Sarfraz Manzoor is a British journalist, documentary maker and broadcaster. He is a regular contributor to The Guardian, presenter of documentaries on BBC Radio 4 and a cultural commentator who appears on programs such as Newsnight Review and Saturday Review. His first book, ‘Greeting from Bury Park: Race, Religion and Rock N’ Roll,’ a charming memoir about the impact of Bruce Springsteen’s music on a Pakistani boy growing up in 1970s Britain, was published in 2007. The movie adaptation is now in theaters as Blinded by the Light and stars Viveik Kalra, Hayley Atwell, Rob Brydon, Kulvinder Ghir and Nell Williams. Manzoor co-wrote the script and Gurinder Chadha directed it.

According to Amazon, ‘Blinded by the Light,’ originally published as ‘Greeting from Bury Park,’ centers around Sarfraz Manzoor. He was two years old when, in 1974, he emigrated from Pakistan to Britain with his mother, brother and sister. He spends his teenage years in a constant battle, trying to reconcile being both British and Muslim, trying to fit in at school and at home. When his best friend introduces him to the music of Bruce Springsteen at age sixteen, his life changes completely. From the moment Manzoor heard the opening lines to “The River,” Springsteen became his personal muse, a lens through which he was able to view the rest of his life. Both a tribute to The Boss and a story of personal discovery, ‘Blinded by the Light’ is a warm, irreverent, and exceptionally perceptive memoir about how music transcends religion and race.