Women in Journalism would love you to join us at our celebration of South Asian Heritage month.

Hosted at ITN we will be holding a panel discussion chaired by the legendary writer and broadcaster Yasmin Alibhai-Brown and her guests will include journalists and commentators Ash Sarkar, Anita Bhagwandas, and Poorna Bell who will be discussing their careers and the current media landscape . Everyone is welcome to join us for refreshments, snacks and a fascinating discussion.

Yasmin Alibhai-Brown is a British journalist and author. A columnist for the i newspaper and the Evening Standard, she is a commentator on immigration, diversity, and multiculturalism issues. She is a founding member of British Muslims for Secular Democracy. Yasmin is a longstanding WIJ Advisory Board member.

Ash Sarkar describes herself as anarcho-fabulous and a luxury-communist with the walk of a supermodel. An outspoken commentator on politics and the culture wars, her famous run-in with Piers Morgan went viral. She is contributing editor of Novara media, commentator on Newsnight and Question Time, as well as numerous other print and broadcast outlets.

Poorna Bell is an award-winning journalist of 21 years, author in non-fiction and fiction and digital editorial expert. She is a fitness diversity advocate with a diversity platform See My Strong, and her book around the redefinition of mental and physical strength for women, Stronger, won a Sunday Times Sports Book award. Poorna previously worked as the UK Executive Editor and Global Lifestyle Head for HuffPost and currently is a columnist for The I Paper.

Anita Bhagwandas is a celebrated journalist and an authoritative voice in beauty culture, challenging norms through her multifaceted career. Anitas insightful approach is evident across her endeavours. Her book, UGLY: Giving Us Back Our Beauty Standards marries personal memoir with cultural analysis, gaining serialisation and acclaim for its exploration of beauty norms. Anita is a seasoned speaker, adept at curating and moderating discussions on significant topics like appearance bias and inclusivity at leading events. Her broadcasting talent shines through as a guest on numerous podcasts and BBC’s Woman’s Hour, BBC Asian Network as well as live stints as a beauty expert on Channel 4’s Steph’s Packed Lunch, demonstrating a relaxed and engaging style.