I’m a writer, a storyteller and film producer and I’m captivated by stories.
I’ve loved stories since I was a child, reading under the duvet by torchlight, losing and finding myself in books, transported by Greek myths and Arthurian legends, watching Friday afternoon matinees on Channel 4 transported by the technicolour magic of MGM musicals.
Stories have an incredible power for connection, understanding and empathy. They can be a bridge into another world. They can transform us and bring us closer together.
Most of my life has been working with stories in different forms, from the personal to the global.
I’ve been a magazine editor in Zanzibar, where I ran two in-flights magazines and wrote coffee table books on spas and Zanzibar inspired food. I studied Politics and interviewed heads of state and CEOs for economic reports on emerging markets that took me to Zambia, Sudan and Malaysia.
I’ve worked in film for the past seven years. I started in film distribution first as a sales agent, and then as a buyer’s rep, advising and supporting international distributors on their film acquisitions.
I’ve taught on film distribution and independent film for BFI Network Wales, Scottish Talent Network, Northern Ireland Screen, been interviewed by BBC Worldwide on Netflix and the future of film distribution and gave keynotes for the Norwegian Film Institute on trends in independent film and at Drama Series Days at the Berlinale on diversity as a selling point.
I’m now a producer and the Creative Director at Alpha Bear Productions, a UK based privately backed independent production company, where I oversee a slate of films. For film related enquiries, please reach out at Alpha Bear. Please note, we can’t accept unsolicited scripts.
I write essays and sometimes scripts. I host and perform at true life storytelling nights and spin fairy tales around camp fires and at festivals. I’ve been a witness to magic, helping people share their stories. I study myth and I’m constantly inspired by the wisdom of the old stories, how much the wild edges of myth have to teach us.
Coming from Irish and Pakistani heritage, much of my writing looks at stories of identity, belonging and colonisation and I’ve found that stories and sharing of them can be a way in themselves to cultivate belonging.
I’m passionate about uncovering what are the stories of our time? What are the stories that nourish us, that we can hold like a talisman in our lives? How can we craft new stories, and imagine a different world?