Book Talk - Mohammed Hanif on 'Rebel English Academy'

The South Asia Forum is pleased to welcome the acclaimed writer and journalist Mohammed Hanif to QMUL. Hanif will be in conversation with Archit Nanda and Rehana Ahmed on his new novel, Rebel English Academy (2026). Set after the execution of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto in 1970s Pakistan, the book explores themes of power, religion, education, sexuality and dissent.

Mohammed Hanif was born in Okara, Pakistan. He graduated from the Pakistan Air Force Academy as Pilot Officer but subsequently left to pursue a career in journalism. His first novel, A Case of Exploding Mangoes, was longlisted for the Man Booker Prize, shortlisted for the Guardian First Book Award and won the Commonwealth Writers' Prize for Best First Novel. His second novel, Our Lady of Alice Bhatti, was shortlisted for the 2012 Wellcome Prize. He has written the libretto for a new opera and writes regularly for the New York Times, BBC Urdu and BBC Punjabi. He currently splits his time between Berlin and Karachi.

Archit Nanda is a PhD Candidate in Comparative Literature at QMUL.

Rehana Ahmed is Reader in Postcolonial and Contemporary Literature at QMUL.

Attendance free but registration required. The event will be followed by a reception.