Written over the course of Ramadan, the book follows Hussain on an intensely personal and spiritual journey. It begins with memories of his childhood in East London before accompanying him to Medina and Makkah, where he undertakes Umrah and later performs a pilgrimage in honour of his late mother.
Throughout, Hussain explores what Ramadan can mean beyond abstaining from food and water: faith and discipline, but also family, grief, identity, health, community, belonging and the relationships that bring people together.
From Sunrise to Sunset also makes space for experiences of Ramadan that are less often discussed. Among its most affecting contributors is Mahfuza Salam, professionally known as Mahfuzzy, a 24-year-old East London-born rapper and advocate living with the rare skin condition Harlequin ichthyosis.
In conversation with Hussain, Mahfuza describes the challenges of fasting can present when going without water can dehydrate her skin and exacerbate her condition. Having spent the first months of her life in intensive care and on life support, she speaks powerfully about gratitude, survival and the strength she draws from her faith – while also acknowledging the days when she must listen to her body and put her health first.
Leondre Devries, musician and one half of Bars and Melody, shares his experience of observing Lent at the same time Hussain is observing Ramadan. As their respective periods of fasting coincide, the close friends support one another while deepening their understanding of each other’s religious beliefs.
Together, these stories help broaden the book's portrait of Ramadan: there are children experiencing their first fasts, athletes balancing fasting with physical performance, people navigating faith in the workplace, converts discovering new traditions and those whose health means their experience of the holy month looks very different.
Among the book’s contributors is Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, who recalls his childhood of experiencing Ramadan in Tooting and reflects on the way the month now brings Londoners of different faiths together. He writes about the significance of Ramadan lights illuminating the capital and Open Iftars taking place at landmarks including Trafalgar Square, Tower Bridge and the Royal Albert Hall.
Omar Salha, Founder and Chief Executive of Ramadan Tent Project, is also a contributor. Omar reflects on Ramadan as a month of belonging and the power of shared experiences to foster connection, understanding and community. Drawing on the charity's growth from a student-led initiative into one of the UK's most celebrated community movements, he explores how acts of hospitality can transform strangers into friends, bridge differences, and create a greater sense of social cohesion and belonging.
Through these varied perspectives, Hussain demonstrates how personal stories can foster empathy and deepen our understanding of experiences beyond our own.
As he writes in the book, From Sunrise to Sunset is something he has “always wanted to write”: an invitation to accompany him through Ramadan, to hear from other voices and to make space for “stories, experiences, faith, love and community to be seen, warmly and gently.”
ABOUT HUSSAIN MANAWER
Born and raised in London’s East End, Hussain Manawer is a two-time Sunday Times bestselling poet and author. His distinctive poetic storytelling brings together life experience, pain, humour, heartbreak and music, and has taken him to stages including Wembley, Glastonbury, Global Citizen and One Young World.
His high-profile collaborations include appearing alongside Oprah Winfrey and Prince Harry in The Me You Can’t See, while commissions have included work with The Royal Family, BAFTA, Burberry and Google. He is an Honorary Fellow of King’s College London and, in 2017, alongside Professor Dame Til Wykes, set the Guinness World Record for the World’s Largest Mental Health Lesson.
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