Mahmood Jamal was an author, poet and producer. In 1986, he translated and authored, ‘The Penguin Book of Modern Urdu Poetry’ selecting 20th-century poets whose contribution to the development of Urdu poetry was to transform it “from a literature of philosophy and psychology to one that has given voice to the suppressed anger of Urdu-speaking people.”

 He was a co-ordinator of Troubadour poetry readings from 1972-75 at the Troubadour and his poems appeared in London Magazine, Black Phoenix, Poetry Round and in anthologies of Third World poetry.

 Mahmood was one of the earliest producers of concerts of Pakistani Qawwali artists such as Azia Mian, Abida Parveen and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan in Watford (1992), He made many documentaries including a six-part series, ‘Islamic Conversations’ for Channel 4 presented by Ziauddin Sardar, talking to prominent Muslim figures on subjects such as religion, ethics, pluralism and contemporary thought.