9/11 and the World it Created

Send us Fan MailWhen Scotland’s First Minister, Humza Yousaf, got a call from Gaza on the morning of 7 October 2023, he feared the worst. His wife’s parents, Elizabeth and Maged, had been visiting the Palestinian territory to see Maged’s sick mother and found themselves trapped as violence escalated on both sides. In Under Fire: My Family’s Escape from Gaza and The Cost of Leadership, Yousaf recounts the month that followed: coordinating across governments to get his in-laws to safety via the Rafah crossing, while leading Scotland through one of the most fraught periods in its recent history and reassuring a traumatised Jewish community, all under intense public scrutiny. Join us as Yousaf talks about the book, and about his own journey from the son of immigrants to the first Muslim leader of a Western European country. He’ll reflect on the rise of far-right populism, and on what he believes true leadership demands: holding personal loyalty and public duty together, and keeping hold of empathy when the pressure is greatest.

Send us Fan MailIn this special conversation, Shaykh Muhammad al-Yaqoubi explores the relationship between the material and spiritual dimensions of existence, drawing on the rich wisdom of the Islamic tradition. Reflecting on faith, mortality, the soul and the search for meaning, the discussion invites audiences to consider life not as an isolated journey, but as part of a larger spiritual reality that extends beyond the visible world. www.bradfordlitfest.co.uk

Send us Fan MailJoin Fawad Kalsi, CEO of Penny Appeal Canada, for a candid and thought-provoking exploration of faith, addiction, healing and the growing conversation around psychedelics.  Drawing on his own extraordinary journey from imam to opioid addict and back again, Kalsi reflects on the role psychedelics played in his recovery and how those experiences intersected with questions of spirituality, consciousness and belief.  Exploring mental health, Islamic perspectives on altered states and the search for meaning in moments of crisis, this deeply personal conversation invites audiences into an open discussion about suffering, transformation and the complex relationship between faith, healing and human experience. 

Send us Fan MailBradley Riches joins John Harris for a thoughtful and deeply personal conversation exploring life across the neurodiverse spectrum.  Riches is an autistic actor, author and advocate, best known for Heartstopper, Celebrity Big Brother and Emmerdale. Harris is a writer and broadcaster whose recent work reflects on parenting his autistic son and the role music has played in their lives. Drawing on their own experiences, the discussion will reflect on growing up autistic, parenting autistic children and the evolving understanding of neurodiversity in families, schools and society. From diagnosis and education to masking, identity and belonging, the panel will explore the challenges and breakthroughs that can shape the journey towards self-understanding.  Honest, insightful and hopeful, this event considers how greater awareness and acceptance of neurodiversity can transform not only individual lives, but the communities around us, too. www.bradfordlitfest.co.uk

Send us Fan MailAcross much of the democratic world, debates around free speech, protest, surveillance, citizenship and state power are becoming increasingly common.  Bringing together cultural commentator Myriam Francois, former First Minister of Scotland Humza Yousaf, and former South African ambassador and anti-apartheid activist Ebrahim Rasool, this major conversation explores the tensions emerging at the heart of modern liberal democracies.  From securitisation and Islamophobia to selective freedoms and the shrinking space for dissent, the discussion asks whether democratic societies are becoming more fearful, more restrictive and more imbalanced in the way rights and freedoms are experienced, and who ultimately gets to feel truly free. 

Send us Fan MailFor more than six decades, acclaimed photographer Peter Sanders has documented some of the defining cultural, spiritual and social movements of our time.From the creative energy and optimism of the 1960s to encounters with faith communities and sacred traditions across the world, his photographs offer a unique visual record of a changing age.In this special retrospective, Sanders reflects on a lifetime spent observing humanity’s search for meaning, identity and belonging. Through extraordinary images and personal stories, the event explores the people, places and moments that have shaped his remarkable journey behind the camera.

Send us Fan MailJoin artist, curator and YouTube creator James Payne for a captivating, illustrated talk exploring the stories behind some of the world’s most famous artworks. Best known for his series Great Art Explained, Payne brought masterpieces to life through compelling storytelling and sharp insight. In this special event, he will guide audiences through the remarkable lives of the artists, the drama behind the paintings and the fascinating details that make these works so enduring. Expect an entertaining and illuminating journey into the human stories behind great art.

Send us Fan MailJeremy Corbyn and Professor Paul Rogers discuss the Gaza Tribunal and the growing debate around accountability, international law and the humanitarian consequences of conflict in Gaza.  The conversation will reflect on the role of public testimony, political activism and legal scrutiny in shaping international awareness and response.  Whilst exploring wider questions around justice, diplomacy and the responsibilities of the international community in moments of humanitarian crisis.

Send us Fan MailSaeed Khan, Meshael Al-Mannai and Hassan Abdein explore how the modern Middle East was shaped through empire and partition; the discussion considers how borders, external intervention and competing visions of political identity continue to shape the region today.  Examining the legacy of the Sykes-Picot Agreement, mandate systems, nationalism and post-colonial state formation, this panel offers historical context for many of the conflicts, alliances and tensions that continue to define the contemporary Middle East.

Send us Fan MailPrue Leith has never been one to hold back. At 85, she’s not about to start.The Great British Bake Off presenter, Great British Menu judge, restaurateur, cookery school founder and national treasure joins us for a chat about her Sunday Times bestselling memoir Being Old and Learning to Love It, a frank, funny and thoroughly entertaining reckoning with life in her eighties. From love and loss to assisted dying, fashion, fame and finding joy, nothing is off limits.Warm, wise and wickedly honest, this is an afternoon in the company of a woman who has lived an extraordinary life and isn’t finished yet.