Japanese artists have a concept of Yohaku No Bi, the beauty of empty spaces. Japanese art leaves space for the beauty of a line or an ink to resonate across an empty space, amplifying in beauty and emotion. The empty spaces between objects are full of mystery, potential, resonance. As a writer and artist I search for those spaces, rich with untold stories.

I am a London based political scientist and geopolitical analyst. I study violence in all its forms, from terrorism to genocide to serial killing. I wrote my PhD on the paramilitaries of Northern Ireland. I have collected unique and interesting stories from within those hidden worlds and this blog is where I will share some of them.

I am writing my first book,Terrorism in the Holy Land. I am also working on a graphic non-fiction book, Stories of the Minotaur, which looks at the role of artists and writers in helping societies deal with terrorism. Stories of the Minotaur is a multimedia project by literary detective Mariyam Hasham  (that’s me) that enters into the cultural maze around terrorism, much like a film noir detective enters the dark urban landscape, and investigates the reasons why terrorism has such a powerful hold on our collective imagination. It features a book, a real-time social media feed, video interviews with former terrorists, and an online archive of background/supplemental evidence.

I also have a Substack, The Knowledge Mechanic, which gives perspectives and applications on working in the knowledge economy. My day job is as a commercial strategist with an expertise in intelligence and uncovering hidden knowledge.

Recent Publications

Emerging Threat Landscapes: Irish Defence Forces Journal https://digital.jmpublishing.ie/i/1539308-an-cosantoir-july-august-2025/23?

Stay here with me. We have stories to share.