Bradford Literature Festival (BLF) is proud to announce that its founder, CEO & Artistic Director, Syima Aslam MBE, has been recognised in the 2024 Muslim 500 list as one of The 500 Most Influential Muslims in the World.
This prestigious honour highlights Syima Aslam’s exceptional contributions to literature, arts and culture, and affirms Bradford Literature Festival’s place as the UK’s foremost international literature festival and Europe’s most eclectic and diverse literature festival.
The Muslim 500, an internationally renowned publication, annually identifies and celebrates the most influential Muslims worldwide, acknowledging individuals who have made significant impacts in various fields. Other local mentions include MP Naz Shah and previously Zayn Malik.
Bradford Literature Festival, now in its 10th year, was founded by Syima Aslam with the vision of creating an international destination festival. Her inclusion of an Ethical Ticketing Policy makes the festival socioeconomically accessible to all, with a free Education Programme to raise aspirations and literacy levels of the children of Bradford.
The festival has grown exponentially under her leadership, becoming one of the UK’s largest literature festivals and a prominent global cultural event. Bradford Literature Festival is known as a space for meaningful discussions, literature, and the arts. The festival showcases a diversity of perspectives and amplifies marginalised voices and stories, creating a space for even the most challenging conversations.
Expressing her gratitude, Syima Aslam said “I’m honoured to have been recognised in this year’s edition of The Muslim 500. At BLF we passionately believe in the power of education to change lives and the power of words to create dialogue, build bridges and bring people together.”
“We are committed to fostering diverse voices and inclusivity in the world of culture and creativity. The foundational ethos of BLF has always been that the common denominator is our shared humanity, and the words are the threads that draw us all together.“
Bradford Literature Festival will return for its 10th anniversary this summer (28 June – 7 July), hosting hundreds of unique events for all ages across 10 days. BLF will welcome some of the most inspirational and creative figures from the worlds of literature, poetry, business, politics, science and history, film and TV, among many others, to Bradford.
For more information about Bradford Literature Festival: www.bradfordlitfest.co.uk. To view the complete list of The 500 Most Influential Muslims in the World 2024, visit The Muslim 500 website.
