Description
What happens when we stop imagining the future through human eyes?
Join Mahmud El Sayed and Daanish Masood Alavi for a thought-provoking exploration of storytelling, imagination and the ways fiction helps us make sense of an ever-changing world. From questions of identity and belief to the challenges of navigating uncertainty, their work invites readers to consider new perspectives on what it means to be human.
Together they explore why stories remain such a powerful tool for examining morality, responsibility and the choices we face as individuals and societies, and what fiction can reveal about the hopes, anxieties and possibilities of our own age.
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About the Author
Mahmud El Sayed
Mahmud El Sayed is a British-Egyptian SFF writer and translator who lives in East London. His stories explore Arabic and Islamic-inspired themes in a genre he is calling Arabfuturism. He won Future Worlds Prize 2023.
About the Speaker
Daanish Masood Alavi
With over 20 years of experience in conflict and technology, Daanish Masood Alavi is collaborating with top AI labs, embedding global values, legal codes, and ethics into AI systems. For 16 years, Daanish served the United Nations. Starting in the Secretary-General’s office, he later co-led a UN innovation unit, applying cutting-edge technologies to peacemaking use cases in conflict zones. Previously, he supported Security Council missions in the Middle East and helped establish an evidence gathering mission to document ISIL’s atrocities in Iraq. Recognitions include the Geospatial Excellence Award for a pioneering satellite system aimed at measuring water diminishment and directing a VR film that premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. Daanish co-founded the VR collective BeAnotherLab and was an affiliate at MIT’s Arts, Culture and Technology program. He holds degrees in analytic philosophy and Middle East Studies.
About the Chair
Anne Perry
Anne Perry is a fossil-hunter, bird-watcher, licensed mudlarker and a few other things. Born in the US, she now lives and works in London. The cosy romantic fantasy novel Stay For A Spell is Coombe’s debut.
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