Nader Fekri was born in Iran and moved to Britain as an eight-year-old, to live on the south coast, before moving to Manchester to attend university where he read History and Politics. He has worked variously as a researcher, teacher, and university lecturer, teaching at universities across Britain and Europe, most recently at the University of Bradford. His research interests lie in Post-War British Politics and Society. He has been a member of Calderdale Council since 2004 and served as Deputy Mayor, before being elected as Mayor in 2011.He is a school governor in Hebden Bridge and a magistrate in Halifax. He is a pacifist and humanist and a supporter of Amnesty International, Médecins Sans Frontières, and the National Secular Society. In his spare time, he enjoys solving The Guardian cryptic crossword, reading Modern European Detective Fiction, and following the trials and tribulations of Tranmere Rovers FC.