Category Archive: PORTFOLIO

WOMAN’S WEEKLY | ‘I WANTED TO BE INVISIBLE’

I recently did some freelance writing for Woman’s Weekly, where I used to be senior writer. Click here to read my real life feature on adult anorexia.

THE GUARDIAN | DUBAI GOES TO THE DOGS: CITY’S EXPAT CULTURE LEADS TO SURGE IN ABANDONED PETS

Click here to read my feature for the Guardian, Dubai goes to the dogs: city’s expat culture leads to surge in abandoned pets. Photographs also by me.

BUZZFEED | THESE TWO WOMEN ARE TRYING TO FINALLY GIVE ARABS SOME DECENT EMOJIS

Click here to read my article for Buzzfeed on the Dubai-originated Halla Walla emoji app, These Two Women Are Trying To Finally Give Arabs Some Decent Emojis

STYLIST ARABIA | A SAFE HAVEN

Increasing violence in the Middle East is making the UAE’s position as a sanctuary of relative peace and stability all the more crucial. I investigated what the UAE means to young Arabs, and how… Continue reading

STYLIST ARABIA | WORK/LIFE: ORGANIC FARMER

This was a regular feature I’d write every week for Stylist Arabia – a kind of ‘day in the life’ of women with interesting jobs. I found this organic farmer, who toils under… Continue reading

STYLIST ARABIA | GO ON A CULINARY ADVENTURE IN SRI LANKA

In which I eat my way round the south of Sri Lanka

STYLIST ARABIA | NEW SHOW BRINGS SURREAL CAIRO TO DUBAI

My news story on Egyptian artist Huda Lutfi for Stylist Arabia

STYLIST ARABIA | “GO BEYOND SHEIKH ZAYED ROAD”

It was an absolute joy to interview Dubai-based photographer Ekta Saran for this feature. ‘Chasing Bur Dubai’, her photo and video project documenting the hidden lives of one of Dubai’s oldest neighbourhoods, captures… Continue reading

STYLIST ARABIA | GET YOUR CULTURE FIX IN DOHA

My travel story about a surprisingly pleasant, art-filled weekend in Qatar

STYLIST ARABIA | THE ROAD IS NO PLACE FOR MACHISMO

Click here to read my latest column for Stylist Arabia

STYLIST ARABIA | TALKING BACK

How women in the Middle East are using online mapping tools to fight back against sexual harassment

STYLIST ARABIA | HOW TO WRITE A NOVEL

Click here to read my interview with the winner of the 2016 Montegrappa Writing Prize

STYLIST ARABIA | WHY I HATE ‘FEISTY’ FEMALE CHARACTERS

Click here to read my column on female film characters

STYLIST ARABIA | I’VE SWAPPED BINGE-WATCHING FOR BINGE-READING

Click here to read my column for The Books Issue of Stylist Arabia

STYLIST ARABIA | “DUBAI WAS ALWAYS TOP OF MY LIST”

Click here to read my interview with jewellery designer Monica Vinader

STYLIST ARABIA | QUIET ROAR

Dubai is probably the last place you’d expect to find an underground slam poetry scene, but I spoke to two women making it happen

STYLIST ARABIA | “STORYTELLING IS IN OUR DNA”

Click here to read my interview with the founder of Dubai’s literary festival, the largest in the Middle East

STYLIST ARABIA | FIGHT CLUB

Click here to read my feature for Stylist Arabia on two women who took part in the boxing documentary White Collar DXB

STYLIST ARABIA | WE COULD ALL USE AN UBER FULL OF KITTENS

Click here to read my regular column for Stylist Arabia, this time on the joy of looking after animals

STYLIST ARABIA | IRAN’S FESTIVAL DARLING

My interview with Narges Rashidi, breakout star of indie Iranian film Under The Shadow

STYLIST ARABIA | PRIZE FIGHTERS

My interview with the two women authors who were nominated for the notoriously male-dominated International Prize for Arabic Fiction in 2016

STYLIST ARABIA | WHY SHOULDN’T HERMIONE GRANGER BE BLACK?

Click here to read my regular column for Stylist Arabia, this time on race on stage and screen

STYLIST ARABIA | GOTHIC GLAMOUR FROM LEBANON

Click here to read my interview with Lebanese jewellery designer Gaelle Khouri

STYLIST ARABIA | A STRANGER IN HER FATHER’S LAND

Click here to read my feature for Stylist Arabia on Palestinian photographer Rula Halawani

STYLIST ARABIA | GOING HOME FOR CHRISTMAS? IT’S OVERRATED

  Click here to read my regular column for Stylist Arabia, this time on going home for Christmas

STYLIST ARABIA | SLEEPING UNDER THE STARS

Click here to read my feature on camping in the Gulf

STYLIST ARABIA | THE SKY’S THE LIMIT FOR WOMEN-ONLY STUNT TEAM

Click here to read my news story for Stylist Arabia on an all-women plane stunt team

STYLIST ARABIA | THE POWER OF FOOD IS MAGICAL

Living for decades in exile from her home country of Libya, food became a crucial way of maintaining her cultural identity for Sherine Ben Halim Jafar. I interviewed her about her life story… Continue reading

WOMEN’S HEALTH MIDDLE EAST | THE PSYCHOLOGY OF SCENT

A gorgeous feature to research and write, all about the neurological links between perfume and memory

GRAZIA | How To Recognise You Aren’t Just Sad About The Weather, But Have SAD

I’ve struggled with Seasonal Affective Disorder for pretty much my whole life (hence moving to Dubai!). I wrote about it for Grazia – click here to read the feature online

WOMEN’S HEALTH MIDDLE EAST | THE CURE

  I went to Austria’s Vivamayr Altaussee clinic to try ‘the world’s toughest detox’ – and lived to tell the (kinda hilarious) tale

WOMEN’S HEALTH MIDDLE EAST | UNPRETTY

My investigation into the UAE’s alarming prevalence of body image disorders

WOMEN’S HEALTH MIDDLE EAST | 2015 BEAUTY HOT LIST

Every year, Women’s Health Middle East publishes a beauty bonus issue with a gorgeous flip cover. This year, I edited our accompanying annual Beauty Hot List of must-have products. Click here to read.

WOMEN’S HEALTH MIDDLE EAST | A PRIVATE PARADISE

Click here to read my Women’s Health Middle East travel feature on the Maldives

WOMEN’S HEALTH MIDDLE EAST | HOMEGROWN REVOLUTION

You might not expect the insanely hot and arid UAE to have any organic farming, but it’s a burgeoning industry. I spoke to some of the people leading the charge

WOMEN’S HEALTH PANEL DISCUSSION

In May 2015, I spoke on a panel discussion about body image, as part of a health and wellness event hosted by fitness fashion brand, Hautletic, in collaboration with Women’s Health Middle East. This… Continue reading

WOMEN’S HEALTH MIDDLE EAST | FOREVER YOUNG?

Click here to read my Women’s Health Middle East feature on the “Peter Pan generation”

BUZZFEED | 24 THINGS YOU LEARN TO LOVE WHEN YOU MOVE TO DUBAI

Click here to read my Buzzfeed listicle, 24 Things You Learn To Love When You Move To Dubai

WOMEN’S HEALTH MIDDLE EAST | FROM PETRI DISH TO PLATE?

A newsy feature on where we’re at with the development of mass-market in vitro meat (and why it could be good news for our health and the environment)

WOMEN’S HEALTH MIDDLE EAST | SEEING RED?

I investigate the Gulf’s ‘anger epidemic’ (it’s a thing!)

WOMEN’S HEALTH MIDDLE EAST | FASHION INSIDERS

Click here to read my feature for the Women’s Health Middle East Fashion Special

WOMEN’S HEALTH MIDDLE EAST | NORTHERN SOUL

A trip to Thailand’s oft-overlooked northern region

WOMEN’S HEALTH MIDDLE EAST | BROKEN RECORDS

Click here to read my Women’s Health Middle East feature on the woman who broke the world record for number of burpees completed

BUZZFEED | 21 SECRETS GIRLS WHO LIFT WON’T TELL YOU

Another viral post on being a woman who lifts (this one at 1.9 million views and counting!). Click here to read 21 Secrets Girls Who Lift Won’t Tell You on Buzzfeed

WOMEN’S HEALTH MIDDLE EAST | EBB AND FLOW

This was a fun feature! I lived for a month according to a ‘hormone horoscope’, to see whether our cycle really impacts our everyday behaviour

WOMEN’S HEALTH MIDDLE EAST | GOING THE DISTANCE

Click here to read my feature on marathon training for Women’s Health Middle East

WOMEN’S HEALTH MIDDLE EAST | HOMEGROWN TALENT

To celebrate the UAE’s 43rd National Day, I wrote this feature on local fashion designers for Women’s Health Middle East. Click here to read the feature in full

WOMEN’S HEALTH MIDDLE EAST | PERK UP!

Click here to read my collaborative feature on coffee, using original material from Women’s Health US localised with extensive additional reporting for Women’s Health Middle East’s Gulf audience

WOMEN’S HEALTH MIDDLE EAST | SHOULD YOU UNPLUG YOUR LIFE?

Click here to read my full feature for Women’s Health Middle East on mobile phone addiction, Should You Unplug Your Life?

WOMEN’S HEALTH MIDDLE EAST | WOULD YOU POP A PILL TO FORGET YOUR EX?

This was such an interesting feature to research. It’s all about memory erasure therapy, how close it is to entering mainstream mental healthcare, and its implications for our emotional lives