Shamim Azad

Shamim Azad is a Bangladeshi-born British bilingual poet, storyteller and writer. She won the 2023 Bangla Academy Literary Award in the poetry category.

Early life and education

Azad was born on 11 November 1952 in Mymensingh, East Bengal. At that time, the region was part of the Dominion of Pakistan where her father worked. Her hometown is located in Sylhet. She completed her SSC at Jamalpur Girls High School in 1967 and earned her HSC from Kumudini College in 1969.

She later enrolled in the University of Dhaka to pursue higher studies. Azad earned an honours degree in 1972 and a master's degree in 1973. In 1990, she moved to England.

Career

Azad produces work that ranges from Bangladeshi to European folktales. Her performances fuse education with entertainment, while her workshops remain rooted in Asian folk traditions and heritage. She has published 37 books, which include novels, collections of short stories, essays and poems written in both English and Bengali. Her writing appears in various anthologies such as British South Asian Poetry and Mother Tongues.

She wrote two plays for Half Moon Theatre. Azad collaborates with several artists, including composer Richard Blackford and choreographer Rosemary Lee. She also works with visual artist Robin Whitemore and playwright Mary Cooper.

Her performances take place at many venues. These include the Museum of London, the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and the British Library. She has also performed in New York and at Takshila in Pakistan.

Azad holds several important positions within the arts community. She serves as a trustee of Rich Mix in Shoreditch and acts as the founder chair of Bishwo Shahitto Kendro (World Literature Centre UK) in London. As a member of the East storytelling group, she invites local residents to share stories from the diverse immigration history of the Eastend.

Her professional residencies have been numerous. She has held positions at Tower Hamlets Summer University, Sunderland City Library and Arts Centre, and the Poetry Society. Other locations include Magic Me, Kinetika and Apples and Snakes.

Personal life

Azad lives in Wanstead, Redbridge, London.

Awards and recognition

She received the Bichitra Award in 1994. In 2000, she was named Year of the Artist from London Arts. Her accolades continue with the Sonjojon- A Rouf Award in 2004 and the UK Civic Award in 2004.

The Canary Wharf group PLC presented her with the Community Champions Award in 2014. In 2016, the Bangla Academy conferred the Syed Waliullah Literature Award upon her. Most recently, she won the 2023 Bangla Academy Literary Award for poetry.