BBC Radio Leeds presenter to speak of his eclectic career at J Week

By Mike Berriman 

A  multi-talented journalist, Emmerdale writer and broadcaster will be one of the highlights at Leeds Trinity’s Journalism Week.

Nick Ahad, 37, began working as a broadcast journalist in 2010 and to date he has presented more than 100 hours of live radio for the BBC.  He currently has a Saturday morning show with BBC Radio Leeds which includes a segment with Radio Leeds newsreader Charlie Heslett titled ‘Charlie’s mid-life choices’, although it is often cheekily referred to by Nick as ‘Charlie’s mid-life crisis’.

The Bradford-born writer and radio presenter initially began life in print journalism in 1999, joining  the Yorkshire Evening Post as a news reporter before  becoming an arts correspondent in 2004. In 2013 he became Arts Editor for both the Yorkshire Post and the Yorkshire Evening Post.

Nick, who will speak on Thursday, said: “My career has been pretty random, but what I hope to get across is how the same basic principles can be applied to print and broadcast journalism, as well as screenwriting.”

PGDip Print Journalism student David Mackie said: “There is a current feeling that print journalism is a dying craft and having switched from print to broadcast journalism, it will be interesting to hear Nick’s thoughts on this and whether it influenced his decision to move into radio.”

Nick’s talents are by no means restricted to journalism.  In 2009 Nick wrote and directed a short film titled ‘Where You From’ following a grant from Bradford City of Film. The 12 minute piece is largely biographical and it explores a young boy’s struggle with his identity.

Nick is the artistic director of theatre company Where You From which he runs with producers DepArts. His latest play, ‘Second Gen’, is currently in development. It is a story of different generations struggling to understand each other. His previous work includes ‘Nor Any Drop’ and a ‘Muslim Love Story’.

As well as working for BBC Radio Leeds, Nick also writes for the iconic Yorkshire based soap opera ‘Emmerdale’.