrets of the Arab World
25/04/2019: Abu Dhabi International Book Fair, United Arab Emirates
This was a lovely opportunity for me to have a conversation with Dr Eugene Rogan once more. Eugene is Director of the Middle East Centre at St Antony’s College, University of Oxford. He has been teaching modern history of the Middle East at Oxford since 1991. He is also author of The Arabs, which was named one of the best books of 2009 by The Economist, The Financial Times, and The Atlantic Monthly. His follow up book was, The Fall of the Ottomans: The Great War in the Middle East, 1914-1920. We spoke about insights from both of his books. Watch the interview here:
Talk: What Makes a Great Story?
21/04/2019: Al Kamal American International School, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
As part of the Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival, I was very kindly hosted by the school to speak on the topic with a class of their boys and then with a class of their girls.
Interview: Learning History Through Fiction
18/04/2019: Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
The delightful Layla El-Wafi interviewed me on the topic and we spoke about how stories can help us understand history, particularly when transmitting lessons from the past to children and young adults.
Book Launch: A Tudor Turk
10/04/2019: Waterstones, Charing Cross, London, United Kingdom
My publisher Rosemarie Hudson organized for the book launch of A Tudor Turk to take place in the prestigious Waterstones branch on Gower Street. Guests travelling from near and far packed out the basement hall and we had two incredible actors dressed up in Elizabethan and Ottoman attire. I was interviewed by the lovely Naomi Foyle, author of The Gai Chronicles and we spoke about how A Tudor Turk was conceived, the writing process and some the story. You can watch a video of the event here:
Talk: Storytelling
05/04/2019: Orchard Academy, Milton Keynes, United Kingdom
Thanks to the very able Margaret McCulloch-Keeble, Library Assistant, for hosting my visit to the Academy, where I was met with a very enthusiastic group of students, keen to learn about storytelling. After the talk one of the boys asked me what car I drove, to which I replied a Bentley in the day time and a Lamborghini for the evening, to which he almost fell over. However, I was quick to let him know that I was just joking and that my taste in cars was actually very boring and simple.
Talk: Storytelling. Masterclass: Designing a Novel
01/04/2019: The Laureate School, Hemel Hempstead, United Kingdom
Thanks to Teresa Turton, Learning Resources Manager/Literacy Coordinator, for hosting me at the school, where I had the opportunity to speak to a very large assembly, followed by a smaller group for a masterclass.
Talk: Storytelling. Masterclass: Designing a Novel
01/04/2019: The Hemel Hempstead School, Herts, United Kingdom
Thanks to Ellen Krajewski, Librarian, for hosting me at the school, where I had the opportunity to speak to a very large assembly, followed by a smaller group for a masterclass.
Panel: When History Meets Fantasy
09/03/2019: Emirates Airline Festival of Literature, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Thoroughly enjoyed this panel discussion which was moderated by the dapper Andy Staples. I was on the panel along with Leo Carew, author of The Wolf. Leo applied his study of biological anthropology to epic battles between two very different warring tribes. And Courtney Brandt, author of The Queen of England novels, a steampunk series set in Victorian England. There were so many questions from the audience during Q&A about when all of our novels were going to become movies!
Masterclass: How to Design A Novel
08/03/2019: Emirates Airline Festival of Literature, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
A very well attended masterclass on the mechanics needed to write a novel, primarily how to infuse the setting, character and plot with conflict, in order to obtain an emotional response from the reader.
Talk: Storytelling
07/03/2019: Wesgreen International School, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
Thanks to the teachers and students for hosting me at the school and speaking about the importance of storytelling.
Masterclass: Storytelling
07/03/2019: Sharjah Book Authority, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
Thanks to Qurratulain Yahya, from the Sharjah Book Authority for organizing this event in their new head quarter building. The girls who attended were very bright and enthused by the talk and all took away signed copies of A Tudor Turk after the event.
Masterclass: Storytelling for Building Human Empathy
06/03/2019: Emirates Airline Festival of Literature, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
The purpose of this masterclass was to demonstrate how storytelling supplements analytical thinking by enabling us to imagine new perspectives and is ideally suited to communicating change and stimulating innovation. Abstract analysis is easier to understand when seen through the lens of a well-chosen story. The session was very well attended by Marketing, Brand and HR professionals.
Interview: Compassion Inc
02/03/2019: Emirates Airline Festival of Literature, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
I had the opportunity to interview Gaurav Sinha, the author of Compassion Inc. It was a really insightful conversation reflecting on how we can introduce more compassion into the working environment
Panel: Tudor Turks and Shadows of the Past
01/03/2019: Emirates Airline Festival of Literature, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Really enjoyed speaking on this panel, which was actually held inside a cinema, so we were sitting with the screen behind us and the audience assembled on sharply ascending rows before us. Kevin Hassler, was the suave moderator and I was on the panel with Daniela Tully, author of Hotel on Shadow Lake., a novel which was inspired by a letter her grandmother received from her twin brother after the fall of the Berlin Wall, 46 years after he sent it. We spoke about researching and writing gripping historical fiction.
Masterclass: Storytelling
27/02/2019: Sharjah English School, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
Thanks to the team at the Emirates LitFest for organizing this masterclass, where I was very kindly hosted by Rebecca Somers, Head of English. The class I spoke with were very astute and a real pleasure to work with.
Masterclass: Storytelling
25/02/2019: GEMS Dubai American Academy, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Thanks to the team at the Emirates LitFest for organizing this masterclass, where I was very kindly hosted Marta Perez, HS Librarian, in an amazing campus facility which the school occupied.
Interview: Japanamerica
08/11/2018: Sharjah International Book Fair, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
The team at the Sharjah Book Fair organized for the screening of Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms, a Japanese animated movie, following which cultural critic and author of Japanamerica: How Japanese Pop Culture has Invaded the US, Roland Kelts and I discussed the finer points of the film. We focused in on some of the key elements such as the good vs evil component of the narrative, hierarchy, social attachments and kinship.
Interview: GoodBye Things
07/11/2018: Sharjah International Book Fair, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
Through a translator, I interviewed Fumio Sasaki author of GoodBye Things and minimalism expert. We spoke about what prompted him to change his life, what advice he gives to others and how he wrote the book.
Interview: Outsiders in Japanese Culture
04/11/2018: Sharjah International Book Fair, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
I had the pleasure of interviewing the lovely Leza Lowitz and Shogo Oketani. A formidable writing duo. Leza is author of Jet Black and the Ninja Wind and Shogo is the author of Cold River and J-Boys
Interview: The Worst Father in Fiction
13/10/2018: Talking of Books on Dubai Eye Radio, United Arab Emirates
I had to make the case for who is the worst father in fiction. My candidate was very strong, but in the book-off I was facing the very capable Rachel Hamilton and Thomas Billinghurst. Between the three of us we had to advocate for King Lear, Heathcliff and Mr Wormwood as the worst Dad in literature To listen to who I made the case for and to find out whether or not they won, you can listen to the interview here:
Interview: Reading for Ramadhan
09/06/2018: Talking of Books on Dubai Eye Radio, United Arab Emirates
I was asked to select some books which I would recommend to listeners which they could read during the holy month of Ramadhan. To find out which ones I recommended you can listen to the interview here:
https://omny.fm/shows/talking-of-books/reading-for-ramadan-with-rehan-khan
Interview: Young Muslim’s Guide to Science
10/03/2018: Emirates Airline Festival of Literature, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Speaking with Dr Nidhal Guessoum, a Professor at the American University of Sharjah (AUS) was a real joy. He earned his PhD in Astrophysics, from the University of California. His area of expertise is cosmic gamma-ray sources, but he has also written many articles and several books on issues related to science, education and Islam. We discussed his latest book The Young Muslims Guide to Modern Science.
Interview: The Fall of the Ottomans
03/03/2018: Emirates Airline Festival of Literature, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
I had the honour of interviewing Dr Eugene Rogan, who is Director of the Middle East Centre at St Antony’s College, University of Oxford. We discussed his books The Fall of the Ottomans: The Great War in the Middle East, 1914-1920. We covered how the Ottomans entered the First World War, the impact of the collapse of the Ottoman empire on the Middle East, as well as discussing some interesting counter-factual scenarios
Interview: Castaway
30/12/2017: Talking of Books on Dubai Eye Radio, United Arab Emirates
I was asked what three books would I take with me if I was stranded on a desert island. To find out which three I selected, listen to the interview here:
Interview: The Silk Roads
06/11/2017: Sharjah International Book Fair, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
It was really an honour to be in conversation with Peter Frankopan, who is a Professor of Global History at Oxford University. He works on the history of the Mediterranean, Russia, the Middle East, Persia Central Asia and beyond, and on relations between Christianity and Islam. Peter often writes for The New York Times, Financial Times, The Guardian. His work The Silk Roads was named The Daily Telegraph's History Book of the Year 2015. it went to Number One in the Sunday Times Non-Fiction charts, remaining in the Top 10 for nine months, as well as being #1 in China, India, the UAE, Ireland and many other countries around the world.
Panel: The Letters Glow
03/11/2017: Sharjah International Book Fair, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
I had the good fortune to moderate a panel of very talented writers. These being the prolific foursome of Lang Leav author of Lullabies, Peter Lerangis author of the Seven Wonders series, Morgan Matson author of Since You’ve Been Gone, and Noura Al Noman author of Ajwan.
Panel: How writers explore cultural heritage and how journalistic engagement informs writing?
01/11/2017: Sharjah International Book Fair, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
I moderated a panel discussion with Sarfraz Manzoor, Mohammed Hanif and Abdo Khal. Sarfraz is a journalist, documentary maker, broadcaster and author of Greetings from Bury Park. Mohammed’s novel, A Case of Exploding Mangoes, was long-listed for the Man Booker Prize, short-listed for The Guardian First Book Award and won the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize for Best First Novel. Abdo is an Arab writer and winner of the 2010 International Prize for Arabic Fiction for his novel Throwing Sparks.
Masterclass: Creating fantastical worlds
26/08/2017: London Super Comic Con, United Kingdom
It was great to be invited by Sherwin Sacki and his team to attend and deliver a masterclass at the Comic Con. The Business Design Centre where the event was held was converted into total geekdom as you couldn’t turn your head in any direction without someone in Cosplay, dressed as a superhero or fantasy character. A third of those who attended the masterclass were dressed in character, so there was plenty of energy and enthusiasm in the room.
Talk: Storytelling
11/08/2017: LEAF Summer Camp, London, United Kingdom
The organisers of this summer camp had organized for a number of activities and speakers to address this great batch of teenagers. I had the privilege to speak with and answer questions from a bright bunch of students.
Interview: If I Stay
22/04/2017: Sharjah International Book Fair, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
I had the pleasure of interviewing Gayle Forman. She is known for her bestselling novel If I Stay which topped the New York Times best sellers list of Young Adult Fiction and was made into a film of the same name. Gayle and I had a really lovely conversation, full of wit and enthusiasm.
Masterclass: Storytelling
07/04/2017: Middle East Film & Comic Convention (MEFCC), Dubai, United Arab Emirates
I really wasn’t sure how many people were going to turn up for this session, but it was totally packed. There was a huge interest from Comic Con attendees in knowing about how to construct stories, and we had people sitting in chairs, perched on desks, on the floors.
Book Launch: Scream of Tasburai
19/03/2017: Kinokuniya, Dubai Mall, United Arab Emirates
The launch was hugely enjoyable, as we had actors dressed up as Tasburai warriors and had organized a comedy sketch just before the Q&A session. Huge thanks to Mel Guidera for hosting the event. Watch the launch here:
Interview: Montmorency
03/03/2017: Emirates Airline Festival of Literature, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
I had the pleasure of interviewing Eleanor Updale, author of the Montmorency series of books set in Victorian England. We spoke about how she researched and wrote her novels and what she was planning next to write.
Interview: The World of Fantasy
05/11/2016: Sharjah International Book Fair, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
I was interviewed by Zakariya Ahmed and we spoke about how fictional tales are capable of amazing readers and shaping their views through artistic expression. We discussed what some of these methods are and why writers choose to write fantasy.
Masterclass: Storytelling
28/07/2016: LIFE2016, Colchester, United Kingdom
Out in the countryside, inside a large marquis we were discussing storytelling with an enraptured audience, who made some excellent contributions to the discussion.
Masterclass: Story design
04/06/2016: Peace Group Kuala Lumpar, Malaysia
Thanks to Hafsa Zianuddin for organsiing this opportunity to give a masterclass to their local community. Lovely engaging audience who asked some excellent questions.
Panel: Building Bridges - The Power of Storytelling
27/05/2016: City Circle, London, United Kingdom
It was an absolute pleasure to share the panel with Luqman Ali, founder of the Khayaal Theatre company. We spoke about the importance of storytelling and how it shapes culture.
Book Club: Last of the Tasburai
24/05/2016: Asian Writers Book Club, Foyles Book Shop, London, United Kingdom
Huge thank you to Joanna Banding for organizing this book club at the highly prestigious Foyles on Charing Cross Road in London.
Talk: Storytelling
23/05/2016: Dixon Kings Academy, Bradford, United Kingdom
Thanks to the team at the Bradford Literature Festival for organizing this school visit as part of the outreach program during the festival. A large and very well-behaved class.
Panel: Islamicate Science Fiction
21/05/2016: Bradford Literature Festival, Bradford, United Kingdom
I had the pleasure of taking part in a panel discussion that was moderated by Yasmin Khan. My brilliant co-panelists were Naomi Foyle, author of the Gai Chronicles, and Razwan Ul Haq author of Sultan vs Dracula. Our discussion ranged from fantasy to sci-fi.
Masterclass: Storytelling
17/04/2016: Jumeirah English Speaking School, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Thank you to head teacher, Shane O’Brien for arranging this session and then the sixth form English Society, ably led by Alix Caldwell, for hosting me on the day in their wonderful sixth form block.
Panel: Scintillating Science
13/03/2016: Emirates Airline Festival of Literature, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
It was great fun moderating panel discussion Nick Arnold, Rachel Hamilton and Christopher Edge in a hall filled with hundreds of school children and some parents. Nick is best known for his Horrible Sciences series, Rachel for The Case of the Exploding Loo, and Chris for The Many Worlds of Albie Bright.
Interview: Words of Radiance
12/03/2016: Emirates Airline Festival of Literature, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Interviewing one of the biggest names in fantasy novels, Brandon Sanderson, was hugely enjoyable. I particularly like his Mistborn Series, as well as the Stomrlight series. In the Stormlight series, the source of the magic is linked to thunder storms. The day Brandon arrived we had an unexpected thunder storm in Dubai! Watch the interview here:
Talk: Storytelling
08/11/2015: Al Wahda School, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
Panel: Making the shift from business writing to fiction
07/11/2015: Sharjah International Book Fair, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
Had a great conversation with the likes of Hisham Kheshen, who was social history novel Graphite, was long-listed for the International Prize for Arabic Fiction in 2014. We discussed how to make the shift from business writing to fiction.
Interview: Desert Island Discs
16/08/2015: Abu Dhabi Classic FM, United Arab Emirates
It was great to be in the studio with the delightful Maha Amiri and speak about some of my desert island discs. Listen to the recording here:
Talk: Storytelling
25/05/2015: King’s Al Barsha, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Thanks to the teachers and students and particularly Hafs Al Ghazi, for making the introduction into the English department and then hosting my visit along with Emma Sanderson.
Talk: Storytelling
30/04/2015: Horizons School, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Thanks to Shar Dean, one of the parents at the school for making the introduction to the English department.
Talk: The Art and Craft of Storytelling
25/03/2015: Dubai International Writers Centre, United Arab Emirates
Big thanks to Hend Saeed and Ronita Mohan for arranging this session in such an inspiring venue and attracting a thoughtful and eclectic group.
Talk: Storytelling
06/03/2015: Brighton College, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
Special thanks to Catherine Adamson (English Teacher & Assistant House Tutor Ryle House) for hosting my visit to speak with two very bright and engaging classes. The school campus is located in a place of some stunning mountain scenery.
Talk: Storytelling
10/02/2015: Victoria International School, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
Thanks to Lynda Nichols (Head of Faculty/English) for organising the visit and hosting me with their wonderful students..
Book Launch: Last of Tasburai
23/01/2015: Kinokuniya, Dubai Mall, United Arab Emirates
Very memorable day with a great crowd who turned up for the launch of Last of the Tasburai. Huge thanks to Imelda Dunlop for hosting the event. The YouTube video is available here: