Qaisra Shahraz

Qaisra Shahraz is a British-Pakistani novelist and scriptwriter. She focuses her literary work on the diversity of mankind by exploring racial, gender and cultural divides.

Early life and education

Shahraz was born in Pakistan in 1958. Although she was born there, she was raised in England and has lived in Manchester since she was nine years old. She completed three degrees during her academic career. These include a BA honours in English literature and classical civilization from The University of Manchester. She also earned two master's degrees for European literature and scriptwriting at the University of Salford.

To enhance her understanding of religious and historical perspectives, she obtained a higher degree in Islamic studies. This academic background supported her later work as an advisor for the University of Lancaster. She also served as a journalist and a college inspector.

Career

The career of Shahraz spans many fields including teaching, lectures and adult learning inspection. She has worked as a college inspector for Ofsted and the adult learning inspectorate. As a writer, she focuses on women's issues and draws inspiration from ordinary people. However, she avoids using real individuals as fictional characters because she believes it is unfair to them.

Her literary journey began with short stories before she progressed to longer works. She published "A Pair of Jeans" in the UK in 1988. This specific work explores female modesty and cultural clashes. In 1989, a German professor named Dr. Liesel Hermes selected the text for use in German schools during the Abitur examination. The story has since been published 12 times.

Shahraz is also a successful novelist. Her notable books include "The Holy Woman" which was published in 2002, "Typhoon" in 2007 and "Revolt" in 2013. The novel "The Holy Woman" reached readers in multiple countries and languages. A critical analysis of her fiction even appeared in the 2011 book titled The Holy and the Unholy: Critical Essays on Qaisra Shahraz’s Fiction.

In the field of television, she wrote the drama serial "Dil he to hay". This series reached Pakistan Television (PTV) and received two awards. It was also nominated for five awards on Pakistan television. Her writing has appeared in various newspapers and magazines, including The Times.

Beyond writing, she has held several professional roles. She served as a director of Gatehouse Books and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. Through the British Council, she hosted training sessions regarding "Quality in Education" in both India and Pakistan. She remains an active member of the Pakistani community in the UK.

Awards and recognition

Shahraz has received various honors throughout her life. In 1988, she won the Commonword Prize for New Horizons, New Spheres. She also won the Ian St James Award in 1994 for "Perchavah". Her book "The Holy Woman" was named Best Book of the Month at Bradford Waterstone's in 2001.

She was shortlisted for the Asian Women of Achievement Awards in 2002 and the Muslim News Awards for Excellence in 2003. In 2012, she was recognized as one of the 100 influential Pakistani women on the Pakistan Power 100 List. She won the Lifetime Achiever Award at the National Diversity Awards in 2016. Finally, she was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2020 Birthday Honours for her services to cultural learning and gender equality.