Alia

I am a writer and a visual artist. I am passionate about intersectional inclusion and my practice supports people to express their identities and experiences through creative writing and visual art. I believe that story-telling through words and images is a powerful tool for building and strengthening communities. My skills include workshop facilitation, and event and project planning and management. I focus on creating inclusive communities, whether for a one off workshop or a long term plan. If you want to ignite imaginations and inspire empathy, I am ready to work with you. I am also a post graduate researcher in Creative Writing at the University of Portsmouth.

My debut novel, The Normal State of Mind (Parthian, 2015) was long listed for the Mumbai Association of Moving Images (MAMI) Word to Screen Prize. Table Manners (Dahlia Books, 2018) won the Saboteur Award for Best Short Story Collection in 2019. My short stories have been featured on BBC Radio 4. I develop and deliver writing workshops for various art galleries and organisations around Hampshire and beyond. I teach creative writing at University of Winchester and am a trustee of The Winchester Poetry Festival. I’ve also developed ands teach a short story course for Professional Writing Academy. I’m co-founder of Write Beyond Borders, a transnational mentoring project writers from South Asia and its diaspora.    

I am a children’s playwright, poet and community creative writing facilitator. With fifteen years experience working in the sector, I have had multiple plays for primary school age children to perform published and have had works for children and families commissioned from theatres and arts organisations. My playwrighting focus is on inclusive history that is curriculum-adjacent or locally relevant and I’m particularly passionate about amplifying the stories of marginalised women and girls from the past. I work with schools and in the community delivering a range of bespoke workshops to young people, families and to those living with dementia and their carers.