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Chapter 6
Hashi Mohamed
I am in an original Edwardian bookshop with long oak galleries and graceful skylights situated in Marylebone High Street, London, called Daunt Books, allegedly the first custom-built bookshop in the world opened in 1912.
I am there via an email request which read, “Greetings. I hope that this email finds you well. The time has come for the book launch as we discussed. I remember you telling me that, I needed a book like Matthew Syed! Now I can’t claim to be like Matthew, but I have written the book!
The book he signed that night was ‘People Like Us’. He is right: he is not Matthew Syed, but his journey is truly amazing, and I am deeply honoured to know him and to have been part of his journey. I wouldn’t be surprised if you don’t see him in politics very soon.
By Harvey Thorneycroft
Chapter 6: Hashi Mohamed
It’s 20th January 2020 and I am standing in a queue, having purchased a book that I want it signed by the author.
We are in an original Edwardian bookshop with long oak galleries and graceful skylights situated in Marylebone High Street, London, called Daunt Books, allegedly the first custom-built bookshop in the world opened in 1912. I am there via an email request which read, “Greetings. I hope that this email finds you well. The time has come for the book launch as we discussed. I remember you telling me that, in order to get me more work, I needed a book like Matthew Syed! Now I can’t claim to be like Matthew, but I have written the book!
I could not have been more proud of this “Brilliant Mind” whom I originally met in King Street, Twickenham on 28th April 2017. I remember looking out of my office window, in expectation of this potential speaker’s arrival. Before he even uttered a word to me, I saw a very tall Somalian man crossing the road with the grace of a statesman. He exuded confidence and I thought to myself, I wonder if this is Hashi Mohamed. He then introduced himself before we departed for a coffee. His accent I can only describe as that of Prince William and his choice of words were like those of a natural orator. If you had to place him within the complex matrix of the British class system, you’d probably say he was the son of wealthy Africans who attended an independent school and Oxbridge.
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