The Secret Diary of a British Muslim ..., Tez Ilyas
The Secret Diary of a British Muslim ..., Tez Ilyas
List: $24.99 | Sale: $17.50
Club: $12.49

The Secret Diary of a British Muslim Aged 13 3/4

Author: Tez Ilyas

Narrator: Tez Ilyas

Unabridged: 9 hr 5 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 04/08/2021


Synopsis

'Essential...A complex blend of overexcited Adrian Mole-like anecdotes mixed with shocking moments of racism and insights into Muslim religious practices' Sunday Times

The hilarious and pubescent debut book from your favourite British Muslim comedian (that's Tez Ilyas, by the way) is coming to a shop near you. You may know and love Tez from his stand-up comedy, his role as Eight in Man Like Mobeen, his Radio 4 series TEZ Talks, or panel shows such as Mock the Week and The Last Leg. Where you won't know him from is 1997 when he was 13 ¾. (But now you will - because that's what the book is about.)

In this suitably dramatic rollercoaster of a teenage memoir, Tez takes us back to where it all began: a working class, insular British Asian Muslim community in his hometown of post-Thatcher Blackburn. Meet Ammi (Mum), Baji Rosey (the older sister), Shibz (the fashionable cousin), Was (the cool cousin), Shiry (the cleverest cousin) and a community with the most creative nicknames this side of Top Gun.

Running away from shotgun-wielding farmers, successfully dodging arranged marriages, getting mugged, having front row seats to race riots and achieving formative sexual experiences doing stomach crunches in a gym, you could say life was fairly run of the mill. But with a GCSE pass rate of 30% at his school, his own fair share of family tragedy around the corner and 9/11 on the horizon, Tez's experiences of growing up as a British Muslim wasn't the fun, Jihad-pursuing affair the media wants you to believe. Well ... not always.

At times shalwar-wettingly hilarious and at others searingly sad, The Secret Diary of a British Muslim Aged 13¾ shows 90s Britain at its best, and its worst.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Claudia on April 22, 2021

I was excited for this to come out. I'm from the North West, not far from Blackburn. Theres something special about Northern humour. But this was a lot more than humour. It's very real, very raw, and a reflection of a reality many will be familiar with but won't have seen these stories told so openl......more

Goodreads review by Laura on May 22, 2021

A really funny, thoughtful, well-written book with some desperately sad bits that made me want to jump inside the book and be young Tez's own personal cheerleader. Knowing nothing about being Northern, Muslim, a teenage boy, football fan, or a teen in the 90s, I was a bit worried that some of this w......more

Goodreads review by Steve on March 07, 2024

I enjoy books that give an insight into other people’s lives and cultures and this was a genuinely interesting and engaging look at what it was like for a young British Muslim growing up in the 90’s. Interesting, thought provoking insights into Islam and Pakistani culture and also a nostalgic look b......more

Goodreads review by masuma on April 12, 2021

Finally a book that might make young Asians feel seen This diary style book similar to that of Diary of a Whimpy Kid in its structure minus the doodles. It is both funny and vivid in discussing the highs and lows of growing up as a brown kid. It feels familiar in some places, like what mosque was lik......more

Goodreads review by Naila on April 11, 2021

Finished cover to cover in one go! There isn't much written about British Muslims and it's quite interesting to learn about their daily struggles, joys and sorrows. We need more of such perspectives and stories! It's quite easy read but there are aha moments when you understand the rationales behind B......more


Quotes

Essential...A complex blend of overexcited Adrian Mole-like anecdotes mixed with shocking moments of racism and insights into Muslim religious practices Sunday Times

The razor-sharp narrative delves into [Tez's] life as a teenager growing up in Blackburn in the 1990s, who is caught between the ugly shadow of racism and the traditional values of a Muslim family connected to their roots Eastern Eye