Manchester Lit & Phil Patrons
Professor Erinma Bell MBE DL JP
Professor Erinma Bell co-founded the Community Alliance for Renewal Inner South Manchester Area (also known as CARISMA Services). This is a front-line community-based group set up to offer life-chances for people in the community by giving them positive alternatives other than violent street, gun and gang crimes.
Erinma’s transformative work has promoted social cohesion within communities, in turn bringing about peace and conflict resolution. Her highly successful ‘models for change’ have enabled a 92% decrease in gun and gang crime in Manchester.
She continues to lead on work around issues such as Restorative Justice, Peace and Conflict Resolution as well as Peace Making, Peace Keeping and Peace Building within an urban environment. Erinma’s passion for community peace has seen her travel widely nationally and internationally to share her stories and experiences with others seeking peace in communities across the world.
Qaisra Shahraz MBE JP FRSA
Qaisra Shahraz MBE JP FRSA is the Founder, Curator and Executive Director of MACFEST, Muslim Arts and Culture Festival and MWAFoundation, Muslim Women’s Arts Foundation. She is a prize-winning and critically-acclaimed novelist, scriptwriter, culture champion, and peace and gender activist – see her awards and recognition here.
She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, a literary judge, a former Director of Gatehouse Books and Asia Pacific Writers & Translators partnership. Qaisra is an advisor to the University of Salford’s school of Arts and Media, Demilitarise Education and International Journal IJRHS. She has gained two Masters Degrees in English & European literature and scriptwriting for television.
Qaisra has enjoyed a successful career in education as an Ofsted inspector, a quality manager, assessor, education consultant and international teacher trainer including working under the auspices of the British Council. She is highly committed to promoting harmony and community cohesion through MACFEST and Muslim Women Arts Foundation and trustee roles with We Stand Together and Manchester Muslim-Jewish Forum and UK partner with New York’s Foundation for Ethnic Understanding. She is also the trustee of Manchester Young Lives, and The Portico Library.
