Hanif Kureishi CBE FKC (Philosophy, 1977) is one of Britain’s foremost playwrights, screenwriters and novelists. He had his first literary success while studying at King’s.

Hanif was born in Bromley, South London, to an English mother and a Pakistani father. Much of his creative work draws on his own upbringing and life.

He had early success as a playwright, writing for Hampstead Theatre, the Soho Poly Theatre and the Royal Court. His major breakthrough coming in 1985 with his screenplay for My Beautiful Laundrette, for which he was nominated for Academy Award. Alongside his play and screenwriting, he has achieved considerable success as a novelist with The Buddha of Suburbia winning the Whitbread first novel award in 1990, continuing to later novels and films notably Intimacy, Venus, Le Week-End and The Nothing.

Hanif’s was appointed CBE in 2008 and his archive was acquired by the British Library in 2014.

On Boxing Day 2022 Kureishi suffered an accident in Rome which has left him paralysed and unable to hold a pen. His harrowing and sometimes mischievous dispatches dictated to his sons will be collected in a forthcoming memoir, Shattered.

Did you know: During his early career Hanif supported himself by writing erotic fiction under the pen name Antonia French.