{{Short description|Science teacher, author and film maker}} {{Infobox scientist | name = | honorific_suffix = | native_name = | native_name_lang = | image = Alom_Shaha_before_he_got_angry_(5101623781).jpg | image_size = | image_upright = | alt = | caption = Shaha at an event in 2010 | birth_name = <!-- if different from "name" --> | birth_date ={{birth year and age |1973}}<ref name=dob/> | birth_place = Bangladesh | pronounce = | citizenship = <!-- use only when necessary per WP:INFONAT --> | nationality = <!-- use only when necessary per WP:INFONAT --> | fields = | workplaces = Camden School for Girls<br />Humanists UK<br />The Watford UTC<br />BBC<br />Royal Institution | patrons = | education = | alma_mater = {{Plainlist| * University College London (BSc) * Imperial College London (MSc) * Goldsmiths, University of London (MA) * King's College London (PGCE)}} | known_for = | influences = | influenced = | awards = | spouse = <!--(or | spouses = )--> | partner = <!--(or | partners = )--> | children = | parents = | father = | mother = | relatives = | website = {{Official URL}} }} '''Alom Shaha''' (born 1973)<ref name=dob>{{cite web|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20220729043715/https://www.bigissue.com/life/alom-shaha-on-the-joy-of-making/|archivedate=2022-07-29|url=https://www.bigissue.com/life/alom-shaha-on-the-joy-of-making/|website=bigissue.com|publisher=The Big Issue|first=Alom|last=Shaha|title=Alom Shaha on the joy of making|year=2022}}</ref> is a British-Bangladeshi science teacher, writer, and filmmaker.<ref name=imp>{{cite web|url=https://www.imperial.ac.uk/events/98573/alom-shaha-how-to-be-your-childs-first-science-teacher/|website=imperial.ac.uk|title=How to be your child's first science teacher|first=Alom|last=Shaha|year=2018|publisher=Imperial College London}}</ref><ref name=chm>{{cite Q|Q98726080|quote= Many co-conspirators contributed to this set of ideas, among them in no particular order Alom Shaha, Michael Depodesta, Carole Kenrick, Steve Price, Dewi Lewis, Emre Sener, Anna Roffey, Patrick Thompson, Mark Miodownik, Stefan Gates, Bob Worley, Chris Howard, Stephen Potts, Tom Miller, Helen Czerski, Sarah-Jayne Blakemore, Paul McMillan, Martin Whitworth and many others}}</ref><ref name=LibraryOfCongress>{{LCAuth|no2012148789|Alom Shaha||}}</ref><ref name=about>{{Cite web|first=Alom|last=Shaha |year=2022|title=About Alom |url=https://alomshaha.com/about-alom/ |access-date=2022-10-28 |website=alomshaha.com|language=en-GB|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150804081118/https://alomshaha.com/about-alom/|archivedate=2015-08-04}}</ref><ref name=twitter>{{twitter}}</ref> His books include ''The Young Atheist's Handbook: Lessons for Living a Good Life Without God'',<ref name=handbook>{{Cite book |title=The Young Atheist's Handbook: lessons for living a good life without God |oclc=880401007 |first=Alom|last=Shaha|year=2014 |isbn=9781849547222|quote=foreword by Jim Al-Khalili}}</ref> ''Mr Shaha's Recipes for Wonder: adventures in science round the kitchen table'',<ref name=wonder>{{cite book | first = Alom|last= Shaha | date = 2018 | title = Mr Shaha's Recipes for Wonder: Adventures in Science Round the Kitchen Table | publisher = Scribe Publications | pages = | isbn = 978-1-925321-89-0 | oclc = 1041678420}}</ref> and ''Mr Shaha's Marvellous Machines: adventures in making round the kitchen table''.<ref name=marvellous>{{Cite book |first=Alom|last=Shaha|title=Mr Shaha's Marvellous Machines |oclc=1255831219|year=2021|isbn=978-1913348120}}</ref> He has also written for ''The Guardian'',<ref>{{Cite web |title=Alom Shaha's profile at The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/profile/alom-shaha |access-date=2022-10-28 |website=The Guardian|language=en}}</ref> The Big Issue,<ref name=dob/> ''BBC Science Focus'',<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.sciencefocus.com/author/alomshaha/ |access-date=2022-10-28 |title=Alom Shaha: Science teacher, filmmaker and author |website=sciencefocus.com/author/alomshaha}}</ref> ''New Humanist''<ref>{{cite web|url=https://newhumanist.org.uk/contributors/2783/alom-shaha|website=newhumanist.org.uk|title=Alom Shaha}}</ref> and ''New Scientist''<ref>{{Cite web |title=Alom Shaha |url=https://www.newscientist.com/author/alom-shaha/|publisher=New Scientist |access-date=2022-10-28 |website=newscientist.com/author/alom-shaha |language=en-US}}</ref> and spoken at events such as the Richmond Literature Festival<ref>{{Cite web |title=Alom Shaha at Richmond Literature Festival|publisher= Scribe UK |url=https://scribepublications.co.uk/events/alom-shaha-at-richmond-literature-festival |access-date=2022-10-28 |website=scribepublications.co.uk |language=en-GB}}</ref> and Cheltenham Science Festival.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-03-31 |title=Cheltenham Science Festival announces line-up for its 20th anniversary year |url=https://www.soglos.com/news/culture/cheltenham-science-festival-announces-line-up-for-its-20th-anniversary-year/17564/ |access-date=2022-10-28 |website=soglos.com |first=Chloe |last=Gorman |language=en}}</ref><ref name=official>{{Official URL}}</ref>
==Education and early life== Shaha was born in Bangladesh and grew up in a Muslim family in the Elephant and Castle area of London where he developed an interest in atheism.<ref name=handbook/><ref name=about/> He was educated at University College London<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/aug/20/worst-exam-result-students-gcse-failure|title=My worst exam result – and how it affected me|first1=Fay|last1=Schopen|first2=Alom|last2=Shaha|first3=Maurice|last3= Mcleod|first4=Joel |last4=Golby|year=2015|work=The Guardian}}</ref> where he was awarded a Bachelor of Science degree in physics, followed by Imperial College London (Master of Science degree in science communication), Goldsmiths, University of London (Master of Arts degree in creative writing and life writing and King's College London (Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) Physics).<ref name=linkedin>{{LinkedIn page}}</ref>
== Career == Shaha is a teacher of physics.<ref name="teacher">{{cite journal|journal=Index on Censorship| volume=47|issue=3 |doi=10.1177/0306422018800255|first=Alom|last=Shaha|year=2018|title=How to find answers to life's questions: A physics teacher on why a career-focused science approach isn't good for students thinking outside the box| pages=36–38| s2cid=126067374|doi-access=free}}</ref> He taught at Camden School for Girls from 2008 to 2020<ref>{{Cite web |title=Alom Shaha |url=https://felicitybryan.com/fba-author/alom-shaha/ |access-date=2022-10-28 |website=felicitybryan.com|publisher=Felicity Bryan Associates |language=en-GB}}</ref> and The Watford UTC.<ref name=linkedin/>
Shaha was elected a councillor in the 1998 Southwark London Borough Council election for the London Borough of Southwark for the Liberal Democrats.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Lambeth/Southwark Election Winners|year=1998|author=Anon |url=https://www.newsshopper.co.uk/news/6509657.lambethsouthwark-election-winners-1998/ |access-date=2022-10-28 |website=newsshopper.co.uk |language=en}}</ref>
Shaha is a patron of Humanists UK,<ref>{{Cite web |title=New patron for Humanists UK: Alom Shaha, scientist and educator |url=https://humanists.uk/2022/09/22/alom-shaha-becomes-patron-of-humanists-uk/ |access-date=2022-10-28 |website=humanists.uk |language=en}}</ref> who have sent his books to secondary schools in the UK.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2014-05-01 |title=Young Atheist's Handbooks sent to secondary schools |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/may/01/young-atheists-handbook-sent-secondary-schools |access-date=2022-10-31 |website=theguardian.com |language=en|first=Alison |last=Flood}}</ref> His work has been recognised by fellowships awarded by Nesta and the Nuffield Foundation,<ref name="about" /> and was made an Honorary Fellow of the British Science Association in 2024.<ref name="bsahonfellow">{{Cite web |title=Alom Shaha, Gisela Abbam and Tom Crick named British Science Association Honorary Fellows |url=https://www.britishscienceassociation.org/News/alom-shaha-gisela-abbam-and-tom-crick-named-british-science-association-honorary-fellows |date=2024-12-16| access-date=2024-12-22 |website=British Science Association}}</ref> He has also worked on content creation for the BBC and the Royal Institution.<ref name="linkedin" />
=== Popular science === Shaha has published books on popular science aimed at children, teenagers and their families including: * ''Mr Shaha's Recipes for Wonder: adventures in science round the kitchen table''<ref name=wonder/> * ''Mr Shaha's Marvellous Machines: adventures in making round the kitchen table''<ref name=marvellous/> * ''Why Don't Things Fall Up?: and Six Other Science Lessons You Missed at School''<ref name=up>{{cite book|isbn=978-1529348163|year=2023|first=Alom|last=Shaha|title=Why Don't Things Fall Up?: and Six Other Things You Missed at School}}</ref> * ''How to Find a Rainbow''<ref>{{Cite book |last=Shaha |first=Alom |url=https://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Find-Rainbow-Alom-Shaha/dp/1915590396/ |title=How to Find a Rainbow |date=2024-02-08 |publisher=Scribble UK |others=Sarthak Sinha |isbn=978-1-915590-39-8 |language=English}}</ref>
=== Textbooks === Shaha has co-authored textbooks on GCSE Science and A-Level Physics for the AQA examination board published by Oxford University Press:
* ''Oxford Revise: AQA GCSE Physics''<ref name=aphysa>{{cite book | first1 = Helen|last1= Reynolds | first2 = Alom |last2=Shaha | date = 2020 | title = Oxford Revise: AQA GCSE Physics Revision and Exam Practice | publisher = Oxford University Press | pages = | isbn = 978-1-382-01797-8 }}</ref> * ''Oxford Revise: AQA A-Level Physics'' <ref name=aphysb>{{cite book|title=Oxford Revise: AQA A-Level Physics|year=2020|publisher=Oxford University Press|oclc=1334125199|first1=Helen |last1=Reynolds|first2=Alom|last2= Shaha |first3=Catherine|last3= Jones |first4=Carol|last4= Davenport|isbn=9781382008600}}</ref> * ''Oxford Revise: AQA GCSE Combined Science''<ref name=combined>{{cite book|first1=Adam |last1=Boxer |first2=Philippa |last2=Gardom-Hulme |first3= Jo |last3=Locke|first4=Helen |last4=Reynolds|first5=Alom |last5=Shaha|first6= Jessica |last6=Walmsley|title=Oxford Revise: AQA GCSE Combined Science|year=2020|isbn=978-1382004879|publisher=Oxford University Press}}</ref>
=== Media === Alongside appearances on YouTube,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/c/alomshaha|website=youtube.com/c/alomshaha|title=Alom Shaha on YouTube}}</ref> Shaha's appearances on mainstream media have included: * ''Science Shack''<ref name=imdb>{{IMDb name}}</ref> * ''What the Victorians Did for Us'' <ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=2015-03-21|first=Alom|last=Shaha |title=Films |url=https://alomshaha.com/about-alom/films/ |access-date=2022-10-28 |website=alomshaha.com |language=en-GB}}</ref> * ''Horizon<ref name=":0" />''
==Personal life== Shaha speaks Sylheti fluently<ref name=about/> having been born in a small village in the Sylhet Division of Bangladesh.<ref name=dob/>
== References == {{Reflist}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shaha, Alom}} Category:Living people Category:21st-century British male writers Category:Alumni of Goldsmiths, University of London Category:Alumni of Imperial College London Category:Alumni of King's College London Category:Alumni of University College London Category:British Asian writers Category:English humanists Category:Liberal Democrats (UK) councillors Category:People from Elephant and Castle Category:Writers from the London Borough of Southwark Category:21st-century British educators Category:1973 births