17 Jan – 27 Apr 2025
Fighting to Be Heard
British Library
Boxing, calligraphy and the collections of the British Library.
Boxing and calligraphy connect in an exhibition featuring rare items from the Arabic and Urdu collections of the British Library.
The ancient art of calligraphy and the noble art of boxing are an unlikely pairing, but they share a surprising amount of common ground. This free exhibition explores connections between the two disciplines through the eyes of a group of British South Asian Muslim men living in Bradford today.
Razwan Ul-Haq is an acclaimed calligrapher and one-time boxing trainee. Tasif Khan is a world champion boxer and founder of Bradford’s Tasif Khan Community Boxing Academy. Together with boxers and trainers from the Academy (including Nissar Hussain, Head Coach & Sohail Ahmed, Trustee), they’ve chosen a selection of rare items from the British Library’s Arabic and Urdu collections, and from the collections of Bradford District Museums & Galleries – from ninth-century calligraphy to extraordinary contemporary work.
Fighting to Be Heard also features the men’s personal stories and their reactions to the collections – offering fascinating new perspectives on these objects.
Saturday 18 January: Join us for a Big Celebration Day to mark the opening of the exhibition – admission free.
Saturday 8 February: Razwan Ul-Haq is hosting a special calligraphy workshop at the gallery – book now.
Image: Part 25 of a Qur'an in 30 parts, written in gold Muḥaqqaq script and dedicated to Sultan Öljaitü in 710 AH/1310 CE in Mosul, modern-day Iraq © British Library
‘Writing to Be Heard’ © Razwan Ul-Haq
