Iman Qureshi

Iman Qureshi is a London-based writer, awarded the PAPAtango prize for new writing for her play 'The Funeral Director' in 2018. Her work explores themes of race, gender, and sexuality, and she has spoken openly about her identity as a Muslim and her desire to create community and political change through her work.[1][2][3]

Career

Qureshi worked for the homelessness charity Shelter before her writing career was established.[1] In 2018, PAPAtango collaborated with the English Touring Theatre to co-produce Qureshi's prize-winning play 'The Funeral Director', with a premier in London at the Southwark Playhouse,[4] followed by performances in Edinburgh, Manchester, Nottingham and Oxford.[5] This was the first time that PAPAtango had co-produced a play.[5]

In 2019, 'My White Best Friend' series at the Bunker Theatre, curated by Rachel De-Lahay and Milli Bhatia, featured a monologue written by Qureshi.[6]

Qureshi was commissioned by Tamasha and Titi Dawudu to write two monologues for 'Hear me now', published by Oberon books.[7]

Qureshi wrote a short play, Birthday Begum, as writer in residence at Mulberry School for Girls, funded by Tamasha's 'Re Fuel' project, with performances at Rich Mix and Theatre Royal Stratford East.[8]

Qureshi has written comment pieces for the Huffington Post,[9] Guardian,[10] and Independent.[11]

Accolades

Qureshi's play 'The Funeral Director' was shortlisted for Soho Theatre's Tony Craze Award in 2017,[12] before winning the PAPAtango Prize in 2018.[13][14][15] The play was selected top of 1,384 entries.[14]

Qureshi was one of the Soho Six playwrights for 2019 at the Soho Theatre, London,[13] and she was selected for the Genesis Almeida New Playwrights Big Plays programme in 2019/2020.[16]

Qureshi's short film, 'Home Girl', directed by Poonam Brah, was featured in the Film London 'London Calling' film festival, and the 2019 BFI Flare Festival.[4][17][18]

Work

Plays
  • Speed (Kali Theatre at the Tristan Bates Theatre, 2013)
  • The Funeral Director (PAPAtango / English Touring Theatre, 2018)
  • The Ministry of Lesbian Affairs (Soho Theatre, London, 2022)
  • His and Hers (Soho Theatre)[19]
  • Side Effects (directed by Cheryl Ndione, Canary Wharf Roof Garden and Poplar Union)[20]
  • The Ceremony (Open Sky Theatre, 2020)[21][22]

Monologues
  • 'The Passport Thing', featured in 'My White Best Friend' (Bunker Theatre, 2019, Oberon Books/ Bloomsbury, 2020)[23]
  • 'Hear me now' (Oberon books, 2019)[7]

Film

'Home Girl' (directed by Poonam Brah, 2018).[4]

Personal life

Qureshi was born in Pakistan before moving to Saudi Arabia as a child, and then to London in 2003.[13][1] She studied for a law degree and for an MSc in Postcolonial Literature.[9][10]

References
  1. "'I want to create a lesbian mecca': Iman Qureshi on her play about a glorious women's choir". the Guardian. 2 May 2022. Retrieved 14 November 2022.
  2. "Iman Qureshi | interview | play about a gay Muslim woman". The Stage. Retrieved 14 November 2022.
  3. "What it's like to be a writer - who happens to be Muslim". sister-hood magazine. A Fuuse production by Deeyah Khan. 8 October 2020. Retrieved 14 November 2022.
  4. "Iman Qureshi". Royal Court. Retrieved 14 November 2022.
  5. "A (Short) History Of Papatango - Papatango Theatre Company - Award-winning new writing". 14 March 2022. Retrieved 14 November 2022.
  6. "Theatre review: My White Best Friend (and other letters left unsaid) at The Bunker Theatre". British Theatre Guide. 18 March 2019. Retrieved 14 November 2022.
  7. Hear me now : audition monologues for actors of colour. Titilola Dawudu, Tamasha. London. 2018. ISBN 978-1-78682-461-5. OCLC 1085374095.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) CS1 maint: others (link)
  8. "Re-Fuel". www.stratfordeast.com. Retrieved 14 November 2022.
  9. "Iman Qureshi | HuffPost". www.huffingtonpost.co.uk. Retrieved 14 November 2022.
  10. "Iman Qureshi | The Guardian". the Guardian. Retrieved 14 November 2022.
  11. "Opinion: Why are lesbians still invisible in popular culture?". The Independent. 25 April 2022. Retrieved 14 November 2022.
  12. "Verity Bargate Award shortlist announced | WhatsOnStage". www.whatsonstage.com. 9 October 2017. Retrieved 14 November 2022.
  13. "Interview with Iman Qureshi". www.culturecalling.com. Retrieved 14 November 2022.
  14. "2018 Papatango Prize won by Iman Qureshi for The Funeral Director | WhatsOnStage". www.whatsonstage.com. 3 July 2018. Retrieved 14 November 2022.
  15. "Iman Qureshi wins 2018 Papatango New Writing Prize". The Stage. Retrieved 14 November 2022.
  16. "Genesis Almeida New Playwrights | Almeida Theatre, London". almeida.co.uk. Retrieved 14 November 2022.
  17. "Royal Court Theatre announces Queer Upstairs rehearsed readings of new short plays". Theatre-News.com. Retrieved 14 November 2022.
  18. "BFI Flare Programme 2019" (PDF).
  19. Wild, Stephi. "Edward Stone, Assad Zaman, Francesca Zoutewelle and More Announced For UK Tour of THE FUNERAL DIRECTOR". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 14 November 2022.
  20. "Tony Craze Award". Soho Theatre. Retrieved 14 November 2022.
  21. "The Ceremony". OPEN SKY THEATRE. Retrieved 14 November 2022.
  22. "Review: Microplays – Open Sky". The Stage. Retrieved 14 November 2022.
  23. My white best friend : (and other letters left unsaid). Rachel De-lahay. London. 2020. ISBN 978-1-78682-901-6. OCLC 1144805370.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) CS1 maint: others (link)
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