I'm a Trinidadian-British writer, using Amanda Coreishy as my nom de plume. I had a traditional Catholic upbringing in Trinidad, went to church, took the Sacraments and read the Bible, only to convert to Islam at 17 - to the consternation of my family - and live as a believing hijab-wearing, practising Muslim for 23 years of my adult life.

I've journeyed from faith to faithlessness and am privileged to have seen the world from both sides of the religious divide.

I find myself drawn to the clash between religion and sexuality and I believe the way religion dismisses human sexual desire in favour of rigid expectations, especially for women, is both dangerous and dishonest. I also believe truth, courage and empathetic conversations are essentials for human progress, and any possibility of sustaining civilisation into the twenty-first century.

My writing calls up stories from the ever-shifting ground where patriarchy and religion clash with freedom and sexuality. I want to write books that make a difference, help build bridges, make people think, discuss and contribute to positive change.