Author Archives: samiraahmed

Plotting the arc of darkness with Joss Whedon

Posted on June 13, 2013 by samiraahmed

Here’s a link to my interview with Joss Whedon for Radio 3′s Night Waves on June 12th. We covered his writing for Roseanne, Shakespearean superheroes, his love of musicals — especially Brigadoon –  the way studios treat writers, (take Firefly … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Children, Comedy, Comics/graphic novels, Culture, Media, Radio, Science Fiction/Fantasy, TV, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Lessons from Italy’s Mafia Republic

Posted on June 5, 2013 by samiraahmed

Every weekend when I was 10 years old, I had to write an English composition for homework. It was 1978 and drawing on the daily news on my TV screen for source material I wrote one  imagining I was the … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Crime and Justice, History, journalism, Politics, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 23 Comments

But it’s news… Some questions about Woolwich coverage

Posted on May 23, 2013 by samiraahmed

 I’ll be discussing questions about BBC TV’s news coverage of the horrific Woolwich street murder of a young soldier on Newswatch with the head of the BBC Newsroom, Mary Hockaday on Friday May 24th. This blog post lays out some … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Justice, journalism, Media, TV, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | 47 Comments

Only connect: Charles Correa and the power of the empty centre

Posted on May 15, 2013 by samiraahmed

I interviewed Charles Correa, India’s Greatest living architect  at RIBA yesterday, which is holding a retrospective of his remarkable career till September 4th. He’s just given them his archive of papers which you can explore online below. His story is … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Design, Radio, Science, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

An ethically lighter way to enjoy chocolate

Posted on May 8, 2013 by samiraahmed

  I am not keen on those books by apparently very affluent globetrotting authors with a nice life, that tell us to spend less, slow down and focus on the spiritual. In fact I speed-read Carl Honore’s “In Praise of … Continue reading →

Posted in Business/Economics, Food/Drink | Tagged | 15 Comments

Billy Liar, Bradford and the birth of the dollybird

Posted on May 1, 2013 by samiraahmed

“A lazy, irresponsible young clerk in provincial Northern England lives in his own fantasy world and makes emotionally immature decisions as he alienates friends and family.” Everyone loves Billy Liar. Apart from whoever wrote imdb’s current bizarrely censorious plot summary … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Comedy, Film, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Malala, Muslim women and “misery” memoirs

Posted on April 18, 2013 by samiraahmed

I was reading memoirs and novels by the authors taking part in Thursday’s Asia House panel discussion about women, freedom and the Islamic world, when the multimillion pound book deal of Malala Yousafzai was announced. What does the apparent popularity … Continue reading →

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From The Mahabharata to The Matrix: Prophecy, Chosen Ones & lazy storytelling

Posted on April 10, 2013 by samiraahmed

This is a version of a column that first appeared in The Big Issue. Journalism worth paying for. Every week from street vendors around the UK. Subscriptions are available if you can’t buy on the street. All funds go to … Continue reading →

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From avenger to screamer: How Dr Who assistants remain trapped in time

Posted on April 9, 2013 by samiraahmed

The Reunion programme for Radio 4, produced by Peter Curran, recently brought together some of the original cast and crew of the first episode of Doctor Who. The first Dr Who team was notable for its diversity — Waris Hussein … Continue reading →

Posted in Children, Culture, Science Fiction/Fantasy, TV, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

How The West Was Fun: When Britain loved cowboys

Posted on April 5, 2013 by samiraahmed

The Unforgiven (1961) – The Searchers in reverse This is about the back ground to the April 6th documentary I made for Radio 4 about the Western in British culture. You can listen again here: Archive on Four documentary Riding … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Children, Cowboys!, Culture, Film, History, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment