Steve McQueen: A Legend in the Making
Steve McQueen was born in Ealing London on October 9th, 1969. McQueen is the son of a Grenadian father and Trinidadian mother, both of whom immigrated to London before his birth. McQueen grew up in a working-class background as his father was a bricklayer and his mother worked at a maternity hospital. McQueen attended Drayton Manor High School in his early years and while he enjoyed school, he earned poor marks in all subjects aside from art. He faced institutionalized racism throughout his time at Drayton and in interviews he claims that his talent for art saved him from becoming a manual laborer for the rest of his life. Following his passion for the arts, McQueen went on to attend the Chelsea College of Art and Design, Goldsmiths University, and NYU Tisch School of the Arts. Despite originally being interested in the fine arts, he developed a love for photography and film which have been his primary pursuits throughout his adult life. His most notable works include: Hunger, Shame, and 12 Years a Slave,for which he won an Academy Award for best Motion Picture – the first black man to do so. His most recent work is Small Axe,a series of five films that depict what life was like for British West Indie immigrants following the Windrush Generation. His goal through projects such as this one is “to correct certain wrongs, to give a platform to [people who have been denied one]… I can’t stand injustice. I can’t stand it.” McQueen has consistently been said to be one of the top most influential directors in Britain, and we can all look forward to whatever his next project will be.
Monica Ali Biography
Monica Ali was born on October 20, 1967, in Dhaka, East Pakistan (now Bangladesh), to a Bangladeshi father and English mother. Her father worked as a teacher, and her mother was a counselor. However, due to their controversial interracial marriage, the Ali family emigrated to England in 1971 following a Civil War outbreak in Pakistan. Settling in Bolton, near Manchester, Ali went on to study at Oxford, where she completed a degree in an interdisciplinary program combining philosophy, politics, and economics. After university, Ali worked in the marketing department of a publishing house before going on to subsequent jobs in sales and marketing. She married consultant Simon Torrance, and in 1999, gave birth to her first child, a son named Felix. During this time off, Ali began experimenting with writing fiction. In 2001, Ali’s daughter, Shumi, was born; however, shortly afterward, Ali’s father died. This loss prompted her to reflect on family values and history, which subsequently encouraged the manuscript for her first novel, Brick Lane, published in May 2003. Following the success of Brick Lane, Ali continued to write professionally, publishing Alentejo Blue (2006), In the Kitchen (2009), and Untold Story (2011). Ali currently resides in London with her family.
