2023: One Year of All City
I launched this newsletter in January 2023 with a vision of creating a storytelling space of my own. Here's a roundup of my favourite posts so far
Dear reader,
I hope your end to 2023 has been a restful period.
First, some news: after five years of freelancing, I recently started as Director of Public Affairs and Communications at the Youth Endowment Fund. The YEF fund, research and promote work that aims to prevent young people from becoming involved in violence. I’ll be drawing on my experience as a youth worker and storyteller to communicate and advocate for solutions that work. The role has been great so far, but very full-on, so I needed to hit pause on All City in December to get my bearings.
I’ll be back to writing regularly again from now on.
I launched this newsletter at the start of the year to create my own space for independent writing and keep readers up-to-date with my work.
I’m still figuring things out, and the learning curve remains steep, but it’s been a success. I’ve landed on a formula that feels both achievable and to a high standard by producing two styles of writing, each once-a-month: essays and diaries about my work and society, alongside candid, long-form interviews with change-makers and storytellers. I’ve collaborated with a number of creatives to bring my posts to life with illustrations and photography, and several of my pieces have been syndicated by other publications.
I’m humbled and grateful that, if you’re reading these words now, I’ve managed to reach you. It means the world to me that you’re still here.
Thank you — and happy new year, when it comes.
Here are some highlights from the first year of All City.
Collaborations with Illustrator Raj Dhunna
My favourite new style of work from this year has been in collaboration with illustrator Raj Dhunna. We’ve developed a creative relationship and forged a clear storytelling language by combining my words with his images.
To work with Raj during such an impressive year of growth for him — among other accolades, he was recently commissioned for Spotify’s 50 Years of Hiphop billboard campaign in the US — is an honour. Long may our dialogue continue.
Unsilent Witness (part 1): My account of fighting the criminalisation of UK rap and drill music in British courts as an expert witness in recent years.
Unsilent Witness (part 2): Why UK rap and drill lyrics should not be used as criminal evidence. This was republished in Guardian Opinion.
Rap as Catharsis: Why understanding UK rap and drill music as a form of catharsis points towards a solution for violence. This was republished in Guardian Opinion.
The Nine Night: The Prologue of my book, Cut Short.
Tragedy, Beauty, Growth: Reflections on the lows, highs and growth of ageing as an inner-city youth worker.
City Talks interviews
I have completed 11 candid, long-form interviews with various change-makers and storytellers on the City Talks strand of this newsletter. These have featured a wide range of perspectives, experiences and themes, and they will continue on a monthly basis — with, if all goes to plan, some exciting multimedia additions — in 2024.
I owe a special shout-out to Tristan Bejawn for shooting portraits to sit alongside a number of these interviews.
British-Punjabi singer Raf Saperra on his mixtape, Ruff Around the Edges
US political broadcaster Mehdi Hasan on his book, Win Every Argument
Charity CEO and DJ Tony Supreme on the healing power of music
Author Aanchal Malhotra on her book, The Book of Everlasting Things
Filmmaker Alex Donaldson on his short documentary, Out There
Television news presenter Ria Chatterjee on reporting on violence
Dispatches from my youth work and the world of Cut Short
A major driver for setting up All City in the first place was to give readers of my journalism about issues affecting young people and book Cut Short a space to stay up-to-date with developments in my youth and education work.
I’ve written several newsletters about the progress of characters who feature in Cut Short, my writing practice and my youth/education work as it has progressed in different spaces on the ground across 2023.
Flow Like River: How I supported south London youth worker and activist Jhemar Jonas, who features in Cut Short, to launch his music career as UK rap artist Rippa
We All Eat: How food can be leveraged to forge connections in youth work
Dear Diary: How starting a diary back in 2011 changed my life
Learning More Than Teaching: A celebration of south London youth worker and activist Demetri Addison, who features in Cut Short
Return to the Frontline: Reflections on my return to delivering regular youth work this summer
Long-Term Mentoring Can Save Lives: I was featured alongside Jhemar Jonas on BBC Radio 4 Analysis as an example of how mentoring can be a solution for preventing young people becoming involved in violence
Teaching Lyrics and Literacy in Youth Prisons: Reflections on delivering the New Chapters literacy programme in partnership with the National Literacy Trust in Oakhill STC and HMP Feltham YOI this summer
Why Youth Work Matters: My keynote speech at the Youth Work Matters event by the London Violence Reduction Unit in November 2023
Guardian Music Profiles
In case you missed it, I completed five of my favourite artist profiles this year for the Guardian/Observer:
Raf Saperra on south London, his vision for Punjabi folk music and his mixtape Ruff Around The Edges (March)
Digga D on growing up, realising his influence and his first rap mixtape Back to Square One (June)
Blanco on moving on from drill music, the legacy of Harlem Spartans and his new mixtape ReBourne (August)
Potter Payper on becoming one of the greatest rap writers in the UK, leaving prison behind for good and his No.2 album Real Back In Style (September)
Yussef Dayes on being raised on the drums, learning to follow his own path and his debut album Black Classical Music (October)
Punjabi Bits!
A few times this year I have used All City to document my research, adventures and reflections about the British-Punjabi experience:
Finding My Ancestral Home: A personal piece about travelling to Ludhiana, Punjab, India, with my dad back in January to find the house he was born in
From Ludhiana to Smethwick, grass roots run deep: A collaboration with photographer Hark1karan and food newsletter Vittles about the Stony Lane allotment in Smethwick, where local families have brought Punjabi farming practices to British soil
Turn Left and Follow the Bass: A collaboration with Raj Dhunna and personal essay about how music helped me to reconnect with the west London town of Southall over the summer
I teach a monthly course, Writing for Social Impact, at City, University of London, where I explain how to do this in an accessible, collaborative and uplifting way.
It’s a safe space ran across two mornings for writers of all abilities to learn about how to tell stories and make meaningful change with their pen.
If you are between 18-25 years-old and from an underrepresented background and/or facing financial difficulty, there is a free scholarship space available. Please email me on cthapar27@gmail.com to apply.
The next available course runs across Friday 12th and Saturday 13th January.
You can find out more and book your place here.