EAST Is East writer Ayub Khan Din will return to the University of Salford to talk about his long career before receiving a special award for his services to the dramatic arts.
Ayub, who graduated from the University with a degree in Drama and Theatre in 1982 and later received an honorary MA, will return to his alma mater for a special screening of the multi award-winning film on Thursday October 25.
The writer, who won both a British Independent Film Award and a London Critics Circle Film Award for his screenplay – as well as receiving two BAFTA nominations – will appear onstage for a special question and answer session ahead of the screening at the University’s New Adelphi Theatre.
He will speak to the University of Salford’s Dr Kirsty Fairclough about his career as an actor, writer and director.
Chancellor Jackie Kay will later present Ayub with a 50th Anniversary Jubilee Award – created last year to mark 50 years since the University was awarded with its royal charter to honour alumni who have driven innovation in their chosen fields and helped inspire others.
Ayub’s semi-autobiographical play East Is East – which he later adapted as an iconic film starring Om Puri and Linda Bassett – told the story of a young boy growing up in 1970s Salford who found himself pulled between his Pakistani Muslim heritage and British culture.
He also wrote Rafta Rafta, which won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Comedy and was later adapted into the film All In Good Time, and more recently created the hit Channel 4 series Ackley Bridge.
As an actor, he has appeared in more than 20 British films and TV series, including the lead role in Hanif Kureishi’s Sammy and Rosie Get Laid alongside Frances Barber, as well as appearing in numerous roles on the stage.
Dr Kirsty Fairclough, Associate Dean of the University of Salford’s School of Arts and Media, leading the question and answer session, said: “Ayub Khan Din is one of the most important British writers of the last 20 years and it is a great honour to welcome him back to the University of Salford.
“East Is East is often regarded as one of the key works which brought Asian culture to a mainstream British audience and it will be fascinating to hear from him about what he thinks the film’s legacy has been.”
