Iqbaal Abdi
The fifteenth Young Muslim Writers Award (YMWA) took place in London on November 29. The award show hosted by Muslim Hands under a flagship programme aims to provide a platform to showcase the creativity of Muslims through an annual competition.
The event celebrated the talent of young Muslims in the following categories: poetry, short story, playwriting, and screenplay. The finalists from thousands of entries were invited to attend the prize presentations.
Amongst the winners in the age 7-9 category was a humorous but thoughtful poem by Umaymah Bhaiyat titled ‘Dear Mum’ which followed a child whose house goes into a state of disaster whilst her mother is away – with the fridge falling over, the TV crashing and the cat buying a PS5. The funny imagery created captures the underlying message of the importance of mothers in households.
There was also a nostalgia packed poem by 7-year-old Ali Zameer titled ‘I want to play’, which ended on the universal sentiment of children wanting to play until dark. There was an ingeniously thought-out play screen by Thalia S. A., ‘Error 404: Sister not found’, where the protagonist is immersed into a game she plays.
In addition, a winning piece by Rahma Meer, ‘Injustice – A Slam Poem’ demonstrated the existing intellectual curiosity of young Muslims, enabling them to ask questions beyond their age.
The Writer of the Year, Zoya Sameen’s winning piece, ‘Veilborn’, showcased her rich imagination- creating a dystopian fantasy world where ideas of fate, nobility, and class are explored.
The competition highlighted the potential of young Muslims in the world of the arts. Aliyah Begum, Birmingham’s young poet laureate and judge of the competition, offered remarks – encouraging the young Muslims to continue writing.
Ayaan Mohamud, author of You Think You Know Me, and Amina Atiq, an award-winning poet thanked the parents of the finalists for cultivating their creativity and allowing them to express it.
Award-winning actors Omar Khan and Azaan Ahmed shared the importance of the voice of Muslims and diverse representation in the field of screenplay and playwriting– advising the talented young Muslims to continue with their passion for writing.
Shahid Bashir, Deputy CEO of Muslim Hands ended on the promising note that the competition becomes better with every year, and the talent improves with it. He expressed appreciation for everyone involved in the award ceremony.
Veilborn –
Photo: Shahid Bashir, Deputy CEO of Muslim Hands, (left) presents YMWA writer of the Year 2025 to Zoya Sameen (Credit: YMWA)
Iqbaal Abdi, Graduate in Politics & International Relations
