"I think because I had such a difficult childhood. I have a very strong centre. And it was destabilised by Oxford, but it wasn't destroyed. And that kind of self belief I have, saved me.I don't think I'm better than anybody else, or I'm a superwoman or any of that. But I do know that the stuff I do, I can do, and I'm good at it. And that the b_stards will not beat me, that really drives me"

Yasmin Alibhai-Brown was exiled from her birthplace, Uganda, in 1972.Yasmin is a journalist, broadcaster, author and part time professor of journalism. She writes for the I newspaper and Sunday Times magazine and has written for the Guardian, Observer, Sunday Times, Mail on Sunday, Daily Mail, New York Times, Time Magazine and other publications She has won several awards including the Orwell prize for political writing and in 2017, National Press Awards columnist of the year prize. She was specially commended for this award again in 2018. She is a national and international public speaker, a consultant on diversity and inclusion and trustee of various arts organisations. She is also the co-founder of the charity British Muslims for Secular Democracy. Their new report The Inner Lives of Troubled Young Muslims was published in November 2020.Her recent books include Refusing the Veil, Exotic England about England’s infatuation with the east, In Defence of Political Correctness and Ladies Who Punch. She has twice been voted the 10th most influential Asian in Britain. She has eight Hon degrees and sits on the boards of arts organisations. She is also a keen cook and theatre buff.

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