I’m a broadcaster, writer and DJ from London with a passion for music, arts, mental health and history. I regularly produce and present radio documentaries and podcasts for platforms including BBC Radio 4, BBC World Service, Tate, and Boiler Room, covering varied topics, from British folk culture, to my mother’s experience of schizophrenia, to Sabar drumming in Senegal, and was the recipient of the silver award for ‘Best New Voice’ at the Audio Production Awards in 2021.

Alongside my work in audio storytelling, I’m an enthusiastic collector and sharer of music. I spent several years working behind the counter at Honest Jons Records in West London, and whilst working there there I landed myself a weekly show on NTS Radio, called Questing w/ Zakia, which I hosted for 5 years before taking on the NTS Breakfast show, which I now host twice a week. I DJ regularly at clubs and festivals in London and abroad, and have played for esteemed venues and festivals such as Brilliant Corners, Corsica Studios, XOYO, Dimensions and Dekmantel.​

I’ve written articles for publications such as Weird Walk and Resident Advisor, and have an essay published in a forthcoming collection of essays by and about women in music called This Woman’s Work. ​I also regularly lead radio workshops offering advice and support to aspiring radio makers and have worked on creative research projects with archives and arts institutions such as Timespan, the Stuart Hall Library and the George Padmore institute.

When I’m not doing the above, I’m singing, playing guitar, taking long walks in nature and reading esoteric books about pagans.