Photography by Maryam Wahid

I was born in inner city Bradford in 1969, the seventh of eight children to immigrant parents who came to England in the 1960's. I was the first in the family to be born in the UK, also the first to continue in education past the age of 16 years (despite numerous hurdles).

I am a solicitor by profession, and have worked in the legal industry for over 30 years. I was honoured to be shortlisted for the Law Society Excellence Lifetime Achievement Award in 2020.

I only started writing in my forties, initial writing poetry about my late mother in my long journey of dealing with the trauma of bereavement, and later inspired to do so as a result of what I perceived to be the lack of representation in contemporary British fiction of diverse themes and characters. I often tackle difficult and taboo subjects through my writing, and my main characters are usually from my own cultural background.

I was Highly Commended as a finalist in the Nat West Asian Women of Achievement Awards 2017, and won British Muslim Woman of the Year at the British Muslim Awards 2019.

As well as writing, I run creative writing workshops, I am also a speaker, project creator, campaigner, volunteer, mentor, a Lloyds Bank Women of the Future Ambassador, and a Desi Blitz Arts Ambassador.