A Golden Era for Blackburn Talent

Editor’s message | Autumn 2026

By Zaffer Khan, Editor

This month’s cover story features the incredible rise of local Blackburn lad Sufiyaan Salam.
Sufiyaan has had a remarkable year, picking up a BAFTA nomination, publishing his first book and establishing himself as a rising star in the writing world. Although now based in London, he remains fiercely proud of his Blackburn roots and culture.
Over the past 18 months, we’ve had the privilege of speaking to a whole host of national and international stars who all hail from Blackburn and are making their mark online, on stage and in the media.
From AJ Odudu, Shabaz Ali and Tez Ilyas to Sufiyaan, there’s a real sense that something special is happening. We often celebrate the famous faces of Blackburn’s past, but perhaps we are now enjoying a golden era of local talent.
What makes us particularly proud is that these stars haven’t forgotten where they come from. Many continue to champion Blackburn and encourage others to follow their dreams.
“And there’s a new influencer on the block. Nicola Grimshaw combines influencing with wonderful storytelling about Blackburn’s past and present. She is a delight!”
We’ll be featuring many more of them in future issues of One Voice Blackburn.