Riz Ahmed: What keeps you awake at night? — FLAPSS

What keeps you awake at night?

Originally asked

The Guardian, to a different person each week, The Q&A

A long-running fixed question in The Guardian's weekly Q&A questionnaire.

You answer as yourself. Nobody on FLAPSS answers as anybody else.

Recorded Riz Ahmed said elsewhere, not written here

The thought that I could be doing more: being more productive, doing more of the things that matter, and less of the things that don’t.

The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 10 April 2021 source ↗

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Mellody Hobson Co-chief executive and president of Ariel Investments

I wrote about this in our first quarter client letter, actually, the concept of polycrisis, and I talked about the fact that my belief is that we've all become firefighters.

Recorded Kathleen J. McInnis, Smart Women, Smart Power podcast, Center for Strategic and International Studies, 28 August 2024 source ↗

My very long to-do list.

Recorded The Q&A, The Guardian, 4 October 2025 source ↗

Penny Lancaster

The children. As a mother you are constantly worrying whether you’ve done the right thing.

Recorded The Q&A, The Guardian, 27 September 2025 source ↗

Sandy Powell British costume designer

Coffee, which is why I’ve given it up.

Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 7 September 2019 source ↗

More from Riz Ahmed

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Question When were you happiest? Time & hindsight

Preparing for Sound Of Metal. Feeling challenged and overwhelmed and lost in something is very fulfilling.

Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 10 April 2021 source ↗

Question Who most deserves an apology from you, and why? Failure & regret

Some of my teachers. I was a bit of a handful as a kid. They were just trying to do their job and I made it very difficult.

Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 10 April 2021 source ↗

Question What would you like to be remembered for? Death & what remains

If I am remembered at all that would be nice. I won’t be picky.

Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 10 April 2021 source ↗

Question If you could edit your past, what would you change? Failure & regret

I would care less about what people think.

Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 10 April 2021 source ↗

Question What did you want to be when you were growing up? Identity & self

I wanted to perform in some way, but I didn’t think it was viable. Teachers told me I should be a barrister, because I was always arguing with them.

Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 10 April 2021 source ↗

Question What single thing would improve the quality of your life? Daily life

Less admin, emails, phone calls; more space to think, read and sleep.

Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 10 April 2021 source ↗

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