Syima Aslam
Founder, CEO and Artistic Director

CEO and Artistic Director, Syima Aslam is the founder and Director of the Bradford Literature Festival (BLF), which she established in 2014. A literary and cultural celebration, BLF welcomes more than 185,000 visitors to Bradford annually and is celebrated as Europe’s most diverse literature festival.

Aslam remains the driving force behind the festival. An economist by background, with extensive experience across a range of sectors including inward investment & regeneration, education, and data & marketing solutions, her ambition is to create real and lasting change. Her commitment to young people and passionate belief that education has the ability to change lives, is the inspiration behind everything she has achieved with the festival.

Syima Aslam's remarkable journey and contributions in the world of literature and cultural exchange resonate deeply, as such she has been made an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and received an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Bradford. In 2022, she became a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in recognition of her achievements to date for services to literature. In 2024 and 2025, Syima was recognised as one of the 500 Most Influential Muslims in the World.

Bradford Literature Festival has celebrated its 11th anniversary with 750+ events across the 10-day festival. The festival was named Europe’s most eclectic and diverse literature festival and was awarded the Culture Award at the Yorkshire Post Tourism Awards.

Dr Bill Lawrence
Executive Director

Bill first discovered his passion for cinema while studying for a PhD in mathematics, after joining his university film society. Building his career in York, he became the founding programmer of Pictureville Cinema when it opened in 1992, later progressing to Head of Film at the National Museum of Photography, Film & Television, now the National Science and Media Museum. During this time he established three major Bradford film festivals, the Bradford International Film Festival, the Bite the Mango Film Festival and the Bradford Animation Festival.

In 2006 he created the partnership board for Bradford: City of Film, contributing significantly to the UNESCO designation achieved in 2009. He later became Creative Director at Showroom Cinema in Sheffield, one of the UK’s leading independent cinemas, before leaving in 2010 to develop a broader portfolio supporting festivals and cinemas across the country, work that ultimately led to his involvement with Bradford Literature Festival.

Bill maintains a deep commitment to cinema, literature and the power of shared stories, ideas and experiences. His favourite film is Sunset Boulevard and his favourite novel is Flicker, a conspiracy thriller rooted in the world of film exhibition.

Shahzad Saleem
Non-Executive Director
Shahzad Saleem is a Managing Director with Alvarez & Marsal Corporate Transformation Services. With more than 25 years of industry and consulting experience he specialises in corporate transformations and turnarounds. Previously he served as Managing Director of Transformation at BT leading one of the largest global cost outs saving ~£6bn. Most recently he served as Capita's Chief Procurement Officer. Shahzad Saleem earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematical sciences from Manchester University and an MBA from Alliance Manchester Business School, where he was awarded the Global Citizen Award. He is a qualified accountant and has held several DEI posts including on the Race for Opportunities board, Race Champion at BT, judge at the WeQual Awards.
Costas Kalisperas
Non-Executive Director
Costas is a Londoner of Greek Cypriot heritage who has experience as a barrister, solicitor, investment banker, private equity executive, angel investor and board director over a professional services career spanning over 30 years. Now an executive coach, his focus is on helping leaders to build trust by leveraging transparency, collaboration, diversity and inclusion in order to achieve the best results. Costas has lived and worked in the U.K., U.S. and the Middle East. He holds an LL.B (Hons) from Nottingham University and an M.B.A (Beta Gamma Sigma) from Columbia Business School.
Robert Nisbet
Non-Executive Director
Robert Nisbet is a Partner at 5654 & Company, a corporate communications agency, where he advises major British and global brands including Coca-Cola, HARIBO, Sainsbury’s, The Scouts Association and Microsoft. He is an award-winning former culture, foreign and political correspondent for BBC and Sky News, with postings in Los Angeles, Washington DC, Brussels and Westminster across radio and television. He began his national broadcasting career on BBC One’s Six O’Clock News as its first Entertainment Correspondent, covering major global events including the Oscars, BAFTAs and Grammys. He co-founded BBC Three’s Liquid News and later presented The Morning Show. In 2018, he left journalism to become the national spokesperson for the British railway industry. Robert serves on the Advisory Board of the think tank Re:State, is a Leader in Residence at the University of Central Lancashire (UCLAN), and a Senior Fellow at the John Schofield Trust.
Andy Haldane
Chief Executive, Royal Society of Arts
Andrew Haldane is the Chief Executive of the Royal Society of Arts (RSA). He was formerly Chief Economist at the Bank of England and a member of the Bank's Monetary Policy Committee. He was the Permanent Secretary for Levelling Up at the Cabinet Office from September 2021 to March 2022. Andrew is Founder and President of the charity Pro Bono Economics, Vice-Chair of the charity National Numeracy and Chair of the National Numeracy Leadership Council. Andrew chairs the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre's Industrial Board and the South Yorkshire Mayor's Economic Advisory Council. He was formerly Chair of the Government's Industrial Strategy Council and the Levelling Up Advisory Council. He is contributing editor at the Financial Times and Chief Economic Advisor at PwC. Among other positions, he is Honorary Professor at the Universities of Nottingham, Manchester and Exeter, Visiting Professor at King's College, London and a Fellow of the Royal Society and the Academy of Social Sciences. He has published over 150 academic articles and four books.
Alexandra Pringle, Hon FRSL
Co-Founder of Silk Road Slippers
Previously Editor-in-Chief of Bloomsbury Publishing for over 20 years, Alexandra's authors have included Susanna Clarke, Richard Ford, Elizabeth Gilbert, Abdulrazak Gurnah, Khaled Hosseini, Jhumpa Lahiri, Colum McCann, Madeline Miller, Ann Patchett, George Saunders, Kamila Shamsie, Ahdaf Soueif and Patti Smith. She is a Patron of Index on Censorship and an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. She has been awarded Honorary Degrees of Doctor of Letters from Anglia Ruskin and Warwick Universities and is Visiting Professor at the Fiction Centre at Manchester Metropolitan University. She teaches writing masterclasses in Marrakech and London with Silk Road Slippers and is writing a memoir, Caravan, to be published in 2027 by Canongate in the UK and Summit Books, Simon & Schuster in the US.
Tim Duffy
Former Chairman, M&C Saatchi UK Group
In 1995, Tim became one of the founders of M&C Saatchi and helped build it into an integrated agency. He was appointed Chief Executive in 2004 and Chairman of the UK Group in 2009. He is Chair of the General Media Panel which advises the ASA, and chairs the Board of Free Word, an international cultural organisation promoting literature, literacy and freedom of expression.
Jared Shurin
Head of Strategic Communications, Greater London Authority
Jared has spent over twenty years developing communciations strategies for governments, global businesses and the third sector. His dedication to literature also includes founding a small press, serving as the director of a literary award, and editing the occasional anthology.
Lorraine O’Donnell
Chief Executive, Bradford Council
Lorraine is Chief Executive of Bradford Council. An experienced leader with an impressive track record of delivering improvements, Lorraine has ambitions to drive the district forwards. Lorraine also has a doctorate in Theoretical Physics from Oxford University.
Muddassar Ahmed
Managing Partner, Unitas Communications Ltd
Muddassar is Managing Partner at Unitas Communications, and President of the Concordia Forum and the John Adams Society. He is a visiting fellow with GMF’s Transatlantic Leadership Initiatives with a focus on advancing inclusive leadership. He is a Director of the European Network of (US State Dept.) American Alumni, The IDEAS fund & Faith Forum for London, and is on advisory boards at IAYP, the U.S. Atlantic Council and Global Ties U.S.
Stuart Sinclair
Chair, International Personal Finance Plc & Willis Ltd
Stuart has extensive experience in retail banking, insurance, consumer finance and asset finance. He has an MA in Economics from the University of Aberdeen and an MBA from the University of California. Stuart was previously Chairman of Provident Financial pc, a Non-Executive Director of TSB Banking Group and TSB Bank, former Senior Independent Director at Swinton Group and most recently Non Executive Director and Chair of the Remuneration Committee for Lloyds Banking Group.
Nick Boakes
Non-Executive Chair, MRM Group
Nick Boakes is one of the most experienced and respected corporate communicators operating in the UK today, helping found and grow some of the UK’s leading communications consultancies. As a member of the executive committees of two FTSE 100 companies, Friends Provident and Provident Financial Group, he has been directly responsible for both advising on and managing acutely sensitive political and financial issues.
Wendy Holden
Author
Wendy Holden’s career began in the magazine business, working for The Diplomat, Tatler, The Sunday Telegraph and The Mail on Sunday, as well as The Sunday Times as a ghost-writer on behalf of Tara Palmer-Tomkinson, an experience that influenced her first novel Simply Divine. Wendy Holden is now a number one bestselling historic novelist and author of ten consecutive Sunday Times top ten bestsellers; selling over many millions of copies round the world. Holden regularly reviews popular fiction for the Daily Mail, has sat on several literary judging panels and holds an Hon Doctor of Letters courtesy of the University of Derby.
Simon Stell
Managing Partner, LCF Law
Simon is Managing Partner of LCF Law and is responsible for leading the firm’s development, managing day-to-day operations and implementing the firm’s strategy. Simon is also responsible for operating and managing the firm’s online legal resource and the firm’s residential conveyancing law firm. He received the award of Yorkshire Lawyer of the Year at the Yorkshire Legal Awards 2016.

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