A PROJECT articulating the voices of women who have survived some of life’s most extreme situations premieres at Bradford Literature Festival. Sidelines to Centre Stage will be performed by author and campaigner Abda Khan at the festival in June 30.

Abda delivered a series of pioneering creative writing workshops to women who have survived abuse, trauma and incarceration. Women from refuges in Birmingham and Solihull Women’s Aid and Muslim Women in Prison Project in Bradford participated in the workshops and were introduced to the art of creative writing, enabling the women to articulate their experiences on paper.

Abda, author of the novels Stained and Razia, and British Muslim Woman of the Year 2019, captured the women’s stories, thoughts and experiences, and will present the anonymised work on stage through “astonishingly powerful and moving” writing.

Abda said: “The women have produced highly emotive and moving work that articulates their challenging and wide-ranging life experiences, from domestic violence to forced marriage, to love, loss and hope, thereby unearthing many hidden stories.”

The writing covers a whole host of complex issues, including domestic violence, forced marriage, ‘honour’ abuse, female genital mutilation, child abuse, femicide, homelessness and forced prostitution.

Visit bradfordlitfest.co.uk to book tickets.