Halima Khatun

With all due bias, this is arguably the most important Eid gift guide of all. I’ve shared Eid gift ideas for kids, as well as Eid gift ideas for him, now it’s your turn.

This Ramadan, I found a lot of comfort in spending time with family, and in particular, making it memorable for my children.

Stuck for ideas for what to get for hubby? Look no further.

Is it turning into a bit of a cliche to say that the end is in sight? I feel like that’s been the opener for my columns for the last few months, however, what else is there going on these days?

So gradually things will be going back to normal from here on in. Like all of us I’m sure, I can’t wait for some semblance of normality. Lockdown 3.0 has been brutal.

I don’t know about you, but I’m starting to get fatigued by the news now. There’s a lot of flip-flopping around lockdown, tiers and all of that and, frankly, it’s getting confusing and same-y all at once.

There seems to be a whole world of events that happened since my last column. There’s a new US president and hope of a Covid vaccine.  I’m keeping my fingers crossed for 2021 but also managing my own expectations, as nothing surprises me now.

Well it’s been another crazy month here in Manchester. With Covid being an ever-looming presence, the chance of another lockdown is sadly seeming more and more real.

So now we’re months in, how is everyone coping with the lockdown? From my end, the second lockdown in the North of England came as a big shock, particularly as we’ve just started to enjoy some small freedoms.

Halima Khatun’s debut novel, 'The Secret Diary of an Arranged Marriage' is out 14 February. Here she tells us what inspired her to write something that explode the myths about this 'traditional' form of introduction.