Zinya Salfiti

Chicago, London, Washington, D.C., United States

Contributor and Researcher at Freelance

Research Associate at British GQ

researcher & writer @GQMagazine @BritishGQ @CondeNast BSJ & MSJ @MedillSchool @NorthwesternU 🗞 words in @thisisinsider @ForeignPolicy @ChicagoMag @UNarabic

Articles

Ash Sarkar vs the culture warriors

5 days ago | gq-magazine.co.uk | Zinya Salfiti

Journalist Ash Sarkar occupies an unusual space in Britain’s political zeitgeist: a prominent, popular, often divisive and singular voice on the left, unafraid to diagnose the progressive bloc’s problems while unflinchingly facing down opponents (and provocateurs) online. The release of her debut book, Minority Rule, had even the vigorous Sarkar running on fumes. But venturing beyond her usual echo chamber of left-wing millennials and Gen-Z activists in big cities made it all worth it.
Plestia: All Eyes Still on Gaza

2 months ago | gqmiddleeast.com | Zinya Salfiti

They are eyes I’ve seen countless times. Rounded brown eyes I searched for on my Instagram feed every morning for the first 45 days after Israel began its bombardment on Gaza. I’d wake up and scroll, desperately wishing to see them, checking the timestamp of the latest video to clock if it was posted recently enough – to make sure those eyes were still alive. But when the Zoom call connects from Dubai, it’s not those eyes that consume my thoughts. It’s her voice.
Level Up Your Arabic with These Netflix Picks

Feb 14, 2025 | gqmiddleeast.com | Zinya Salfiti

Perfecting a language can feel like a chore in a way watching television could never be. At least, that’s what I told myself at 13 years old when my mother forced me and my cousin to spend our summer holiday watching the 2013 Arabic-dubbed Turkish soap opera, Hareem Al Sultan. After initial resistance, we were hooked. So obsessed that we roleplayed scenes of the notorious Sultana Huyam and her confidant Sumbul Agha.
How does Jamie Dornan make a plain black suit look this good?

Dec 3, 2024 | gq-magazine.co.uk | Zinya Salfiti

It was a regular old Irish love-in at the Fashion Awards in London last night. Firstly with designer Jonathan Anderson, who swept the categories. And with Jamie Dornan, who honoured his fellow Northern Irish designer (and IRL friend) on-stage by wearing his designs off-stage. The actor, a global ambassador for Loewe and the new face of the luxury fashion house’s fragrances, rocked up to the red carpet in a classic black Loewe suit paired with a white collared shirt and polished shoes to match.
Paul Forman is fashion's family man

Nov 19, 2024 | gq-magazine.co.uk | Zinya Salfiti

In June, when I last spoke to Paul Forman, we established that he's a Bad Bunny fan. Today, we learnt that Central Cee is up there for him too – which is handy, given they’re both rolling up to GQ Men of the Year 2024. “Central Cee is my favourite British rapper so that’s sick and I’m really excited for that,” he laughs.
Nia Archives is reviving jungle one breakbeat at a time

Nov 10, 2024 | gq-magazine.co.uk | Zinya Salfiti

It’s difficult for Nia Archives to decide on one highlight of 2024, the year when it felt like things were really changing. Was it raving at Notting Hill Carnival to her euphoric samba-infused anthem, “Baianá”? Was it at Glastonbury, when she was perched atop a giant inflatable set of grills like a queen on her throne? Was it performing to thousands at Sonic Mania in Tokyo, having played in the city the year before to only 200 people?
Is Emma's NextGen Cooling mattress actually one of the best mattresses?

Sep 5, 2024 | gq-magazine.co.uk | Zinya Salfiti

All products are independently selected by our editors. If you buy something, we may earn an affiliate commission. Buying a mattress is a nightmare. Scouring the internet, scrolling endlessly… the options are overwhelming. Sometimes, each mattress seems so different from the next. Others, it's hard to tell them apart. And the specifications? Don’t get me started. I don’t know what I want, let alone what I need. So yes, when I call mattress shopping a nightmare, I absolutely mean it.
Bassem Youssef, the Jon Stewart of Egypt, Has More Material Than Ever

Jun 28, 2024 | gq.com | Zinya Salfiti

Egyptian comedian Bassem Youssef’s walk-on song is Billy Joel’s harrowing pop-rock anthem “Pressure.” The last 24 seconds of that song, to be precise. I know this because I'm watching him shout instructions over thousands of empty seats to the venue’s technician, trying to perfect the timing of his entrance. But a frustrating Spotify setting keeps crossfading the outro into the next track, and it’s ruining Youssef's dramatic entrance. Youssef paces from one end of the stage to another.
Paul Forman's fit is more Emily in Berlin

Jun 26, 2024 | gq-magazine.co.uk | Zinya Salfiti

Paul Forman is a big Bad Bunny fan (just like everyone else). Phoning in from his hotel room in Paris the morning after the Vogue World: Paris show, the actor is soaking up the afternoon. “I'm good — recovering slowly,” he says. Fashion week fatigue or too much partying? “A little bit of both,” he laughs. “The afterparty went on last night, it was good.” And as for the show itself: “Mindblowing.” His highlight was Bad Bunny serenading a crowd of football players on the runway.
Magic Hangover Pills Are Popping Up Everywhere-But Do They Actually Work?

Feb 9, 2024 | gq.com | Zinya Salfiti

You wake up sluggish and roll up your blackout blinds every so slightly. That headache creeps in slowly, then starts blaring all at once. You start regretting your choices. That’s when the hangxiety sinks in. You question, was it all even worth it? Does it always have to be this way? If, like me, you’ve spent a portion of a Saturday morning frantically scouring the internet for a "hangover cure" or related terms, you’ve probably seen a handful of magic hangover pills popping up in the market.