nickahad@gmail.com
@NickAhad
Journalism
Professional
info
I've been a professional journalist since 1999, spending five years as a news reporter and feature writer. In 2004 I became full time arts correspondent and theatre critic.
Journalism
Arts Correspondent / Arts Editor Yorkshire Post & Yorkshire Evening Post
2004 - present
As the only journalist in the country that covers the whole of the arts in Yorkshire, I have a unique insight and extensive contacts in the industry.
I am a specialist in theatre, but cover all arts across the county.
I write for the Yorkshire Post news and feature pages, the Weekend Magazine and write for and edit the Yorkshire Post's weekly arts magazine Culture. In 2013 I was appointed arts editor responsible for arts content across both the Yorkshire Post and Yorkshire Evening Post.
News reporter, Yorkshire Evening Post.
September 2001 - April 2004.
As a news reporter notable stories covered included finding the cousin of Saddam Hussein living in Leeds, an exclusive series revealing new information about the Yorkshire Ripper's 'Killing Kit' and a double murder at Christmas 2001, which I followed from incident to conviction of the men responsible. During this time I also wrote about the arts and was instrumental in launching the newspaper's first arts supplement.
News and Feature Writer, Swindon Evening Advertiser.
September 1999 - September 2001.
While at the Swindon Evening Advertiser I covered stories on Travellers and a number of exclusives about the vice trade, including interviews with teenager prostitutes and an undercover expose of a brothel in a residential area. While at the newspaper I won a number of awards including BT Young Journalist of the Year and UKPG Newcomer of the Year.
News reporter, Wiltshire Gazette and Herald.
December 1998 - September 1999.
Beginning my career on a weekly in Devizes, I was the main reporter in the head office for a paid-for-weekly.
Education
Editorial Centre, Hastings.
September 1998 - December 1998.
At the renowned Editorial Centre, run by Peter Sands, I trained as a news journalist, passing compulsory Law and Government exams and gaining my 100 wpm shorthand certificate. I also completed a GNVQ in journalism and trained with QuarkXpress.
Kent University, BA Hons in Theology.
September 1995 - June 1998.