Our panel will talk about their own work and Arabic sci-fi more broadly, touching on lesserknown work from past authors as they explore the themes, worlds and wonders this exciting genre contains and examine its place within Islamicate fiction more generally.

Yasmin Khan of website Sindbad Sci-Fi, which is dedicated to promoting Arab science-fiction, moderates the discussion. She’s joined by writer, artist and calligrapher Razwan Ul Haq, whose flowing pieces are coloured with otherworldly influences and cosmological themes; fantasy author Rehan Khan, whose latest book ‘Last of the Tasburai’ centres around a sword-wielding heroine’s struggle against massing evil and the ghosts of her past; and Naomi Foyle, author of ‘The Gaia Chronicles’, a science-fantasy quartet set in a post-fossil fuel Mesopotamia.

About The Authors

Naomi Foyle

Naomi Foyle is an award-winning British-Canadian poet, SF novelist, verse dramatist and essayist, the author of The Gaia Chronicles, an eco-science fantasy quartet set in a post-fossil fuel Mesopotamia, and editor of the bilingual anthology A Blade of Grass: New Palestinian Poetry. She is a non-Muslim Fellow of the Muslim Institute.

Rehan Khan

Rehan Khan was born in Wimbledon, close to the quintessential All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. As a child he loved listening to swashbuckling tales of heroism and valor. His debut novel is ‘Last of the Tasburai’ (2014). He is also a professor of management and leadership.

About The Artist

Razwan Ul Haq

Razwan Ul-Haq is a British Muslim artist with a wide range of artistic styles. His work can be described as experiential Islamic Art, a post-modern reflection that draws from the well that fed the traditional calligraphic foundations of Islamic Art. Razwan uses a number of science fiction motifs in his work.

Contributor

Yasmin Khan

Yasmin Khan is the producer of Sindbad Sci-Fi, which seeks to engage audiences in discovering the interconnections of science fiction across the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia and exploring relationships between culture and innovation. Yasmin has partnered with a diverse range of clients and artists to deliver major exhibitions and events across the museums, heritage and creative sectors.