I am very excited to be taking part in this year's Nour Festival of Arts, London's largest series of arts events with a Middle Eastern and Islamic focus. What is even better is the nature of the event I will be speaking at, alongside some fascinating voices in the fields of literature, journalism and philosophy.
Sindbad Sci-Fi, taking place on Wednesday october 2nd at the Science Museum in Knightsbridge, promises to lift veils on a genre treated with some contempt and suspicion in the UK muslim community, as a vehicle for our own religious expression. This, despite it being one of the most popular genres by far, not only for Muslims but globally over the past few years, with blockbuster hits, world wide best selling books and games to name a few mediums of exploration.
When I was approached to speak about my own work, in the context of a discussion exploring whether Muslim inspired/made science fiction will be relevant to the mainstream (if it even exists - it is a growing phenomena), I was struck with a startling revelation.
Over a Millennia ago, in the thriving cities of the Middle-East, great thinkers and scholars were exploring questions so contemporary in their gaze you would be excused for reading their work and holding it to be a product of our own lifetimes. Questions covered 'Are we alone in the Universe?', 'What lies beyond in Space?' and 'What is out there in the Universe?'. More inspiring is the means of exploring such profound queries; Science Fiction. A fictional genre, setting up utopias and alien visitations would probably find place on many a bookshelf across our 21st century world.
I for one cannot wait to hear all about these people, their stories, and their dreams, articulated through wondrous science fiction visions.
Sindbad Sci-Fi is a salon discussion event taking place at the Science Museum's Dana Centre, Wednesday October 2nd, as a part of the annual Nour Festival of the Arts.
For details on the speakers and for reservations, go to the dana centre's website. For more information on the Nour festival, follow this link.