Author Archives: samiraahmed

About samiraahmed

Journalist. Writer. Broadcaster.

The story behind How I Found My Voice

Posted on April 15, 2019 by samiraahmed

The podcast is the idea of Intelligence Squared’s Matt McAllester and was developed by producer Farah Jassat – one of the brightest young talents in broadcasting – who recently joined Intelligence Squared after several years at the BBC as a … Continue reading →

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How we made The Victorian Queens of Ancient Egypt

Posted on February 3, 2019 by samiraahmed

Have you ever wondered why ancient Egypt lives in so many museum collections across Britain? Not to mention Germany, France, the USA and other former colonial powers. Why it haunts our dreams and our films and since childhood our imaginations? … Continue reading →

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Two Gentlemen Sharing: Swinging London’s “race” picture

Posted on September 2, 2018 by samiraahmed

The films of Swinging London have been pored over and cherished ever since the 1960s. Which made Saturday’s rare BFI Southbank screening for Two Gentlemen Sharing with a Q&A with director and the two leading ladies all the more intriguing. … Continue reading →

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Duran Duran and the glamour v grit music wars of the 80s

Posted on June 29, 2018 by samiraahmed

Ahead of tonight’s BBC4 Duran Duran night.. There is one rather interesting section of my interview with John Taylor and Roger Taylor we couldn’t quite get into the final Front Row edit on Monday night.   So here’s the transcript. … Continue reading →

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I sense a disturbance. Everything that’s missing from The Last Jedi (some SPOILERS so see it first!!)

Posted on December 15, 2017 by samiraahmed

The scroll screen could have been written for Ep VII. As if nothing has happened. First rule of sequels: Take the story on. What’s the new line? Please hire me to write proper copy in future. Leia is unconscious for … Continue reading →

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What made America great? On the trail of Laura Ingalls Wilder

Posted on December 6, 2017 by samiraahmed

It was the 2008 crash that somehow inspired me to finally read the Little House on the Prairie books. I was clearly craving comfort, safety, a kind of nostalgia for a vaguely remembered 70s girlhood in which I half watched … Continue reading →

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Jodie Foster on why The Silence of The Lambs is a perfect film

Posted on November 5, 2017 by samiraahmed

I recently wrote about why the 1990s was such an amazing time to be a young woman. Jodie Foster confirmed the sense of a breakthrough at a screening of The Silence of The Lambs on Friday night at the BFI … Continue reading →

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Making news in the “fake news” age

Posted on October 25, 2017 by samiraahmed

These are links to further reading from today’s Kingston University journalism/media lecture. Newswatch – on the Theresa May speech/cough – to see the connection between audience, traditional BBC news and the impact of “viral” social media on traditional news. The … Continue reading →

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The Prisoner: An Anglo Saxon poetic meditation

Posted on August 23, 2017 by samiraahmed

Was meditating on the enduring power of The Prisoner TV series for Matthew Sweet who wrote a rather excellent piece about its 50th anniversary. If you’ve read it you know I  came up with a thesis that it has more … Continue reading →

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Filth, fury and the funny way Britain feels about Joe Orton

Posted on August 10, 2017 by samiraahmed

You never forget your first time. I was 19 years old. I descended into a dark, cramped basement where student actors brought to life a weird, twisted sexual triangle. Going to student drama productions in odd spaces around the University … Continue reading →

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