From comfy cushions to the collapse of capitalism, documentary maker Navid Akhtar (pictured) examines the impact of Islamic design and values on the life of the Victorian designer, poet, craftsman and socialist radical, William Morris.

In a half hour piece for Radio 4 this week, he shows how the designs of William Morris were inextricably linked to the curving sinuous arabesques of traditional Islamic Art.

Morris was inspired by Turkish ceramics and Persian carpets to create a new movement in British design.

For him, the Muslim world had managed to preserve the art of the craftsman and avoid the ills of industrial production.

As executive director of Gazelle Media, a company he founded, Navid Akhtar’s recent programmes for Radio 4 include: ‘I’m a Muslim get me out of here’; ‘Nusrat was my Elvis’; ‘The Britistanis’; and ‘Policing the Landlords’.

Tuesday 7th July, 11:30pm, BBC Radio 4