Shihaam

Selected Features My writing spans culture, lifestyle, food, beverage and travel, combining reporting and conversation with a strong focus on people, place and the stories beneath the surface. A Home Attuned to Feeling: Inside Shalin Balasuriya's home, designed around atmosphere and the art of making everyday life feel intentional - https://www.twine.net/signin A Life Well Lived: A portrait of Ramani Fernando, exploring a life guided by beauty, care and intention - https://www.twine.net/signin An Inheritance of Recipes: An exploration of how recipes can carry memories, family history, and cultural inheritance from one generation to the next - https://www.twine.net/signin The Art of Celebration: A closer look at Champagne, its history, craft and the culture of celebration built around it - https://www.twine.net/signin The Ice Effect: An exploration of ice, from its science and craft to the role it plays in how we experience a drink - https://www.twine.net/signin A Home Collected Over Time: Inside a home shaped by travel, memory and the gradual accumulation of things worth keeping - https://www.twine.net/signin Flavour First: A conversation with food writer Anna Baxter-Helm about instinct, creativity, and finding meaning through food - https://www.twine.net/signin Marriage and Human Rights Violations: Are They Closely Linked?: An exploration of the relationship between marriage, gender and human rights grounded in research, interviews, and my own experiences - https://www.twine.net/signin Bring on the Birth Control: Making a complex and often culturally sensitive subject accessible through clear, engaging, reader-focused reporting - https://www.twine.net/signin -Estonia: A Nordic Fairytale: A travel feature capturing Estonia through place, atmosphere and the experience of discovering somewhere unfamiliar - https://www.twine.net/signin

• Writer

FORM: The Making of a Magazine The Idea FORM is a lifestyle magazine centred around food, home, architecture, culture, art, and the everyday experiences that connect them. I shaped the publication from the ground up, developing its editorial identity, architecture, issue themes, and content direction, while also writing, commissioning, and editing stories. Editorial Direction FORM is built around the idea that the subjects shaping everyday life are rarely separate. Food connects to culture, the home connects to the way we gather, and the people behind a restaurant, space or ingredient often have a story worth telling. The editorial focus spans food and beverage, restaurants, culture and the arts, homes and interiors, design, architecture and the people shaping these worlds. The voice is elevated but accessible: polished, conversational, warm, sensory and witty, grounded in Sri Lankan life while looking outward to the wider world. The editorial approach favours fresh angles, thoughtful storytelling and language that evokes flavour, texture, materials and atmosphere without becoming pretentious or academic. Editorial Architecture I developed a series of interconnected editorial verticals designed to take the reader through the different ways we eat, drink, live and gather: The Kitchen: Ingredients, recipes, food knowledge and culinary traditions. On the Menu + Cheers: Restaurants, chefs, wine, spirits, cocktails and bar culture. Culture: People, place, art, dance, celebrations and cultural expression. Gather: Hosting, entertaining and the rituals of bringing people together. Home Edit + Spaces: Interiors, homes, hotels, architecture and design. The Last Bite: Human stories, everyday rituals, humour and observations. Each vertical had a distinct purpose while allowing stories to cross disciplines. The Issues I developed issue themes that provided an editorial thread across each edition, guiding commissioning, story selection and approach. These included The Celebration Issue, The Adore Issue and The Full Circle Issue, exploring connection, pleasure, tradition and renewal. Selected Work A selection of stories I wrote, commissioned and edited as part of FORM's wider editorial direction. Written by me Smoke, Spice and Bamboo Biryani: https://www.twine.net/signin The Depth Behind The Crunch: https://www.twine.net/signin A Mediterranean Escape: https://www.twine.net/signin Commissioned and edited The Sunny Allure of Arabian Boho: https://www.twine.net/signin Soft Clouds and Bright Colours: https://www.twine.net/signin Seafood, A Love Language: https://www.twine.net/signin The result was a distinct editorial identity and content framework, giving FORM a cohesive voice across food, culture, design, interiors and lifestyle, while leaving room for stories to cross between disciplines.

• Content Strategist
• Writer