On The Table Read, “the best creativity magazine in the UK“, Huddersfield graduate, Nadia Hadhrami, creates fashionable and modest clothes for Muslim women to represent both personality and faith.
After years of struggling to find clothes that represent both her Muslim faith and her interest in fashion, Huddersfield graduate Nadia Hadhrami was inspired to create a change, and her designs have been so well received they were featured on the catwalk at the prestigious York Fashion Week.
Faith And Fashion
Featuring eye-catching butterfly motifs, Nadia’s modest styles earned her a scholarship place at the Accademia Costume and Moda in Rome. After graduating with a 1:1 in Fashion, Design and Textiles in 2022, Nadia was encouraged by fellow fashion graduate Emily Oaks to try for a place at York Fashion Week. The event’s organisers loved what they saw, and Nadia’s ‘Hands off my Hijab’ earned coverage on BBC Look North and the BBC news website.
“Every Muslim woman, especially in Europe, struggles to find clothes that represents who they are and their personality while at the same time representing their faith and beliefs,” explained Nadia. “They want something they are confident in but still represents their faith.
“It is not based on trend or fashion, but it is fashion with a meaning that is for them, is modest and something they could wear. I do not want to design something that is just based on trend, I design with my inspiration and for something they can keep for the future and not just for a year or two.
“They want it to stand out for their personality and make them feel confident while at the same time representing their faiths and beliefs.”
Creativity Demure
With support from her teachers and the University’s Enterprise Placement Team, Nadia turned her dream into reality with her business called Creativity Demure, to offer more variety of modest fashions.
“The university and my degree are the basis for everything I do now,” said Nadia. “It is where I grew my skills and experience, something that you do not quite realise it until you have graduated. The staff were awesome and so helpful to me, and the facilities especially after we moved into the Barbara Hepworth Building were great.
“It helped build my graduate collection, and that in turn helped me get into York Fashion Week. It opened doors that I never thought I would be able to reach.”
Butterflies
Using material donated to the university by Alexander McQueen, Nadia developed her designs to include the butterfly as a symbol of resilience.
“The prints and embroidery on this collection are bright and bold in each garment. I have used ultraviolet thread to represent the hidden details when the butterfly opens its wings. This also links to the way Muslim women cover their beauty by dressing modestly.
“As in many cultures, butterflies symbolise hope, change and resilience. It will represent the message behind my collection which is a change in the fashion market and hope for Muslim women to be resilient about dressing into what makes them feel confident, and that represents their personality.
Nadia Hadhrami
Nadia will start her scholarship in Rome next year, and now is working for a Rotherham sewing machinists whose portfolio includes making items for contestants in the World’s Strongest Man.
“Seeing my work on the catwalk was amazing. It was quite touching to see the results of four years of developing my skills and experience then presented to people, and to see that they are liking it. It was a great experience, and the York Fashion Week team were amazing to work with.”
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Charles Ingram from The Impliers talks about the band’s new single, Break Down, what inspires his music, and the advice he has for others, on the Siren Stories YouTube Channel
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On The Table Read, “the best book magazine in the UK“, author Brieanna Wilkoff talks about her debut YA novel, I’ll Be There For You, and what inspired her characters.
I interviewed YA author Brieanna Wilkoff about her life and career, what inspired her to start writing, and the story of her debut novel, I’ll Be There For You.
Tell me a bit about who you are.
I’m someone who loves words. I’ve always been an avid reader, and I’ve written stories since childhood. Professionally, my 15-year career has centered around editing within advertising and marketing. And after pursuing book publication on and off for almost 20 years, I finally achieved my dream with my debut young adult novel, I’ll Be There for You, which was published in October.
When did you first WANT to write a book?
Brieanna Wilkoff
As best as I can recall, my first attempt at writing a (sort of) book-length story was around fifth grade. For many years, I wrote a wide variety of things—short stories, poems, screenplays, horror novels, essays, picture books, middle grade novels—but pretty soon after trying my hand at young adult novels a decade-plus ago, I knew I had found my sweet spot.
When did you take a step to start writing?
I was pretty serious about it from a young age. Throughout middle and high school, I read craft books and entered contests. In college, I majored in English with a concentration in creative writing. Since then, I’ve attended workshops and conferences, taken classes, worked with critique groups and partners, and continued to read, write, revise, and learn.
How long did it take you to complete your first book from the first idea to release?
About 5 years. There was a lot of empty time in that period, though—after having the initial idea, I wrote a little bit, then set it aside for a year. Then I picked it back up and wrote a third of the novel before deciding to change it from women’s fiction, which is what it was originally, to young adult. I took another break of 6 months or so, then came back again and started over with it being YA. From that point to submission was about 6 months, but it took almost two more years before the manuscript was acquired by a publisher. The book was released 7 months later.
What made you want to write I’ll Be There For You?
The seed of the idea was to write a story about the healing power of kindness. Kindness is important to me and my family—once we even performed 100 acts of kindness in a single day—and I thought it would be fun to explore the effect it can have in a novel.
What were your biggest challenges with writing I’ll Be There For You?
I initially wrote this story from the mom’s point of view, but it was missing an engaging voice, which is one of my favorite things about YA, so I decided to rewrite the book with the daughter as the main character. Another challenge came toward the end of the process. I’m a big fan of the craft book Save the Cat! Writes A Novel by Jessica Brody and the story structure it suggests. But I read that book after writing I’ll Be There For You.
So when my editor and I started working on my book, I had to make some fairly sizable changes—writing a whole new chapter and several new scenes, rearranging multiple scenes, and cutting other parts—to strengthen the structure and make it more closely align with Save Fhe Cat. It’s probably the most significant revision I’ve done on a novel, but the book is so much better for it.
Who or what inspired you when creating your Protagonist?
Rae is a theatre girl, and that definitely comes from me. While I haven’t suffered a loss like Rae has, I’m very close with my parents, and I used that closeness to imagine what Rae feels after the loss of her father. Much of the kindness aspect stems from things my family and I have done.
Who or what inspired you when creating your Antagonist?
I would say Rae’s mom is the antagonist, and her character was pretty easy for me to write since I’m a mom to a 10-year-old girl. My daughter is reaching the age when she sometimes pushes back or needs her own space, so I try to balance giving her what she wants with protecting her and doing what I feel is right as a parent. There’s a lot of that in the relationship between Rae and her mom.
What is the inciting incident of I’ll Be There For You?
I’ll Be There For You
There are two—a woman doing something kind for Rae when she really needs it and telling her to pay it forward, and Rae deciding to be a part of the school play. Without the play, she wouldn’t meet the characters who are so influential in her healing, and without the kindness nudge, she wouldn’t find the acceptance and forgiveness she needs.
What is the main conflict of I’ll Be There For You?
Rae is struggling to process her grief over the loss of her father, and she’s trying to cope alone. Becoming friends with Mac gives her an outlet for her pain, so when they have a falling-out, she feels that loss even more keenly.
Did you plot I’ll Be There For You in advance, or fly by the seat of your pants and write freely?
I didn’t have everything planned out, but I had a pretty good sense of where I wanted to the story to go. However, after researching what was in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame the year Bon Jovi was inducted, I learned about Jon’s efforts to fight hunger and homelessness with the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation, and that changed a key part of my novel.
Did you get support with editing, and how much editing did I’ll Be There For You need?
Before I started submitting, I had family, friends, and critique partners give me feedback. Once I was working with my publisher, Winding Road Stories, I talked with my editor about changes I thought the story needed and made those. Then she and I went through the manuscript, about 30 pages at a time, to tighten the language, flesh out characters’ reactions, and delete anything that wasn’t necessary. While the basic story didn’t change, the final book is noticeably different—and much improved—from the version I submitted.
What is the first piece of writing advice you would give to anyone inspired to write a story?
Embrace revision. It’s hard to get words on paper, especially if you’re trying to write something that requires tens of thousands of words. If you accept that the first draft isn’t going to be great, it helps take the pressure off. You can always change, add, or cut words later. That’s a necessary part of the process—revision is what turns a good idea into a great book.
Can you give me a hint about any further books you’re planning to write?
I’d love to! My next novel (also contemporary YA) is about a high school English class that’s reading Romeo and Juliet. They’re given an assignment to write a letter to “Juliet” asking for love advice, but the letters are anonymously posted online for everyone to see. As people try to figure out who wrote which letter—and who’s crushing, who’s gay, who’s in love, and who cheated—“Juliet” starts responding….
And, finally, are your proud of your accomplishment? Was it worth the effort?
One million percent YES! Having a book published has been a dream of mine for many, many years. I’ve put a lot of effort, time, frustration, tears, hope, joy, and love into this passion, and everything about this publication/launch experience has been wonderful. I’m tremendously proud of the book and grateful to my editor, Vanessa Lanang, and my publisher, Michael Dolan, for helping me get here.
Pop all your book, website and social media links here so the readers can find you:
My website is brieannawilkoff.com, and various purchase links for the book can be found there.
I’ve also started a kindness initiative aimed at inspiring 50,000 acts of kindness, which you can learn more about at kindnessdominoeffect.com.
Donate to support The Table Read We strive to keep The Table Read free for both our readers and our contributors. If you have enjoyed our work, please consider donating to help keep The Table Read going!
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On The Table Read, “the best book magazine in the UK“, in his biography, Cancer Grabbed Me By The Throat, Andrew Morrow shares his cancer journey and tells readers, when you’re going through hell, keep going.
Cancer Grabbed Me By The Troat
Cancer Grabbed Me By The Throat
In Andrew Morrow’s Cancer Grabbed Me By The Throat, he shares his ‘warts and all’ personal cancer experience, including the good, the bad and the ugly times following his diagnosis and how he continues to battle the disease.
He tells his story through a mix of writing and the LinkedIn messages shared with his 24,000+ followers, as a means of sharing insights, advice, and reflections with other sufferers around the life changing journey that lies ahead. The author’s overarching messages are about staying positive, strong and appreciating everything around you. In total, the journey received almost 1 million views online.
Written to show support, solidarity and to spread the word about things that worked for him, this generous spirited author delivers a powerful and compelling read that is far from fatalistic, and calls out to cancer sufferers to always put up a good fight.
Synopsis
This book may save lives!
The ideal Christmas gift for a loved one who loves a true story with a happy ending.
Andrew Morrow
I decided to write my book after reading one in two people would get cancer in their lifetime, and the first three chapters demonstrate my thought processes and my dismissive behaviour of the evil that lurked within.
My book is a journey of a man in his early 50’s going about his business, living life, enjoying life but then finding out he has cancer and takes the reader from pre-diagnosis, to diagnosis, to treatment, to recovery – a 360°journey.
A true story, written and featuring the social media posts I shared with my LinkedIn followers to highlight the highs and lows, the pain, the laughs, the desires for real food, my book is a no-holds barred recounting of my personal journey.
I have also had many compliments on the cover I chose, my reason for this particular cover was, it reminded me of my dreams I had when I was at my most ill stage, very dark, very blurred, very creepy and very strange.
Advice Included In Cancer Grabbed Me By The Throat
If you are someone thinking you may have cancer, please seek professional advice ASAP.
If you have just been diagnosed with cancer, don’t be tempted to look up cures on Google, leave it to the experts to explain.
If you are a cancer survivor, please write your own book to help others.
Whoever you are, “Always put up a good fight!”
Andrew Morrow
Andrew Morrow
Author of Cancer Grabbed Me By The Throat, Andrew Morrow, is now aged 55 years, has been in a happy marriage for 31 years, and has two successful grown-up kids, one of which is a doctor. After his throat cancer diagnosis in 2021, and subsequently beating cancer by March 2022, he felt it was his duty as a writer, to spread the word. There is at least 1 more book to come on the subject.
His previous writing was dedicated to his work in B2B sales for over 30 years:
All Mouth No Pay.
Prospecting A Two-Way Street.
Sales Training And Rewards (STAR)
All Mouth No Pay The Trilogy
Find more from Andrew Morrow now:
Independently published, Cancer Grabbed Me By The Throat is available in paperback and Kindle format on Amazon in the following countries:
Donate to support The Table Read We strive to keep The Table Read free for both our readers and our contributors. If you have enjoyed our work, please consider donating to help keep The Table Read going!
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On The Table Read, “the best entertainment magazine in the UK“, Skofee shares her new single, Quicksand, about letting go of someone you’ve been desperately holding onto.
Quicksand
Quicksand is the new single from Skofee, co-written and produced by Grant Boutin, featuring striking synths, 90’s pop-fused melodies, and shimmery pristine vocals for an alluring anthem all about letting go of someone.
“It is my ode to hitting a breaking point. It’s about the sinking realization that you have to let go of someone that you’ve been desperately trying to hold onto,” explained Skofee.
Skofee
Born and raised in Wichita Kansas, Skofee grew up in a home filled with bluegrass and folk music. After attending the University of Southern California, she took her love for the music she grew up with and adapted it into a more pop-based sound. Her left of centre style maintains melodies that satisfy the inner earworm, and feature candid yet affecting lyrics and lush harmonies over decadent tracks.
Now bassed in Los Angele, she released her debut Polished EP in 2020, and received incredible reviews from the likes of Ones To Watch, EARMILK, and even the LA Weekly, who said, “Skofee’s sound is super-contemporary, combining indie and pop to create a gorgeous, lush and emotional alt-pop vibe that certainly recalls Alison Krauss as well as the likes of Lorde.”
Skofee
In 2021, she released her Post Pop Remix of her single, Spiderman. Post Pop is the moniker of producer Stefan Skarbek, who has also worked with the likes of Amy Winehouse, Lily Allen and Jamiroquai. This uptempo reworking saw several months of airplay on local KROQ-FM, arguably the most influential Alternative radio station in the country.
In July 2022, Skofee released a duet remake of the Grammy nominated Dutch singer/songwriter/producer, Cimo Fränkel’s hit single,“Where Do You Hide Your Love, which saw support from tastemaker radio outlet KCRW and was placed in A-list rotation on Amazing Radio USA.
Skofee’s sophomore EP, Joyland, touches on love, loss and the search for happiness in familiar places. Its release will be preceded by several singles from the collection including the tropical house-tinged end-of-summer banger Wind Up Hero, and Quicksand, a relatable 90’s pop fused anthem about letting go.
Donate to support The Table Read We strive to keep The Table Read free for both our readers and our contributors. If you have enjoyed our work, please consider donating to help keep The Table Read going!
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