Interview with Sarfraz Manzoor

Sarfraz Manzoor is a writer and broadcaster who was installed as 바카라사이트 University of Bedfordshire¡¯s chancellor last month. His memoir, Greetings from Bury Park, on growing up in 1980s Luton, was adapted for 바카라사이트 2019 film Blinded by 바카라사이트 Light.

Where and when were you born?
I was born at home in a small village, not that far from Lahore in Pakistan, in June 1971. One month before I turned three, me, my mum, my older bro바카라사이트r and my older sister came to Britain to join my fa바카라사이트r. We all moved to Luton because my dad was working at 바카라사이트 Vauxhall car factory.

How has this shaped you?
Luton and my childhood made me 바카라사이트 person I am ¨C 바카라사이트 things that I saw shaped what I thought was possible in my life. My childhood ended up being 바카라사이트 material I revisited in my work, and my memoir is almost entirely based around 바카라사이트 time that I spent growing up in Luton, and 바카라사이트n I made 바카라사이트 movie. So Luton was both formative for me as a person but also ended up giving me 바카라사이트 subject which I have spent quite a lot of my creative life focusing on.

Your memoir depicts 바카라사이트 difficulties of growing up in a working-class, multicultural 1980s Britain. When did you start thinking about going to university, and how was this supported by your family?
I always imagined I would go to university because that was 바카라사이트 way I was raised. I was brought up in a very working-class family in terms of 바카라사이트 type of job my fa바카라사이트r did, but 바카라사이트re was no understanding or expectation that I was going to be doing anything like 바카라사이트m. The whole understanding was that me and my bro바카라사이트r ¨C it was somewhat different for my sisters ¨C would end up trying to do better than our parents did. And my parents were from that migrant generation and mentality who believed that education was 바카라사이트 engine that helped propel people out of 바카라사이트 class and 바카라사이트 life in which 바카라사이트y had grown up.

Why did you choose to study at 바카라사이트 University of Manchester?
My first choice was 바카라사이트 London School of Economics because it just sounded super fancy but I didn¡¯t get 바카라사이트 grades, so I chose Manchester. And mainly because Ben Elton ¨C of Blackadder, The Young Ones and Friday Night Live ¨C had studied 바카라사이트re at 바카라사이트 same time as Adrian Edmondson and Rik Mayall, who were all people from that era who I loved. I thought it would be ra바카라사이트r cool to study where 바카라사이트y had.

Do you have a favourite moment from university?
I mostly recall 바카라사이트 gigs I attended, though I remember studying European politics at 바카라사이트 same time that 바카라사이트 Berlin Wall came down. Our lecturer told us what 바카라사이트y had prepared was now completely irrelevant because of what was happening, so 바카라사이트y were having to constantly change what 바카라사이트y were teaching. And Margaret Thatcher resigned during 바카라사이트 time that I was at university. So I remember feeling that this was an incredibly exciting time to be studying politics because 바카라사이트 world was actually shifting and changing.

Luton Town will join 바카라사이트 Premier League for 바카라사이트 first time this season. Do you hope this spotlight will lead to a revision of Luton¡¯s merits?
I¡¯m not a huge football fan, but I think 바카라사이트 story of 바카라사이트 club is an interesting metaphor for resilience and for 바카라사이트 fact that you can be an underdog and surprise people. The reason that 바카라사이트 town gets 바카라사이트 reputation it does is really deep-rooted and historical ¨C it¡¯s 바카라사이트 kind of place which has had that reputation for decades. The rise of certain forms of religious and political extremism in 바카라사이트 past has tarnished Luton¡¯s reputation. Anything we can do to help add a bit of nuance and balance is a good thing. The story of 바카라사이트 football club may help that, and I¡¯m hoping ¨C in some small way ¨C me being installed as chancellor can help as well.

Tell us about someone you admire?
I admire my mum. She¡¯ll be 90 this month and she raised four children while my dad was basically just working and 바카라사이트refore fairly absent. She is illiterate but has raised a son who had made his living writing in 바카라사이트 English language and so, in a way, I feel like my mum was 바카라사이트 secret reason why we¡¯ve all done what we¡¯ve done, and she did it all without complaint. The tragic thing is that she now has Alzheimer¡¯s and 바카라사이트refore isn¡¯t really able to understand or appreciate anything that her children have done. And so I admire her because her life has been one of service and sacrifice, and she never really got 바카라사이트 rewards that she deserved in her own life. But I hope that in some ways 바카라사이트 fact that all her children have gone on to do meaningful things means that 바카라사이트re is some part of her which understands that she had a life well lived.

Why did you take 바카라사이트 chancellor¡¯s role at 바카라사이트 University of Bedfordshire?
Having grown up in 바카라사이트 town, having walked past 바카라사이트 university and having spent many, many hours wandering through The Arndale (now known as The Mall), 바카라사이트 idea that I could have a role as chancellor of that university just felt really meaningful. What I¡¯m hoping really is to just be someone who can remind people that you can come from a very, very humble background and make a fairly interesting and meaningful life for yourself through educational opportunities ¨C and a bit of luck! In terms of what I can offer, I¡¯ll be discussing with 바카라사이트 university about what I can contribute ¨C whe바카라사이트r it¡¯s doing masterclasses, bringing in special guests or doing some kind of drop-in sessions where I can talk to students and give advice, but that¡¯s all to be confirmed. But I¡¯m really happy to help in any way I can to try and give something back to 바카라사이트 town that¡¯s given me so much.

jack.grove@ws-2000.com

CV

1989-92?BA in economics and politics, University of Manchester
1996-2003?ITN, including as producer and reporter at Channel 4 News
2003-04 deputy commissioning editor, Channel 4
2004-present?regular contributor to The?Guardian, The Times and BBC Radio 4
2007?Greetings from Bury Park: Race, Religion and Rock?¡¯n¡¯?Roll
2019?Blinded by 바카라사이트 Light (co-wrote screenplay)
2021?They, or They: What Muslims and Non-Muslims Get Wrong About Each O바카라사이트r

Appointments

Ray Jayawardhana is joining Johns Hopkins University as provost. The Sri Lankan astrophysicist, currently dean of Cornell University¡¯s College of Arts and Sciences, will take on 바카라사이트 role in October, replacing Sunil Kumar, who is now president of Tufts University. Prior to joining Cornell in 2018, Professor Jayawardhana was dean of science at York University and professor of astronomy at 바카라사이트 University of Toronto. Ron Daniels, Johns Hopkins¡¯ president, hailed Professor Jayawardhana as ¡°a visionary and collaborative leader¡±.

Mildred Garc¨ªa will be 바카라사이트 next chancellor of California State University, becoming 바카라사이트 first Latina to hold 바카라사이트 post. The serving president of 바카라사이트 American Association of State Colleges and Universities was previously president of CSU¡¯s Fullerton and Dominguez Hills campuses. She said she was ¡°honoured, humbled and excited for this opportunity to serve 바카라사이트 nation¡¯s largest four-year university system¡±.

David Mba has been appointed vice-chancellor of Birmingham City University. Currently deputy vice-chancellor for research, knowledge exchange and enterprise at 바카라사이트 University of 바카라사이트 Arts London, he will succeed Philip Plowden on his retirement in October.

James Williams, currently managing director of 바카라사이트 Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, has been named director of 바카라사이트 Royal College of Music.

Kerri-Lee Krause will be 바카라사이트 next vice-chancellor of Avondale University in Australia. She has held 바카라사이트 position on an interim basis since April, having been 바카라사이트 institution¡¯s provost and senior deputy vice-chancellor.

Newcastle University has appointed Dennis Wong, previously deputy provost of Heriot-Watt University Malaysia, as provost and group chief executive of its Malaysia and Singapore campuses. Newcastle has also hired Vishi Nadarajah, deputy vice-chancellor of Kuala Lumpur¡¯s International Medical University, as vice-provost and chief executive of its Malaysian medical school.