Wow – Maryam won a Journalist of the Year award yesterday.

I won “Journalist of the Year” for my blogging at today’s prestigious 2013 Dods Women in Public Life Awards. I was massively surprised (and pleased) given that other shortlisted candidates included “national treasure” BBC Olympics presenter Claire Balding.

Wow. Excuse my enthusiasm, but that’s really exciting. I’ve been following Maryam’s work for years and years, and I remember the days when the BBC kept phoning the Muslim Council of Britain for a comment while ignoring Maryam. I posted about it often. Those days are so over. Yesssssss!

Other winners at the award ceremony were the wonderful Malala Yousafzai (International Women’s Rights Champion); Michelle McDowell (Woman in Business); Rosemary Butler (Devolved Parliament or Assembly Member of the Year); Sanchia Alasia (Local Government Personality of the Year); Jo Swinson (MP of the Year); Meral Hussein-Ece (Peer of the Year); Denis Mukwege (Male Women’s Rights Champion); Fiona Logan (Public Servant of the Year); Francesca Martinez (Public Affairs Achiever of the Year) and Gee Walker (Voluntary Sector Achiever of the Year).

For more information on the winners, visit here.

By the way, a huge thanks to those who nominated me and also to those of you who read my blog which has now exceeded 2 million hits.

Here’s a photo of some of the winners at today’s ceremony. I’m the one with the ridiculous grin.

Massive congratulations, Maryam. I’m so proud to know you.