COVID DIARY DAY 9130

It’s been 5 years since the lockdown. The human world was virtually under house arrest. The natural world 🌎 took a sigh of relief. Dolphins were spotted swimming in the Bosphorus, deer and mountain goats were seen roaming the streets of Britain and nature reserves saw a boom in animal populations. Introverts were supremely happy […]

Ramadan Days

We are half-way through Ramadan. I thought it maybe interesting for you to gain an insight into what my days look like currently. Work days start with sehri (breakfast) at 4am in the morning. My go to is porridge and dates. After breakfast, I brush my teeth thoroughly and perform ablution for prayer. The fajr […]

Writing Update March 2025

This is a straight forward writing update in which I do not intend to waffle about random things (but may still end up doing). I’ve written three chapters of Alauddin and its already longer than the original thing I wrote in my teens. I’m also already making mental notes about things I want to go […]

Ramadan 2025

Wow. It feels like its only been a short while since I wrote my last Ramadan post. So many people who were with us last year at this time have passed from the world. As a Muslim, I am grateful for every Ramadan that I am alive to experience. Each one is another month to […]

Islamic vs. Muslim Fiction

A common misconception is that fiction featuring Islamic themes is Islamic Fiction. It is easy to confuse or conflate Islam with Muslims and is often done by the media and politicians, both intentionally and unintentionally. In this post, I will define these two key terms before explaining the conundrum of this blog’s title. Islam is […]

Muslim Historical Fiction

1. Introduction Historical fiction is difficult to define in the academic sense. Is it all fiction that is set in the historical past of our world? Brown (1998) suggests that its not that simple. Books set in Ancient Greece or during WW1 may easily be identified as having a historic setting. However, what about stories […]

Alauddin Update

Work has started on this rewrite of something I wrote in my teen years. Initially, it was meant to be a padding out of the original with some more character work and plot. However, as these things go, it’s kind of become a full rewrite. The original was good for a teen project. I was […]

So You Want to be a Writer?

2025 has started and lots of people have begun the year resolving to write a novel. There is lots of advice out there about what a new writer should do, some great and some just plain bad. I have been writing now for over two decades, but I still wouldn’t consider myself an expert. However, […]

2025 Projects

Its been a pretty good year for me. But for the world, It’s been a tumultuous and disturbing one. Humanity seems to be losing … to itself. Despite the best efforts of scientists and science fiction authors, we continually move towards self-destructive tendencies. Climate change, wars, human rights violations, famine. And Donald Trump is yet […]