I originate from a family of poets. My maternal grandfather and great-grandfather wrote poetry in Pushto and Urdu.
I was born in Lancashire to a hard-working and traditional Pakistani family.
My passion for literature was sparked by my mother. My first memory of her: lying comatose, head nestled in a pillow, reading Urdu Reader's Digest.
From an early age I was fascinated by words, but preferred comics. On a nine month trip to Pakistan, I penned my adventures into my first diary. Then the timely intervention of a wiser soul guided me to 'The Lord of The Rings' and 'Dune' and my path was set.
I attempted to write a nvel when I was 14 - I ran out of steam, but I produced some great maps of a fantasy world!
Millions of words later I wrote 'The Curry Mile'. I believe it is a bold viewpoint of Asian life which has echoes in other diaspora communities.
I teach creative writing in schools and I recently launched Manchester Muslim Writers a collective of aspiring scribes from a diverse range of communities, both Muslim and non-Muslim.
ZHZ.