Comedian's passion project is a book for children

Tehseen Jay with his puppet Nana G who has a large following online

A comedian and social media influencer from Bradford has created a children’s book inspired by his English and Pakistani heritage.

Tehseen Jay wrote Ghulam and the Gulab Jamun Factory with his six-year-old son Azaan in mind.

The divorced father-of-one, from Heaton, said there were not many publications which catered for young people from ethnic minority backgrounds.

Mr Jay said the book had already sold 100 copies online and would be officially launched in Bradford later this year.

The 39-year-old author said: "I had this idea about a year ago. Because I've got a viral brand The Nana G Show, I wanted to create a little story with my characters.

"I just sat down one day and said to myself 'do you know what, I'm going to write something around these South Asian treats, Gulab Jamuns'."

Gulab Jamuns are fried dumplings with cardamom which are then steeped in rose and saffron syrup.

The book is a humorous take on British-Pakistani and, more specifically, Mirpuri culture.

The show, which became popular during the 2020 lockdown, also aims to promote the Pahari-Pothwari dialect spoken in Azad Kashmir.

One of the main characters in Ghulam & The Gulab Jamun Factory is based on Tehseen's grandfather, nicknamed Nan G, who helped bring him up

Mr Jay said the idea behind the story was to help his son, and other youngsters from similar backgrounds, connect with their dual heritage.

"What I wanted to do is to pass down my experience of growing up as a child to my son, but also to promote the South Asian culture and that heritage to my child and other people as well."

"I think it's definitely needed because there's a lack of representation out there I feel, especially when it comes to books," he added.

"I think it's a nice little read for kids and families, for everyone to really enjoy."

The illustrations were drawn by Kully Rehal, originally from Derby but who now lives in India, and the project has been supported by the Khidmat Centre in Little Horton.

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