Bina Shah

Bina Shah is a Pakistani novelist, essayist, journalist and academic who resides in Karachi. Born in 1972, she has established herself as a prominent feminist and cultural commentator through her extensive writing.

Early life and education

Shah was born in Karachi to a Sindhi family as the eldest of three children. She spent her upbringing in both Virginia and Karachi, which shaped her unique perspective on cultural identity. She attended the Karachi American School from kindergarten until she graduated in 1989.

Her academic journey led her to the United States for higher education. She earned a B.A. in Psychology from Wellesley College and later obtained an MEd in Educational Technology from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Shah is also a fellow of the University of Iowa as an alumna of the International Writing Program in 2011. Additionally, she holds a fellowship from the Hong Kong Baptist University following her time at its International Writers Workshop.

Career

Shah is a prolific author who has written five novels and three collections of short stories. Her literary works have been published in multiple languages, including English, Italian, French, Spanish, Danish, Chinese, German, Turkish and Vietnamese. She released her first volume of short stories, titled Animal Medicine, in 2000. This was followed by her first novel, Where They Dream in Blue, in 2001.

Her subsequent works include the 2004 novel The 786 Cybercafé and the 2007 short story collection Blessings. In 2010, she published Slum Child through Tranquebar. This specific novel achieved significant success in Italy under the title La Bambina Che Non Poteva Sognare, where it reached number 3 on the paperback bestseller list and sold more than 20,000 copies. She also released a historical fiction novel about Sindh titled A Season For Martyrs in 2014.

Her feminist dystopian writing has gained international attention. Her 2018 novel, Before She Sleeps, received praise from Margaret Atwood and the Los Angeles Times. This book describes a futuristic Middle Eastern society where an authoritarian government enforces polygamous marriages. In 2023, she published The Monsoon War, which serves as the sequel to her dystopian work. She is currently working on the third novel in this trilogy.

As a journalist, Shah has contributed to numerous high-profile publications. She served as a contributing opinion writer for the International New York Times from 2013 to 2015. She also worked as an op-ed columnist for the Pakistani newspaper Dawn, where she wrote a long-standing column for the Books and Authors section. Her writing has appeared in Al Jazeera, The Guardian, The Huffington Post and The Independent.

Shah uses her platform to discuss Pakistani culture, women's rights and girls' education. She also explores themes of technology, education and freedom of expression through her blog, The Feministani. In 2024, she was appointed as the inaugural Writer-in-Residence at the Aga Khan University Faculty of Arts and Sciences (AKUFAS). She began teaching Expository Writing at the institution in 2025.

Awards and recognition

The author has received several prestigious honors for her contributions to literature and journalism. She is a two-time winner of Pakistan's Agahi Awards for excellence in journalism. Her short story "The Living Museum" won the Dr. Neila C. Sesachari prize from Weber University's literary journal, Weber - The Contemporary West. Shah donated the proceeds from this award to the Karam Foundation to assist Syrian refugees.

Her fiction has also earned international accolades. In 2010, she received the Premio Internazionale in the Un Mondi di Bambini category at the Amalfi Coast Literary Festival for her translated fiction. In 2022, the Ambassador of France to Pakistan, Nicolas Galey, presented her with the insignia of a Chevalier of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres. This honorary award is granted by the French government.