MACFEST hosts a spellbinding series of free online literary events featuring an array of esteemed international talent

Join award-winning children’s author Shirin Shamsi for a live digital discussion and reading from her beloved picture book, Zahra’s Blessing: A Ramadan Story.

Throughout the afternoon, Shirin will share her remarkable story, beginning as a young mother searching for narratives in which her own children could find representation, to her various career setbacks and the power of perseverance, persistence, passion and faith in her success.

Settle in with a notebook and pen, as the acclaimed writer will also share vital writing tips for budding authors and expound on the building blocks of effective storytelling.

On Sun 20 Apr, internationally renowned artist and writer Osman Yousefzada leads a deep dive into his poignant memoir, The Go Between, narrated through the eyes of his younger self and hailed by Stephen Fry as ‘one of the greatest childhood memoirs of our time’.

Osman’s eclectic literary and visual art oeuvre explores themes of rupture, migration and intergenerational tacit knowledge through various forms including sculpture, textiles, writing and installations.

Book your spot below.

On Sat 10 May, MACFEST unites a cohort of decorated Muslim poets from the UK, USA, India and Denmark for an afternoon of captivating multilingual poetry and Mushaira, with a programme of beautiful recitals delivered in English, Urdu, Arabic, Persian and more.

Revel in the timeless wonder of poetic expression as each artist explores themes of spirituality, identity, culture and human connection with a unique voice, celebrating the universal joy of verse through resonant and inspirational works.

This online talk will introduce guests to the incredible Muslim woman ruler Nawab Sultan Jahan Begum, the last in an all-female dynasty to rule the gilded central Indian state of Bhopal in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

A keen traveller and prolific author as well as a devoted philanthropist during her reign, the titanic figure founded schools, hospitals, clubs, libraries, magazines and museums while championing Muslim education, health initiatives and women’s organisations.

Book your spot below to discover more about her rule, writings and epic journeys across her vivid, storied life.

Hosted by the University of Durham’s chair of Arabic Studies, Professor Daniel Newman, this absorbing online talk unpacks the rich yet often overlooked tradition of travel in Islamic culture, set against the backdrop of teachings in both the Qur’an and hadith, which advocated the pursuit of knowledge and broadening cultural horizons as a fundamental duty of all Muslims.

In stark contrast to the long-held belief that medieval Muslims were uninterested in the non-Muslim world, evidence reveals a fascinating reality featuring key figures and features of the Arabic travelogue literature, a prolific genre spanning twelve centuries which encouraged engagement with the non-Muslim Other as a means of reflecting upon creation, the many wonders of the world and the power of God.