Amna Akram

Articles

Medium •

Sumayah Kazi Q&A: “In another universe, I would pursue baking full-time”

The dentistry student on her Great British Bake Off journey and how exploring different hobbies gave her artistry a signature flairIn her gap year, Sumayah Kazi, from Preston, became the youngest contestant to compete in season 15 of the Great British Bake Off.At just 19, she wowed millions for seven weeks with daring fusion flavours and mouthwatering showstoppers, including her two-tier Autumn Leaves cake of parsnip, cumin and fennel, and beetroot, ginger and walnut, which earned judge Paul Hol...
SCREENSHOT Media •

Hira Anwar’s tragic story: How a teen’s fight for identity sparked a call to action to end honour killings

In diaspora communities, young people often face the challenge of balancing their cultural roots with Western societal norms. For Hira Anwar, her path to self-discovery turned into tragedy. Born and raised in Yonkers, New York, the 14-year-old was a typical American teenager. On the weekends, she liked spending time with friends at the mall and drew inspiration from her favourite pop stars Billie Eilish and Zayn Malik. She was described by her teachers and classmates at Public School 16 as coura...
Mag North •

How A Community Kitchen Transforms Lives And Addresses Language Barriers Through Food

Fifteen years ago, Bafreen and her family relocated from Iraq to the UK in pursuit of a better future. Now, in 2024, the mother of two is getting ready to re-enter the workforce after completing a school support course and joining a community kitchen project, where I met her for the first time. “Before I came here, I was a primary school teacher in Iraq. I'm not working anymore. I don't have lots of activity where I get to communicate with new people. So this group gives me a chance to become mo...
Mag North •

Lancashire Fringe Festival: Preston’s Arts Scene Is A Force To Be Reckoned With - But It Needs More Support

On a Monday evening in early October, The Ferret, an iconic grassroots music venue, tucked away on the outskirts of Preston City Centre, was crowded with people eager to experience two back-to-back theatre performances as part of the Lancashire Fringe Festival, all under red subdued lighting.The specially commissioned piece, He Said, She Said, was the first act of the evening by up-and-coming playwright Lydia Baines. The 30-minute play explored themes of sexual assault and rape, showing how the...
Hyphen •

Yasmine Dar Q&A: ‘I may be Manchester’s first south Asian Muslim woman lord mayor, but I won’t be the last’

The councillor and charity founder talks about community work, self-belief and her rise to public office.

In May, Yasmine Dar, 57, became the first south Asian woman to hold the office of lord mayor of Manchester. A Labour councillor for Moston and member of the party’s National Executive Committee, Dar was born in Doncaster, but describes herself a “proud Mancunian”, having lived in the city for more than 50 years.

Since taking on the ceremonial role of lord mayor, Dar has chosen self-empowerm
Hyphen •

Faced with discrimination, French and German Muslims are emigrating to the UK

European Muslim women say cities such as London offer better career prospects and more religious freedoms. In recent months, the UK’s Conservative government has introduced legislation and announced successive measures to drive down immigration. Mostly focusing on small boat crossings and irregular entry via the beaches of southern England, Home Secretary Suella Braverman has unveiled plans to deport individuals seeki
Hyphen •

Rahima Mahmut Q&A: ‘Uyghurs are not defined by their oppression’

The activist and singer on her campaigning work and the power of music in protest. Rahima Mahmut is the UK director of the World Uyghur Congress and executive director of the campaign group Stop Uyghur Genocide. The singer, activist and translator was born in the autonomous region of Xinjiang, north-west China, and has lived in exile for more than 20 years.

Since moving to London in 2000, she has worked as a musician and now performs with the London Silk Road Collective. In 2018, Mahmut began t
Hyphen •

Rabiah Hussain Q&A: ‘I wanted to look at the emotional impact of language’

The writer talks about her new Royal Court play, and how growing up with British bhangra and qawwali influenced her work

Rabiah Hussain is a second-generation British-Pakistani playwright who grew up in Newham, east London. Her latest work, Word-Play, premiered at the Royal Court Theatre in London in July and runs until 26 August.

Word-Play, which explores the far-reaching effects of the language politicians use, was commissioned for the stage after initially being developed through the Kudos
Hyphen •

Is the education system failing young carers?

Thousands of children and young adults across the UK are responsible for looking after relatives and loved ones. Experts believe that schools and universities can do more to help them

“The education system doesn’t favour us,” says Imtiaz, 23, from central London. Like many young people across the country, he has been a full-time, unpaid carer for more than six years, looking after his father, who has dementia and mobility needs.

In 2021, Imtiaz dropped out of the second year of his business ma
Hyphen •

An evening of theatre to bowl you over

The play Duck takes audiences back to a tumultuous time for UK Muslims, seen through the eyes of a teenage cricket star. It is summer 2005. England have beaten Australia to win The Ashes for the first time in nearly 20 years and the 7/7 bombings have shaken London, killing 52 people and injuring hundreds more. Those historic events form the backdrop of Duck, a new play that tells the story of Ismail, a British-Indian teenager set on becoming the youngest a
Hyphen •

Hyphen's Eid fashion picks

From accessories to modest party dresses, here’s a selection of the best modest fashion from brands including By Amala, Imani Studio, Janan, Nominal and others

Muslims across the UK are hunting to find last minute outfits and accessories to look their best on Eid al-Adha, the largest holiday celebrated in Islam following the completion of the annual hajj pilgrimage.

According to the State of the Global Islamic Economy Report 2020/1 the worldwide modest fashion industry is forecast to be worth
Hyphen •

Ayesha Manazir Siddiqi Q&A: ‘I’m interested in the unexpected feelings that rise up within us’

The writer and author speaks about language, colonialism and the rollercoaster ride of writing a first novel

Ayesha Manazir Siddiqi is an editor, writer and translator based in South London. She has worked as a contributing editor on The Trojan Horse Affair podcast by the New York Times and Serial Productions, and her short essays and reviews have appeared in newspapers and magazines around the world. Now, her debut novel, The Centre, is about to be published by Picador UK.


The story focuses
Hyphen •

‘You get art but then you also get something edible’

‘You get art but then you also get something edible’

Young Muslim bakers have turned their lockdown hobby into decorative cake making start-ups with the help of Instagram

A new generation of Muslim bakers are giving an elaborately personal touch to special occasions, creating intricately decorated cakes. This new wave of patisserie artists are also setting social media trends, using platforms such as Instagram and TikTok to showcase their work, filling their feeds with innovative showstoppers.
Blog Preston •

Community comes together to celebrate Beatrice Todd and the women of Winckley Square

This International Women’s Day, a remarkable Preston woman who fought strongly for women’s rights was commemorated with a blue plaque in Winckley Square Gardens.

The special event took place in the building used as an office for recruitment business Service Care Solutions, which was once suffragist Beatrice Todd’s home in the 20th century.

In the afternoon (Wednesday 8 March), Preston Mayor, Cllr Neil Darby, was surrounded by spectators at the front of the building during a countdown for the u
Blog Preston •

Community comes together to celebrate Beatrice Todd and the women of Winckley Square

This International Women’s Day, a remarkable Preston woman who fought strongly for women’s rights was commemorated with a blue plaque in Winckley Square Gardens.

The special event took place in the building used as an office for recruitment business Service Care Solutions, which was once suffragist Beatrice Todd’s home in the 20th century.

In the afternoon (Wednesday 8 March), Preston Mayor, Cllr Neil Darby, was surrounded by spectators at the front of the building during a countdown for the u
Blog Preston •

The Black Horse in Preston city centre wins Pub of the Year award

The Black Horse has been awarded Pub of the Year for 2023 ahead of its 125th anniversary.

Out of nearly 400 pubs in Campaign for Real Ale’s (CAMRA) Central Lancashire branch, the Friargate venue has been chosen for the award.

In 2022 the pub was re-listed by Historic England as a Grade II listed building amongst 11 pubs in the country, for its unique architecture and distinctive interior that sets it apart form the others.

A presentation took place on Thursday 26 January to celebrate the peop
Blog Preston •

Preston cafe owner talks about Chaii Stop’s worldwide recognition

A Preston cafe has gained world-wide recognition for its simple yet effective incentive to create a friendly atmosphere between the worker and the customer.

Chaii Stop situated in Deepdale is a fairly new addition to the city’s vibrant food and drink scene. In a matter of days, the authentic South Asian Cafe has sparked discussions globally over the popular phrase – good manners cost you nothing.

The light-hearted take on the drink menu encourages the likes of an ordinary person to get out of
Blog Preston •

Preston woman releases inspiring collection of children’s books on disabilities and differences

A Preston woman is inspiring others to reflect on their own personal differences with her children’s book collection based on disabilities and differences.

Joanne Moore has been working on ‘The Bit Different’ collection for the past seven years and has released two books so far.

The author told Blog Preston that the main message behind the book collection is to convey the importance of creating an inclusive environment from a young age.

Joanne decided to write the books after she was diagnose
Blog Preston •

Royal visit celebrates the 20th anniversary of Preston’s city status

Earlier today Preston Markets was filled with crowds in anticipation for the arrival of the Earl and Countess of Wessex to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee and Preston’s 20th anniversary of city status.

Preston City Councillors including Mayor of Preston Councillor Neill Darby, greeted Prince Edward and his wife Sophie Rhys-Jones with a warm welcome.

The couple went on to greet youngsters who were waving the British flag and eagerly waiting in a line for a quick chat.

The Earl and Countess also
The Groove Flow •

Liverpool's music project is inspiring the next generation of musicians and youth workers

“I suppose what’s driving me with this is that I want to build a successful music project which I can then step back from and have young people continue it and run it with perhaps me in the background as a fundraiser,” Mark told me.

Capeesh strives to be a young-person led community project in Liverpool seeking to motivate young people aged 10-25 to acquire and grow skills and confidence; increasing the chances of deriving enjoyment and income, by tapping into the rich and diverse music culture
The Groove Flow •

'To connect with music, I need that element of relatability'

On a sunny yet crisp cold evening, I sit down with Dayzy in the local Starbucks, he tells me about his day and the hectic schedule of events that are to follow in the next couple of weeks. As the conversation unfolds, I learn more about the 21-year-old’s journey in a competitive industry and his passion for music and connecting with others.

Raised primarily in Toxteth, Dayzy (full name David Sebuyange) has been surrounded by music from an early age. His first influences come from pivotal family
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