Sohail has lived in south Hampshire for almost 50 years but grew up in London, the son of a German Jewish refugee and an Indian Muslim migrant, who scraped a living working the capital’s street markets. His unusual multicultural upbringing and the family’s early straitened circumstances left a lasting impact that has influenced his view of the world and the course of his life. Sohail read geography at Nottingham University and was awarded a PhD there in 1976. He subsequently enjoyed a very varied career that included 12 years as a university lecturer, 15 years with an NGO creating safer communities and 12 years as an adviser to the UN on its programmes to prevent violence against women and girls.

Following retirement, Sohail embarked on research into his family’s history that led to many amazing discoveries and ultimately to publication of his acclaimed memoir, ‘Beyond Beliefs’.

He is a highly experienced and entertaining speaker who, in his working life, addressed audiences of different sizes and types around the world. Since retirement, he has given many talks on the story to u3a, WI and Probus groups, as well at book festivals and various meetings in the UK and abroad. His account weaves personal anecdotes, historic events and remarkable testimony, but equally fascinating is how he pieced together such a rich and detailed chronology. It is an unbelievable tale that spans continents and cultures, exposing the horrific consequences of war and violent extremism, and the struggles faced by refugees and immigrants, still very relevant today. But it is also a testament to how love and indomitable human spirit can overcome tragedy and adversity.