Hilal Fareed (HF) is an Orthopaedic Surgeon and Urdu Poet based in London. He was born in Lucknow and brought up in Aligarh. His specialist interests include Knee and Hip Replacement Surgery and Arthroscopic Knee Surgery. 

HF has been writing poetry in Urdu for over forty-fiveyears. Though he experiments in various poetic forms, but his main genre is Ghazal. His poetic collections include Jab Diyon Ke Sar Uthe, Pyar Ki Boli Bol and Ye To Ishq Ka Hai Muamla. His experience in 'Theatre & Drama' includes key roles in plays like Shatranj ke Mohray (Urdu), Juloos (Hindi) and The Dreams of Tipu Sultan (English).

HF runs a Charity called Roshni for Harmony and a 'not-for-profit' organisation called Urdu Culture Limited(previously known as Sir Syed Foundation London). He is also founder director of Anjuman Taraqqi Urdu UK.

Author of ‘Beloved Delhi: A Mughal City and her Greatest Poets’ (Revised Edition, 2023), Dr Saif Mahmood is a leading South Asian name in the field of Urdu literature and its cultural heritage.

A highly sought-after public speaker, commentator and translator, Saif works to showcase Urdu literary traditions and particularly emphasise poetry as a cultural document. He brings fresh insights into a range of themes found in Urdu poetry. Through his various speaking engagements and live recitation of verses, their impromptu English translations and the stories behind them, he renders the original accessible to English-speaking audiences all over the world. His candid conversations with celebrities in the areas of art, literature, culture and heritage, have received global acclaim. 

By profession, an international lawyer and Advocate of the Supreme Court of India, holding a doctorate in Comparative Constitutional Law, Saif has been Visiting Academic at the University of Oxford working on the Mughal State’s treatment of Urdu poets of resistance. He advises various literary and cultural organisations globally and his works frequently appear in the media. 

Hailing from an area of Barabanki, India, renowned for its rich Sufi, cultural and literary traditions, Irfan Mustafa secured a Masters from the University of Lucknow before making his move to the United Kingdom. Furthering his education, he completed postgraduate studies at the University of East London. In the realm of education services, Irfan assumed the role of Manager in Newham. Beyond his professional endeavours, he committed himself to public service, serving as a local councillor from 2006 to 2010. 

An adept Technical Officer accredited by Badminton England, Irfan officiates at prestigious tournaments such as the All England Badminton Championship. Additionally, he volunteers at renowned venues like Lord's Cricket Ground and for Hockey England.

Dedicated to community engagement, Irfan actively supports various organisations, notably the Breast Cancer Charity UK and the Stroke Association UK.

Ifran's passion for preserving Indian art and culture is matched only by his profound love for Urdu literature and poetry, which he ardently promotes and preserves. He has an impressive record of successfully managing and administering cultural and literary festivals and events in the past. 

Iram Gilani is the founder director of a software development company headquartered in Northampton. Raised in Allahabad, renowned for the confluence of the Ganges and Yamuna rivers, symbolising the mingling of diverse cultures known as 'Ganga-Jamuni Tehzeeb', Iram's upbringing was steeped in a milieu of intellectual stimulation. Her father, a high court lawyer and prolific writer on social issues, infused her formative years with Marxist ideology, while her mother's academic pursuits in Urdu literature added depth to their household discussions. Surrounded by political activism, social reform, and literary discourse, Iram's curiosity and passion for social justice were ignited from an early age.

During her time as a 10+2 student at Aligarh, Iram's appreciation for Urdu literature blossomed. After her Aligarh days, she pursued her Master's in Computer Applications (MCA) and embarked on a career as a software engineer, with stints in India, New Zealand, and Tanzania, before making the United Kingdom her home.

In the UK, Iram completed a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) and spent eight years teaching computer science. Fuelled by an entrepreneurial spirit and with their children growing older, Iram and her husband took the leap to establish Web Alliance Limited, a venture recognised with regional SME awards for its excellence over the past three years.

Beyond her professional achievements, Iram remains an unwavering advocate for human rights, social justice, and equality. Recently, she found a new avenue for her passion by contributing her skills to Urdu Culture London, single-handedly crafting the organisation's website with dedication and flair.

Annie Zaidi is one of India's best-known multi-genre writers. Her published work include 'Bread, Cement, Cactus: A memoir of belonging and dislocation', 'City of Incident', 'Prelude to a Riot', 'Gulab', and 'Bantering with 'Bandits and Other True Tales'. She is also the editor of 'Unbound: 2000 Years of Indian Women's Writing'.

She was awarded the Nine Dots Prize in 2019 for innovative thinking, the Tata Literature Live Award for fiction in 2020 for 'Prelude to a Riot', and The Hindu Playwright Award in 2018 for her play, 'Untitled 1'.

Currently a doctoral scholar based in the UK, Annie administers the Jawad Memorial Prize for literary translation from Urdu to English in the memory of her maternal grandfather, Urdu critic, poet and polyphonic scholar, Ali Jawad Zaidi. 

Arunima Kumar, an acclaimed Kuchipudi dancer, teacher, and choreographer, stands as a fervent proponent of Diversity and Inclusion within the Arts. Having graduated from St. Stephen's College, Delhi, she completed an MSc in Finance from the London School of Economics. Her current dedication lies in advocating for the preservation of India's rich cultural tapestry.

Recipient of esteemed accolades such as the Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskaar and the 2019 Stardust Award for Arts, Arunima's talent has graced illustrious venues. From performing at Buckingham Palace before the Late Queen, to captivating audiences for Indian Prime Minister, at Wembley, and enchanting King Charles III at the Science Museum, her artistry knows no bounds.

Arunima serves as the Founder Director of Britain's preeminent Kuchipudi institution and also leads the Kuchipudi faculty at Bhavan. Each year, Arunima orchestrates London's largest Inclusive Intergenerational festival of Kuchipudi, a testament to her commitment to fostering unity through the arts.

Mukesh Kacker is a former Indian Administrative Service (IAS) Officer with more than three decades of experience in governance, public policy making & execution, both in the economic as well as the social sector, and regulation. He has led large organisations and has been the chief executive of many public sector corporations. He has an extensive experience of serving as Director and Member on the Boards of large, listed and unlisted private sector companies and is an expert on corporate governance.

Born and brought up in the cradle of the ‘Ganga-Jamuni Tehzeeb’, during the era that can rightly be regarded as the high point of this composite and syncretic Hindustani culture, Mukesh is an avid lover and connoisseur of Urdu poetry. He is also a keen student and practitioner of Hindustani classical music.

Pragya Mishra splits her time as a healthcare professional with the NHS and a weekly columnist and freelance writer for Indian newspapers and websites, writing in the Hindi and Hindustani languages. For more than a decade, she has been attending international film festivals and writing about global cinema. 

Nestled within her multifaceted interests lies a deep love for Urdu poetry. Pragya finds solace and inspiration not only in the healing power of medicine but also in the magic of art, and the musicality and expression of emotion that Urdu poetry offers. This passion not only enriches her understanding of literature but also serves as a source of rejuvenation amidst her demanding professional pursuits.

Dr Katherine Butlern Schofield is a well-known historian of Music and Listening in Mughal India. She is currently head, Department of Music, King's College London. 

Working with Persian, Urdu, and visual sources for elite musical culture in North India and the Deccan c.1570–1860, Katherine’s research interests lie in South Asian music, visual art, and cinema; the history of Mughal India; Islam and Sufism; empire and the paracolonial; musicians at risk; and the intersecting histories of the emotions, the senses, aesthetics, ethics, and the supernatural. She has been Principal Investigator of a European Research Council Starting Grant (2011–15/16) and a British Academy Mid-Career Fellow (2018). Her books include Music and Musicians in Late Mughal India: Histories of the Ephemeral, 1748–1858 (CUP, 2023), Tellings and Texts: Music, Literature, and Performance in North India, with Francesca Orsini (Open Book, 2015), and Monsoon Feelings: a History of Emotions in the Rain, with Imke Rajamani and Margrit Pernau (Niyogi, 2018). 

Pervaiz Alam is a noted London-based broadcast journalist. Formerly with the BBC, he is the co-founder of Cine Ink UK, a media company focussed on producing digital content for listeners and viewers. He has produced higely popular shows and podcasts on various aspects of Urdu and Hindustani literature and culture. He has been the Dean of the Media School at Apeejay University, India. 

Known for his insightful views on world politics, Pervaiz has the rare distinction of havinb recorded long interviews with political and literary stalwarts alike. His Cine Ink podcasts are available on YouTube, Apple, Spotify, Amazon, Google and Jio Saavn.

Dr Richard David Williams is a cultural historian of South Asia and currently the Chair of Music at SOAS, London. He is particularly intrerested in understanding how music and sound are explored in literature. 

Richard's research brings music and sound studies in conversation with the study of religion and Indian cultural history. His book, 'The Scattered Court: Hindustani Music in Colonial Bengal' (2023) explores the circulation of musicians, genres, and musicologists between North India and Bengal between c.1750-1900. He has written on the performance of repertoires of courtesans, and sound arts in Shi'ah Islam. Richard is currently working on the preparation of a complere English translation of the 'Gulshan-e-Ishq', a seventeenth century Sufi Romance in Dakani Urdu, composed by Nusrati, the poet laureate of Bijapur. 

Dr Ahsan Zafar Zaidi is a prominent figure in the South Asian literary circles of the UK. A consultant surgeon by profession, he comes from a noted literary family of Lucknow. 

An eminent litterateur, he is known as a masterful literary compere, and recites Urdu poetry with great elan.

Mamta Gupta is a Hindi broadcast journalist who served the BBC with distinction for years. 

She is well-known for her Urdu and Hindi poetry recitations and ghazal singing. Mamta is associated with various literary and cultural organisations in the UK, including Roshni for Harmony, where she sits on the Founding Board. 

Mustafa Shahab is a prominent London-based Urdu poet. Widely published and having recited in Mushairas all over the world, he has been associated with a number of literary and cultural organisations in the UK.

His published collections include 'Shaam Dhale Savera' (1996), 'Safar Aamada' (1999), Aandhi Sar-e-Shaam' (2003) and 'Kaaghaz ki Kashtiyaan' (2012).