Advisory Board

Professor Ian Almond is an internationally renowned scholar of comparative and world literature whose work explores the intersections of literature, religion, philosophy, and postcolonial thought across the Middle East, South Asia, and Latin America. He is the author of several influential books, including World Literature Decentered, The New Orientalists, History of Islam in German Thought, Two Faiths, One Banner, Sufism and Deconstruction, and The Thought of Nirad C. Chaudhuri. His scholarship has significantly shaped contemporary debates in world literature and cross-cultural studies, reflecting Kahf's commitment to fostering dialogue and celebrating the literary and intellectual traditions of the East.

Professor Nusrat Bazaz is a distinguished scholar, translator, educator, and literary critic whose work has been shaped by a lifelong commitment to literature, learning, and cultural exchange. Alongside her scholarship in American and comparative literature, she has devoted herself to translating Kashmiri poetry and prose into English, enabling local voices to travel beyond borders while preserving their cultural essence. She is the co-translator of The Captured Gazelle: The Poems of Ghani Kashmiri (Penguin Classics) and co-editor of The Vyeth Is Not Asleep: Poems of Rahman Rahi, landmark works that have brought Kashmir's literary heritage to a wider international readership. Through her scholarship, mentorship, and academic leadership, she reflects Kahf's belief that translation is not merely the movement of words, but the carrying of memory across languages, nurturing meaningful engagement with the literary and intellectual traditions of the East.

Azam Abidov is an internationally acclaimed poet, translator, and cultural advocate whose work has played a vital role in introducing the literary traditions of Uzbekistan and Central Asia to readers across the world. Writing in both Uzbek and English, he is the author of more than ten books, including A Miracle Is on the Way, Tunes of Asia, Dream of Lightsome Dawns, I Leave You in Complete Boredom, and My Name Is Uzbekistan. His acclaimed translations of classical and contemporary Uzbek literature—including Alisher Navoiy's Farhod and Shirin—have helped preserve and share one of the East's richest literary legacies with a global readership. Through his poetry, translation, literary initiatives, and the founding of Uzbekistan's first international Writer/Artist Residency Program, he embodies Kahf's commitment to preserving literary heritage, fostering cultural dialogue, and celebrating the intellectual traditions of the East.

Professor Mufti Mudasir is one of Kashmir's foremost literary scholars, translators, and critics, whose work bridges the literary traditions of Kashmir, Persia, and the wider Islamic world. Moving seamlessly across English, Persian, Arabic, Urdu, and Kashmiri, his scholarship recovers forgotten texts, preserves literary memory, and brings the intellectual heritage of the East into conversation with contemporary readers. His acclaimed publications include The Captured Gazelle: The Poems of Ghani Kashmiri (Penguin Classics), Yusuf's Fragrance: Poems of Mahmud Gami (Penguin Classics), Aatash-e Toor, and Towards a Poetics of Postmodern Drama. Through his scholarship in translation, literary theory, Persian literature, and Kashmir's intellectual history, he embodies Kahf's commitment to preserving, studying, and celebrating the enduring literary traditions of the East.

Dr. Zahra Khosroshahi is a scholar of film, media, and cultural resistance whose research explores the intersections of cinema, gender, and power in contemporary Iran. Her forthcoming monograph, Iranian Women Filmmakers: A Cinema of Resistance (Edinburgh University Press), examines how filmmaking becomes a powerful act of resistance and social transformation. Beyond academia, she co-organizes the Creatives of Colour Festival through Glasgow's Thinking Culture initiative and is the co-founder of Thousand&One, a social enterprise supporting Women of Colour and advancing conversations on decolonising workplace structures. Her work embodies Kahf's commitment to amplifying underrepresented voices, fostering cultural dialogue, and celebrating the transformative power of storytelling across the East.

Professor Iffat Maqbool is a scholar of English literature whose work encompasses Indian Writing in English, Modern Irish and Modern English Poetry, Postcolonial and Gender Studies, and Contemporary Literature. Her scholarship explores the intersections of identity, memory, trauma, ethics, and literary representation, reflecting a sustained engagement with the ways literature responds to history and culture. She brings to Kahf a wealth of academic leadership, critical insight, and an enduring commitment to literary scholarship.

Dr Abeer Heider is a scholar of Arabic linguistics and the teaching of Arabic as a foreign language, with expertise spanning language pedagogy, curriculum design, and applied linguistics. Her work is dedicated to making Arabic language and literary traditions accessible across cultures while fostering meaningful intercultural dialogue and linguistic scholarship. Through her research, teaching, and academic leadership, she brings to Kahf a profound commitment to the preservation, dissemination, and appreciation of the Arabic language and its rich intellectual and literary heritage.

Professor Tasleem Ahmad War is a scholar whose work brings together literature, language, philosophy, translation, and the intellectual traditions of Kashmir. His research explores the rich intersections of Eastern thought, spirituality, and literary expression, while his translations and writings continue to illuminate Kashmir's cultural inheritance for wider audiences. His interdisciplinary vision and commitment to nurturing dialogue across traditions resonate deeply with Kahf's pursuit of meaningful scholarship rooted in the literary cultures of the East.