Advent Day 10: On Our Own Terms – rewriting the Harehills Narrative

Welcome to Day 10 of the 2025 Harehills Good News Advent Calendar!

We often hear people talking about Harehills. The media, politicians, and people who have never set foot in LS9 often have a lot to say. But today’s story is about what happens when the people of Harehills grab the mic and speak for themselves.

This year, the Thackray Museum of Medicine—a jewel in our local crown—hosted a transformative project titled “On Our Own Terms”.

Facilitated by the brilliant community organiser Natalie Tharraleos and the acclaimed poet and educator Suhaiymah Manzoor-Khan, this project was a series of creative writing workshops designed to do exactly what the title suggests: take back control of our story.

The goal was explicitly political and deeply personal: to complicate and challenge the lazy media narrative that labels Harehills as a “bad neighbourhood.” Instead, residents explored themes of safety, health, history, and family, proving that our community is rich with nuance, love, and talent.

The result is a stunning collection of poetry that has been turned into a Zine and physically projected onto the institution itself—you may have seen the poems proudly displayed on the museum’s fences on Beckett Street, wrapping the building in the voices of its neighbours.

A Personal Note This story is particularly close to my heart because I was lucky enough to be involved. I attended the launch event (photos below!), and I am incredibly proud to say that I have a poem featured in the book that was produced.

Standing in that room, hearing neighbours share their truths—some joyful, some painful, all powerful—was a reminder of why I write this calendar every year. Harehills isn’t a problem to be solved; it’s a community to be celebrated.