Fatima Bhutto facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Fatima Bhutto
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Bhutto at an event in 2019
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| Born | 29 May 1982 Kabul, Afghanistan |
| Occupation | Writer, columnist |
| Nationality | Pakistani |
| Alma mater | Columbia University (BA) University of London (MA) |
| Spouse | Graham Byra (m. 2023) |
| Relatives | Bhutto family |
Fatima Bhutto (Urdu: فاطمہ بھُٹّو; Sindhi: فاطمه ڀٽو, born 29 May 1982) is a well-known Pakistani writer and newspaper columnist. She was born in Kabul, Afghanistan. Fatima comes from a very famous political family in Pakistan. Her father was Murtaza Bhutto, and her grandfather was Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, who used to be the Prime Minister and President of Pakistan. She is also the niece of Benazir Bhutto, who was a former Prime Minister of Pakistan.
Fatima grew up in different countries like Syria and Karachi, Pakistan. She went to college at Barnard College and later earned a master's degree from the SOAS, University of London. She writes about many topics, including her family's history and current events.
Early Life and Education
Fatima Bhutto was born on May 29, 1982. Her father, Murtaza Bhutto, was living away from Pakistan at the time. This was because of the military rule of General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq. When Fatima was three, her parents divorced. Her father took her with him, and they moved around a lot. This meant she grew up without a fixed nationality for some time.
Later, her father married Ghinwa Bhutto, a ballet teacher from Lebanon. Fatima considers Ghinwa her true mother. She also has a half-brother named Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Jr., who is an artist. Fatima's grandfather, Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, was a very important leader in Pakistan. Her father was killed in 1996 in Karachi. Fatima lives with her stepmother in Old Clifton, Karachi.
For her high school, Fatima attended the Karachi American School. She then went to Barnard College in New York, USA. She earned a degree in Middle Eastern and Asian languages and cultures in 2004. After that, she continued her studies at the SOAS, University of London. In 2005, she received her master's degree in South Asian Studies. There, she focused her research on political movements in Pakistan.
Writing Career
Books and Views
Fatima Bhutto started her writing journey at a young age. In 1998, when she was just 15, she published her first book. It was called Whispers of The Desert. Her second book, 8.50 a.m. 8 October 2005, is about a big earthquake that happened in Kashmir. It shares the stories of people who were affected by it.
In 2010, Fatima published a book about her family's history called Songs of Blood and Sword. This book shares her personal perspective on events within her family. It received different opinions from critics. Some family members also disagreed with some of the information in the book.
Fatima has also written fiction. Her first novel, The Shadow Of The Crescent Moon, came out in 2013. This book was recognized and long-listed for a major literary prize in 2014. In 2015, she released a short story called Democracy as an e-book.
Her second novel, The Runaways, was published in 2019. This book explores the journeys of three young Muslim men. Later that same year, she published New Kings of the World: Dispatches from Bollywood, Dizi and K-Pop. This book looks at popular culture, like movies and music, coming from Asia. Critics praised it for being insightful.
After her aunt, Benazir Bhutto, passed away in 2007, many people wondered if Fatima would enter politics. However, she has said that she prefers to work through her writing and activism. She believes that family dynasties in politics can have certain effects on a country. Even though she is active in discussions about politics, she does not belong to any specific political party. Fatima also helps mentor other writers from South Asia.
Personal Life
In April 2023, Fatima Bhutto married Graham Byra. He adopted the name Gibran after converting to Islam. Their wedding ceremony took place at Fatima's family home in Karachi. Graham Byra has a master's degree in organizational psychology from Columbia University.
Regarding her beliefs, Fatima Bhutto has shared that she is a cultural Muslim. This means she respects and follows many cultural aspects of Islam. She also describes herself as a secularist, which means she believes in separating religion from government. She has often spoken in support of Islam and the rights of Muslim women to wear traditional clothing like the burqa.
See also
In Spanish: Fatima Bhutto para niños
