Team Rawanee

Co-Founder and Lead - Rawanee

Association with Rawanee:

Muniba Mahmud co-founded Rawanee based on the recognition and the yearning of a few years, for a space that would allow versatile and authentic creativity to flourish: a space that was not limited by the dictates of commercialism, checklists and stereotypes. 

She oversees the overall management and strategy of Rawanee and its key projects: events and creative content (including publications, podcast and video content, plays and performances) and workshops. 

Writing, Career & Hobbies:

Muniba writes compulsively, and works on poetry and prose (long-form, short stories).

She day-jobs in Marketing and has previously studied business (IBA, Karachi), public administration (Columbia, NY) and novel-writing (Faber Academy, London). She continues to take short courses and dabble in learning about other subjects of interest including history, global affairs, poetry & religion - and feels that these influences impact her writing.

She's easy going and loves a purposeful chat (she confesses that small talk positively frightens her) - so feel free to reach out to her over email if you'd like to speak further. 

Rawanee Administration & Podcast Manager

Association with Rawanee:

Based in Pakistan, Laiba has been a part of Rawanee's journey since August, 2022, as a member, content editor, youth outreach and administrative manager. 

Since 2024, she also manages the podcast and supports the production of events and publications.

Writing, Career and Hobbies: 

Laiba is a writer, poet and an undergraduate student of English Literature and Linguistics. 

She is currently published in the Blooming Pen anthology with her short fiction, "The Memory of Colors," and Cathartic literary magazine with, "What if....", and has also won 1st prize for poetry in BPWS Online fundraising Contest. 

She is often found engaging with a diverse array of literary genres, encompassing short fiction, poetry, longer prose, literary critique, as well as scholarly composition, but her persisting interest lies in short fiction.

Co-Founder

Association with Rawanee:

Co-founder

Saba Kazmi is a seasoned writer and content strategist with over a decade of experience in tech, content, and product. An avid reader with a curious mind, Saba will be found with a cup of coffee, a book, and a notebook some early morning at the beach, connecting thoughts, feelings, and words. She writes about life experiences and lessons, so her reader may find a piece of themselves in her work. Her greatest joy is in stories that give hope and connectedness.

Salma Siddiqui has been associated with Rawanee since 2021.

She writes poems in English & Urdu. 

By profession, she is a Clinical Psychologist, Professor, former Dean School of Social Sciences & Humanities, Founding Head of the Department of Behavioral Sciences, NUST, Islamabad. 

Shes loves reading and gardening and exploring new places. 

Salma is part of the Urdu Publishing team for Rawanee Safhay, in an advisory role

nFk. has been an active contributor to and a member of the Rawanee community since September 2020. 

His favourite contribution has been the versification of the First Mehfil of Rawanee, back in October 2020. 

Being one of the founders of Desi Writers Lounge and LakeerMag, he is equally passionate about reading and writing poetry in Urdu and English. 

With Pharma and Cloud-tech as his day pursuits, he spends the nights and early mornings versifying his thoughts - mostly with a spiritual, often a satirical and sometimes a political leaning. He is working on perfecting “12-Minutes-of-Sunrise”, which he intends to publish in Pakistan in 2024.

Daniele is a graduate in MSc Development Studies from SOAS University of London, and currently works in the field of Italian international cooperation.

Daniele is a polyglot with a track record of studying around 15 languages, as well as an aspiring poet, translator and researcher. Daniele's Urdu and Hindi poems, written under the pen-name of Rahi Italvi, are published on Rekhta; 

he also writes in Malay for Aliran, Malaysia's oldest human rights NGOs. In 2022, Daniele was a finalist to the Jawad Memorial Prize For Urdu-English Translation.

Passionate about social justice, throughout his life Daniele has also worked with multiple NGOs in Italy, India and Malaysia.

Daniele is part of the Urdu Publishing team for Rawanee Safhay