Reporter since 2005, producer, writer, researcher, lecturer... I was based in Paris then in Prague; Miami, USA; London, UK; Nairobi, Kenya; East/Central Africa, Bristol; also travelling to Erbil in Iraq, Istanbul, Ventimiglia and Palermo in Italy, Haiti, Liberia, Morocco, Tunis, Dakar, Mogadishu, Kampala, Calais, etc. Currently based between England & France.

Journalism

Selected work: On International affairs

More than 110 aid and human rights groups denounce Gaza 'mass starvation' (July 2025)

More than 100 aid organisations warned on Wednesday of “mass starvation” across Gaza, with their staff severely affected by widespread shortages. Israel is under mounting international pressure as the humanitarian crisis in the enclave worsens, with more than 2 million people enduring 21 months of conflict.

Article: https://www.rfi.fr/en/international/20250724-more-than-110-aid-and-human-rights-groups-denounce-mass-starvation-in-gaza

France: On the fight against Far Right (May 2025)

How French Activists Are Leading an ‘Urgent’ Fight Against the Surging Far Right

Melissa Chemam details the multifaceted resistance mobilising against far-right groups, Islamophobia and racism across the Channel...

Link to read: https://bylinetimes.com/2025/05/16/far-right-france/

Is the future of aid at risk and ready for change? (2025)

As the United States and Europe prioritise funding for arms and domestic affairs, we ask whether the current aid model can endure, if it must evolve, and how that change might take shape.

Podcast: https://www.rfi.fr/en/podcasts/spotlight-on-africa/20250318-spotlight-on-africa-is-the-future-of-aid-at-risk-and-ready-for-change

Article: https://www.rfi.fr/en/africa/20250304-us-grant-cuts-could-affect-two-million-worldwide-disrupt-hiv-aid-in-kenya

Interview with the UN's Francesca Albanese on Palestine (Oct. 2024)

The UN rapporteur says Israel's war in Gaza is 'emptying the land completely' and asks again for a ceasefire. Interview:

https://www.rfi.fr/en/podcasts/international-report/20241101-un-rapporteur-says-israel-s-war-in-gaza-is-emptying-the-land-completely

Interview with Israeli historian Ilan Pappé on Palestine (June 2024)

Israeli historian Ilan Pappé has seen his book The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine reissued in France after a French publisher pulled it from shelves. He tells RFI that it fits with a broader political climate that limits freedom of expression, both across Europe and in Israel.

https://www.rfi.fr/en/international/20240628-france-s-tense-political-climate-mirrors-israel-s-says-scholar-ilan-papp%C3%A9

Analysing French Election results on BBC News (June 2024)

On 30 June 2024 with presenter Kasha Madera in London and Mark Lowen in Paris, and the other guest, political analyst Alexander Kouchner

Link to watch: https://archive.org/details/BBCNEWS_20240630_180000_BBC_News/start/240/end/300

Almost 200 people killed worldwide last year trying to defend the environment

Climate activism

Nearly 200 environmental and land defenders around the world were murdered in 2023, with Colombia once again the deadliest place for activists, watchdog Global Witness showed in a report

Article: https://www.rfi.fr/en/environment/20240910-almost-200-people-killed-worldwide-last-year-trying-to-defend-the-environment-report

World Refugee Day

UN urges swift action to help millions of displaced people across Africa (2024):

https://www.rfi.fr/en/africa/20240620-un-urges-swift-action-to-help-millions-of-displaced-people-across-africa

Selected work: On African politics

Covering African & International news for RFI English

Journalist covering African and global south affairs

My work here: https://www.rfi.fr/en/author/melissa-chemam-with-rfi/

And here: https://www.rfi.fr/en/author/melissa-chemam/

Reporting from Côte d'Ivoire (Oct. 2025)

Read, watch and listen from here - on RFI English's website:

Latest - https://www.rfi.fr/en/africa/20251102-succession-questions-loom-after-cote-d-ivoire-re-elects-ageing-president-alassane-ouattara

- Podcast: Inside Côte d’Ivoire’s pivotal election: voices of hope and uncertainty https://www.rfi.fr/en/podcasts/spotlight-on-africa/20251028-inside-c%C3%B4te-d-ivoire-s-pivotal-election-voices-of-hope-and-uncertainty

- Young voters in Côte d'Ivoire want jobs, change – but most of all, peace https://www.rfi.fr/en/africa/20251023-young-voters-in-c%C3%B4te-d-ivoire-want-jobs-change-but-most-of-all-peace

- Women march into the fray but power still lags in Côte d’Ivoire https://www.rfi.fr/en/africa/20251023-women-march-into-the-fray-but-power-still-lags-in-c%C3%B4te-d-ivoire

All here: https://www.rfi.fr/en/tag/c%C3%B4te-d-ivoire/

Namibia holds controversial first commemoration of German colonial-era genocide (May 2025)

Namibia on Wednesday held its first national commemoration for the victims of mass killings by colonial-era German troops, in what is widely recognised as the first genocide of the 20th century. However, some organisations representing victims' descendants have declined to take part. Interview:

https://www.rfi.fr/en/africa/20250528-namibia-holds-controversial-first-commemoration-of-german-colonial-era-genocide

On South Africa Ramaphosa's high-stakes White House visit (May 2025)

South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa is in the United States for a high-stakes visit accompanied by four cabinet ministers. Whether the visit could see relations between the two governments improve is the subject of debate.

https://www.rfi.fr/en/international/20250521-south-africa-s-ramaphosa-to-meet-trump-on-high-stakes-white-house-visit

On the G20 in South Africa (2025)

South Africa voiced dismay that Group of 20 (G20) talks it hosted on global economic issues ended without consensus, after top officials from several countries skipped it and delegates remained far apart on issues such as climate finance.

https://www.rfi.fr/en/africa/20250227-south-africa-laments-g20-stalemate-as-key-officials-skip-talks

& https://www.rfi.fr/en/africa/20250108-south-africa-g20-presidency-africa-top-of-the-agenda

African Union Summit opens as conflicts rage on the continent (Jan. 2025)

African heads of state are gathering for their annual summit in Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa this weekend, with escalating conflict in the DRC, the war and resulting humanitarian crisis in Sudan and cuts to aid from the US dominating the agenda.

Article: https://www.rfi.fr/en/africa/20250215-african-union-summit-opens-as-conflicts-rage-on-the-continent

On reparations for historical injustices

Article: How could countries finance reparations for historical injustices? https://www.rfi.fr/en/international/20240623-how-could-countries-finance-reparations-for-historical-injustices

Podcast: Global South amplifies calls for compensation for historical injustices https://www.rfi.fr/en/podcasts/spotlight-on-africa/20240614-global-south-amplifies-calls-for-compensation-for-historical-injustices

Reporting from South Africa (2024)

Read from here - on RFI English's website:

Latest - Ramaphosa re-elected as South African leader after historic coalition deal https://www.rfi.fr/en/africa/20240615-ramaphosa-re-elected-as-south-african-leader-after-historic-coalition-deal

- South Africa's poorest voters dream of a basic income https://www.rfi.fr/en/africa/20240527-south-africa-election-universal-basic-income-grant

- South Africa heads for coalition talks after ANC loses 30-year majority https://www.rfi.fr/en/africa/20240602-south-africa-heads-for-coalition-talks-after-anc-loses-30-year-majority

All here: https://www.rfi.fr/en/tag/south-africa-elections-2024/

Following South Africa's general election (May 2024)

Read from here - on RFI English's website:

Latest - South Africans lose faith in ruling ANC as income inequality grows https://www.rfi.fr/en/africa/20240513-south-africans-lose-faith-in-ruling-anc-as-income-inequality-grows

On Jacob Zuma's attempted come back: https://www.rfi.fr/en/africa/20240508-south-africa-s-zuma-tackles-dissent-in-recently-formed-mk-party-ahead-of-elections

All here: https://www.rfi.fr/en/tag/south-africa-elections-2024/

Explainer - South Africa's May 2024 election - Byline Times

South Africa heads to the polls on 29 May amid predictions that the African National Congress could lose its majority for the first time

Read from here - on the Byline Times' website: https://bylinetimes.com/2024/05/26/south-african-elections-thirty-years-after-apartheid-the-country-is-in-crisis-with-anc-blamed-by-many/

Spotlight on Africa - RFI English (March 2024)

SPOTLIGHT ON AFRICA

The long path to Senegal's troubled presidential elections

This is a big election year for Africa, with 16 countries heading to the polls. Close attention is being paid to the delayed presidential vote in Senegal – a West African beacon of democracy that is facing increasing instability. RFI spoke to author and economist Ndongo Samba Sylla in the capital Dakar. Listen here: https://www.rfi.fr/en/podcasts/spotlight-on-africa/20240322-the-long-path-to-senegal-s-troubled-presidential-elections

Following Senegal's presidential campaign (Jan-March 2024)

Read from here - on RFI English's website:

Senegalese presidential candidates unite in call for new election date https://www.rfi.fr/en/africa/20240219-senegalese-presidential-candidates-unite-in-call-for-new-election-date

Human Rights Watch warns of Senegal repression ahead of elections (Jan. 2024) https://www.rfi.fr/en/africa/20240123-human-rights-watch-warns-of-senegal-repression-ahead-of-elections

Sonko and Wade excluded from Senegal's list of 20 presidential candidates https://www.rfi.fr/en/africa/20240122-sonko-and-wade-excluded-from-senegal-s-list-of-20-presidential-candidates

Senegal's political crisis (Feb-March 2024)

Senegal's February presidential election has been delayed by the President and the whole country now lives in uncertainty.

Candidates approved to stand in are calling for the new date for the vote, and for the polls to be held no later than 2 April, the day President Macky Sall's term officially ends. But what is really going to happen?

RFI English's Melissa Chemam was in Dakar.

2024 elections have Africa poised for political shake-up

A third of Africa will head to the polls in 2024, with at major issues on the line in at least 18 countries gearing up for an election year.

These include coup-hit Mali, Chad and Burkina Faso – if the junta leaders in those countries stay true to their word.

From Algeria to South Africa, RFI looks at the main polls to watch: https://www.rfi.fr/en/africa/20240103-year-of-elections-has-africa-poised-for-political-shake-up-in-2024

Historic win or climate injustice? Experts divided on what Cop28 means for Africa (Dec. 2023)

Countries in Africa find themselves on the frontlines of climate change, but many are reluctant to power down development as part of the push to cut out polluting oil, coal and gas: https://www.rfi.fr/en/africa/20231218-historic-win-or-climate-injustice-experts-divided-on-what-cop28-means-for-africa

A year after the ceasefire in Tigray, Ethiopia is little closer to peace (Nov. 2023)

Ongoing atrocities cast a shadow on the first anniversary of the ceasefire that officially ended hostilities in Ethiopia's Tigray region, according to Human Rights Watch.

RFI English - here: https://www.rfi.fr/en/africa/20231102-a-year-after-the-ceasefire-in-tigray-ethiopia-is-little-closer-to-peace

Kenyans demand reparations from Britain ahead of King Charles's visit (Oct. 2023)

As King Charles III begins a state visit to Kenya on Tuesday, offering promises of a better partnership and acknowledgement of Britain's colonial past, demands for compensation have been mounting.

Read from here - on RFI English's website: https://www.rfi.fr/en/africa/20231031-kenyans-demand-reparations-from-britain-ahead-of-king-charles-s-visit

Can Kenya help solve Haiti's deep insecurity crisis? (Sept. 2023)

Kenya is preparing to lead an international police force to combat gang violence in Haiti – an historic first for the East African nation. Experts help me find out more.

Read from here - on RFI English's website: https://www.rfi.fr/en/international/20231001-can-kenya-help-solve-haiti-s-deep-insecurity-crisis

Following the situation in the Sahel & West Africa

Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, Senegal...

Mauritania: https://www.rfi.fr/en/africa/20230522-ruling-party-wins-parliament-election-in-mauritania

Nigeria: https://www.rfi.fr/en/africa/20230529-nigeria-s-tinubu-sworn-in-as-president-bringing-hopes-of-economic-prosperity

-the coup in Niger (July-Oct. 2023)

Read from here - on RFI English's website:

Niger faces multiple crises three months after military coup
https://www.rfi.fr/en/africa/20231027-niger-faces-multiple-crises-three-months-after-military-coup

Niger no closer to restoring order as Ecowas deadline looms https://www.rfi.fr/en/africa/20230804-niger-no-closer-to-restoring-order-as-ecowas-deadline-looms

West African bloc Ecowas says military intervention in Niger is 'last resort' https://www.rfi.fr/en/africa/20230803-west-africa-s-regional-bloc-ecowas-says-military-intervention-in-niger-is-last-resort

-in Mali

Read from here - on the constitutional reform in Mali:

Mali junta upholds UN peacekeepers' departure, sends more troops north
https://www.rfi.fr/en/africa/20231016-mali-junta-upholds-un-peacekeepers-departure-sends-more-troops-north

Latest attack by Tuareg rebels signals northern Mali is back at war https://www.rfi.fr/en/africa/20231006-latest-attack-by-tuareg-rebels-signals-northern-mali-is-back-at-war

https://www.rfi.fr/en/africa/20230603-campaign-kicks-off-for-mali-s-long-awaited-referendum-on-a-new-constitution

And here: https://www.rfi.fr/en/africa/20230618-divided-mali-votes-on-constitution-that-could-pave-way-for-presidential-poll

-in Senegal

Read from here - on Senegal :

Senegal court clears jailed opposition figure for presidential run https://www.rfi.fr/en/africa/20231214-senegal-court-clears-jailed-opposition-figure-for-presidential-run

Political arrests, media restrictions a worry in lead up to Senegal elections https://www.rfi.fr/en/africa/20230809-political-arrests-media-restrictions-a-worry-in-lead-up-to-senegal-elections

And here: https://www.rfi.fr/en/africa/20230717-senegalese-opponent-ousmane-sonko-insists-he-ll-run-in-presidential-race

And here https://www.rfi.fr/en/africa/20230601-senegal-opposition-leader-ousmane-sonko-sentenced-to-two-years-in-prison

Following the Sudan crisis (May-Oct. 2023)

Read from here - RFI English:

Amnesty reports 'atrocious' war crimes committed in Sudan conflict https://www.rfi.fr/en/africa/20230804-amnesty-reports-atrocious-war-crimes-committed-in-sudan-s-latest-conflict

Two months of conflict: https://www.rfi.fr/en/africa/20230615-sudan-s-conflict-enters-third-month-as-violence-escalates

Explainers here: https://www.rfi.fr/en/africa/20230523-sudan-ceasefire-breached-as-fears-grow-of-ethnicisation-of-the-conflict

Here: https://www.rfi.fr/en/africa/20230528-sudan-humanitarian-crisis-deepens-as-aid-facilities-become-targets

And here: https://www.rfi.fr/en/africa/20230521-un-security-council-to-meet-on-sudan-as-a-million-are-displaced-by-violence

Africans against TotalEnergies

Most recent coverage:

Ugandans sue TotalEnergies in France, accusing it of human rights violations https://www.rfi.fr/en/france/20230628-ugandans-sue-totalenergies-in-france-accusing-it-of-human-rights-violations

France's TotalEnergies in court again over fossil fuel projects https://www.rfi.fr/en/france/20230601-france-s-totalenergies-in-court-again-over-fossil-fuel-projects

My work on Africa & the Climate Crisis

Most recent coverage: on the Africa Climate Summit in Nairobi, Kenya

Here: Climate activists say African summit failed despite billion-dollar pledges

https://www.rfi.fr/en/africa/20230909-climate-activists-say-african-summit-failed-despite-billion-dollar-pledges

Here: Africa Climate Summit ends on high, but huge challenges remain https://www.rfi.fr/en/africa/20230906-africa-climate-summit-ends-on-a-optimistic-note-but-huge-challenges-remain

and here: UAE pledges $4.5 billion investment in clean energy for Africa https://www.rfi.fr/en/africa/20230905-uae-pledges-4-5-billion-investment-in-clean-energy-for-africa

Rest of the world

Gaza https://www.rfi.fr/en/international/20231024-hamas-releases-two-more-hostages-as-un-calls-for-an-immediate-humanitarian-ceasefire

Russia https://www.rfi.fr/en/europe/20230824-kremlin-silent-on-reported-death-of-wagner-boss-prigozhin-in-plane-crash

BRICS Summit: https://www.rfi.fr/en/international/20230823-no-explanation-after-china-s-xi-jinping-misses-key-speech-at-brics-summit

Spike in violence shows Libya remains crippled by rival armed groups - Read from here https://www.rfi.fr/en/africa/20230819-spike-in-violence-shows-libya-remains-crippled-by-rival-armed-groups

Rescuers search Channel for missing migrant after six die in boat tragedy - read here: https://www.rfi.fr/en/europe/20230815-rescuers-search-channel-for-missing-migrant-after-six-die-in-boat-tragedy

International conference for and about women looks to gender equality https://www.rfi.fr/en/africa/20230721-rwanda-conference-for-and-about-women-looks-to-gender-equality-in-africa

On Green activism (since 2019)

For Rfi: Young people take European nations to court over climate failures https://www.rfi.fr/en/international/20230925-young-people-take-european-nations-to-court-over-climate-failures

For Public Pressure: https://magazine.publicpressure.io/everything-you-need-to-know-about-greta-and-the-climate-week/

& https://magazine.publicpressure.io/60-cities-extinction-rebellion-movement-goes-global/

& https://magazine.publicpressure.io/extinction-rebellion-blitz-star-wars-london-premiere/

& https://magazine.publicpressure.io/wikileaks-shares-nasa-report-on-climate-change/

- for DW: https://www.dw.com/en/can-local-currencies-help-the-environment/a-49053524

Selected work: On social and cultural events

Covering the 41st Womad music festival (July 2023)

The UK's summer festival scene has not only recovered from Brexit and Covid, it has never been more vibrant. And that includes the WOMAD international arts festival in the west of England where fans flock not just for the bigger names but "to hear music they've never heard before," the organisers tell RFI.

Read here: https://www.rfi.fr/en/culture/20230729-vintage-year-for-womad-as-uk-summer-arts-festivals-attract-record-numbers

Debating on the state of inequality in France and Europe - on TRT World

On 27 June, a 17-year-old French boy of Algerian descent was shot and killed by police in Nanterre, a suburb of Paris. Protests erupted, escalating into rioting. The scale of the violence has been blamed on fundamental inequalities across French society. But, is inequality really worse in France than elsewhere?

Guests: Lester Holloway, Editor of the The Voice; Melissa Chemam, French Journalist; Renaud Foucart, Senior Lecturer in Economics at Lancaster University

Reporting near Nanterre in France about police brutality, for i News (July 2023)

‘Nothing can change if we’re in denial’ - French-Algerian journalist on the riots that have rocked her hometown

What could be a game-changer now is a public trial, writes Melissa Chemam

Read here:
https://inews.co.uk/news/world/french-algerian-journalist-riots-rocked-hometown-2449948

Commenting on the state of the police in France on Channel 4 News (July 2023)

‘People feel like the police are constantly attacking them’, says French-Algerian journalist Melissa Chemam
With Jackie Long, Social Affairs Editor and Presenter:

https://www.channel4.com/news/people-feel-like-the-police-are-constantly-attacking-them-says-french-algerian-journalist-melissa-cheman

Museum dedicated to history of immigration in France reopens (June 2023)

The National Museum of the History of Immigration in Paris reopened its permanent exhibition mid-June 2023, with a new focus on the long and dynamic history of people moving to and from France.

For RFI: https://www.rfi.fr/en/culture/20230618-paris-museum-dedicated-to-history-of-immigration-in-france-reopens

30 years young: Eritrea reaches a milestone but struggles with legacy of its past

Read from here - RFI English: https://www.rfi.fr/en/africa/20230524-30-years-young-eritrea-reaches-a-milestone-but-still-faces-poverty-and-a-legacy-of-war

Same-sex marriage ruling in Namibia brings hope to Ugandans and Kenyans

Latest feature - on LGBTIQ+ rights in Southern & Eastern Africa - May 2023: https://www.rfi.fr/en/africa/20230524-recognition-of-same-sex-marriages-with-foreigners-in-namibia-brings-hope-to-ugandans-and-kenyans

Ugandan activists brace for ratification of harsh anti-homosexuality bill

Latest feature - on Uganda and LGBTIQ+ rights and worries, from April 2023: https://www.rfi.fr/en/africa/20230414-ugandan-activists-brace-for-ratification-of-harsh-anti-homosexuality-bill

Iraq series - 20 years after the start of the war (March 2023)

Iraqi & British creatives reflect on two decades after the US-invasion...

Read my piece for the New Arab here: https://www.newarab.com/features/uk-based-artists-memorialising-iraqi-national-sacrifice

Iraq series - 20 years after the start of the war (Feb. 2023)

Melissa Chemam profiles Iraqi Kurdish musician-composer Hardi Kurda and his projects Space 21 and Archive Khanah: Sounds from Iraq.

Read more here on the Markaz Review's #IRAQ issue: https://themarkaz.org/hardi-kurda-archiving-the-sounds-of-northern-iraq/

Ahead of COP15 on biodiversity - Montréal (Dec. 2022)

Interview with Zitouni Ould-Dada, FAO.

On DW : https://www.dw.com/fr/cop15-interview-fao-attentes/av-64011141

On arts and colonial history: 'The slave ship in a London courtyard' (Oct. 2022)

My feature with artists Grada Kilomba, Nu Barreto & art director Touria el Glaoui, as the 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair opens at Somerset House during Frieze Art Fair - for BBC Culture: https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20221012-the-slave-ship-in-a-london-courtyard

In conversation with decolonial artist Kader Attia (2022)

The prolific French-Algerian multimedia artist Kader Attia, whose work focuses on colonial and post-colonial history, trauma, and the spaces of repair, had his biggest event in Berlin with the Berlin Biennale.

Read here: https://themarkaz.org/kader-attia-berlin-biennales-curator/

Refugee Food Festival - Marseille (June 2022)

on DW - for World Refugee Day : https://www.dw.com/fr/allemagne-limiter-vitesse-refugee-food-festival/av-62214245

Discriminology Podcast

Here are the two episodes recorded with the brilliant team behind Discriminology Podcast - on the Algerian Struggle for Equality and colonialism / post-colonialism in the US vs France. Thanks for having me on this sensitive subject.

Ep1: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/paris-massacre-and-the-algerian-struggle-for/id1521770510?i=1000564508544

Ep2: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/paris-massacre-and-the-algerian-struggle-for/id1521770510?i=1000566266038

On the 60th Anniversary of Algeria’s Independence, French museums celebrate its artists (2022)

Read here: https://themarkaz.org/algerian-art-on-60th-anniversary-of-algerias-independence/

Music in the Middle East: Column

Read them all from The Markaz Review: https://themarkaz.org/author/melissachemam/

On Ukraine, the West, and the rest of the world (March 2022)

Reflection on the state of foreign news & journalism: http://melissa-on-the-road.blogspot.com/2022/03/the-ides-of-march-on-ukraine-west-and.html

Protesting against the Nationality and Borders Bill (Feb. 2022)

Insight into yesterday's protests in Bristol. More soon in my coming coverage: http://melissa-on-the-road.blogspot.com/2022/02/protesting-dangerous-nationality-and.html

My opinion piece on the 60 years of the '17 October 1961' (2021)

When Algerians were killed in the streets of Paris... For Al Jazeera English:

https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2021/10/17/17-october-1961-60-years-on-france-must-face-its-colonial-past

On Black art movement founder Keith Piper

Discussion ahead of his upcoming exhibition at New Art Gallery - read here: https://artuk.org/discover/stories/keith-piper-on-the-history-of-the-black-art-group?fbclid=IwAR1zMwN4A650Sl0lBYmR83sr9C0WagmtmXfu--5hsPBrFIYG4_mxUGRqUiM#

On the 10 years of the Arab Revolutions (2021)

'The unfinished Arab revolutions deserve our support.' - Feb. 2021 - read:

https://themarkaz.org/revolution-viewed-from-the-crows-nest-of-history/

The British press is obsessed with the American elections!

https://westenglandbylines.co.uk/the-british-press-is-obsessed-with-the-american-elections/

Speaking to campaigners for Black History Month in Bristol, UK (2020)

‘We Want the Ability, Space & Time to Retell Our Own History’ - by Melissa Chemam, for Byline Times, 21 October 2020 - Link: https://bylinetimes.com/2020/10/21/we-want-the-ability-space-time-to-retell-our-own-history/

Coronavirus in Africa

'The least affected continent should inspire us in the West' - Oct. 2020

https://westenglandbylines.co.uk/coronavirus-in-africa-the-least-affected-continent-should-inspire-us-in-the-west/

The pandemic is destroying Britain's creative industries

Verso Books, March 2020: https://www.versobooks.com/blogs/4615-how-the-covid-19-pandemic-is-destroying-britain-s-creative-industries

With the toppling of Colston’s statue, British history is being made

As a historian of Bristol’s culture, I took part in this weekend’s Black Lives Matter march. When the slave trader’s statue finally fell, screams of joy exploded through the multicultural crowd - My column in The Independent

Link: https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/edward-colston-bristol-statue-hall-black-lives-matter-protests-massive-attack-a9553741.html?fbclid=IwAR2qB-pIWKKEPqUEosAiaXX7bpUhHisOdWtFhuEdKn7daA2xORePVgWckmQ

NHS Workers: Why They Absolutely Deserve a Pay Rise

Reporting on the demands of NHS Workers - Here in West England Bylines: https://westenglandbylines.co.uk/nhs-workers-why-they-absolutely-deserve-a-pay-rise/

The UK government admits it needs foreign NHS workers – yet it doesn’t value them

https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/nhs-coronavirus-foreign-staff-visa-extension-home-office-a9440856.html

On Brexit and the Rise of Dual Citizenship (2021)

Reportage here: https://westenglandbylines.co.uk/brexit-and-the-rise-of-dual-citizenship/

Why is Arabic Provoking such Controversy in France? (2021)

Read here: https://themarkaz.org/why-is-arabic-provoking-such-controversy-in-france/

Refugees in the UK: Safe haven or hostile environment? (2019)

Read here: https://www.publicpressure.org/refugees-in-the-uk-safe-haven-or-hostile-environment/

Europeans in Bristol caught in the Brexit crossfire (2019)

Read on The Bristol Cable's website: https://thebristolcable.org/2019/01/europeans-in-bristol-caught-in-the-brexit-crossfire/

Breaking the chain of alcoholism

Link to read: https://thebristolcable.org/2019/10/breaking-the-chain-of-alcoholism/

Can local currencies help the environment? (2019)

- for DW: https://www.dw.com/en/can-local-currencies-help-the-environment/a-49053524

My first book: Massive Attack - Out of the Comfort Zone (2019)

A detailed history of Massive Attack and their entangled, ongoing relationship with their home city, Bristol. Based around revealing interviews over 30 artists, from and close to the band, to explore the influences, politics and creativity of this pioneering group.

An interview: https://epigram.org.uk/2019/04/20/feature-when-bristol-music-went-out-of-the-comfort-zone/

Selected on Rough Trade's list of the best Music Books of 2019: https://blog.roughtrade.com/uk-books-of-the-year-2019/

Waterstones: https://www.waterstones.com/book/massive-attack/melissa-chemam/9781910089729

Reporting from Iraq (2016)

Covering post-conflict humanitarian issues and the displacement crisis, in Iraqi Kurdistan, in March 2016 - Read one piece here: http://melissa-on-the-road.blogspot.com/2016/05/my-article-from-iraq.html