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Boxing and calligraphy connect in an exhibition featuring rare items from the Arabic and Urdu collections of the British Library.

The ancient art of calligraphy and the noble art of boxing are an unlikely pairing, but they share a surprising amount of common ground. This free exhibition explores connections between the two disciplines through the eyes of a group of British South Asian Muslim men living in Bradford today.

Razwan Ul-Haq is an acclaimed calligrapher and one-time boxing trainee. Tasif Khan is a world champion boxer and founder of Bradford’s Tasif Khan Community Boxing Academy. Together with boxers and trainers from the Academy (including Nissar Hussain, Head Coach & Sohail Ahmed, Trustee), they’ve chosen a selection of rare items from the British Library’s Arabic and Urdu collections, and from the collections of Bradford District Museums & Galleries – from ninth-century calligraphy to extraordinary contemporary work.

Fighting to Be Heard also features the men’s personal stories and their reactions to the collections – offering fascinating new perspectives on these objects.

Credits: A British Library co-production with Bradford District Museums & Galleries. Part of Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture | Lead Image: Part 25 of a Qur'an in 30 parts, written in gold Muḥaqqaq script and dedicated to Sultan Ulyatu in 710/1310 in Mosul, modern-day Iraq © British Library

>> Explore more events in the UK City of Culture as part of the #Bradford2025 celebration.