An Evening of Narrative Performance with Author Imran Ahmad

Join us for an evening of ‘narrative performance’ with Imran Ahmad, author of the acclaimed book Unimagined: Muhammad, Jesus and James Bond.

Ahmad – a British Muslim of Pakistan origin – was a fairly ordinary person, having a fairly ordinary life in London. He became totally fed-up of the media hysteria which invariably linked Islam with terrorism, extremism and barbarism. He wrote a book, Unimagined, relating his ordinary life as a British Muslim in a very funny, insightful and thought-provoking way. Every major UK publisher rejected the book, because they expected ‘a Muslim book’ to be either a ‘misery memoir’, or about Islamist terrorism (or preferably both). In this way, the publishing industry continues to define how Muslims are perceived by the wider society.

Eventually, over a year later, the manuscript landed on the desk of Islington-based Commissioning Editor Karen Ings, who wrote in an email: ‘Seldom have I enjoyed a manuscript so much.’ Karen championed the publication of Unimagined, which then received an extraordinary breadth of acclaim, both in literary circles and at grassroots level.

Acclaim and awards that the book has received includes:

• Being selected by THREE major newspapers int heir ‘Best Books of the Year’ lists: Independent, Guardian, Sydney Morning Herald. (One is an honour, two is unusual, three is amazing!)

• Being placed on the core reading lists of Manchester Grammar School and the Department of English at Stirling University.

• Becoming the number one Bestseller at Byron Bay Writers’ Festival (Australia).

This is just a selection of the acclaim. For a fuller account of recognition for the book see the website www.unimagined.org.

Imran then discovered that he had another talent: speaking and entertaining audiences in a very funny and engaging way. He was invited from one prestigious literary festival to another, always delighting the audience and catching the attention of another literary festival director, inter alia: Kingston, Edinburgh, Bath, Sydney, Bali, Perth, Byron Bay, Dubai. In 2009, he conducted a speaking tour of the entire mainland United States, driving 13,934 miles in a hybrid car, and giving 41 ‘narrative performances’ in 39 cities. His theme was ‘Re-humanisation of the relationship between America and the Muslim world.’ He has now secured a major New York publisher and will be doing a 75-city speaking tour of the entire United States in 2012.

But first he returns to the Islington area, to give one of his acclaimed and very funny ‘narrative performances’ at Newington Green Unitarian Church, on 11th April.

The irony is that all the major UK publishers rejected a book which did not meet their preconceived requirements (‘misery memoir’ or terrorism), but which then received an amazing breadth and depth of acclaim, from all sections of society: Christians, Muslims, Jews, atheists, military personnel, politicians. Unimagined is frequently praised for the ‘universal’ nature of the experiences it relates. The only significant party which did not like Unimagined was the Government of Qatar, which blocked its publication in Arabic, due to ‘unsuitable content’.

Please note: this is not a religious event.