Qaisra Shahraz facts for kids

Qaisra Shahraz MBE is a British-Pakistani writer and scriptwriter. She is known for her novels and short stories.

Qaisra Shahraz is a member of the Royal Society of Arts. She used to be a director at Gatehouse Books, which published books for adult education. She is also an important part of the Pakistani community in the UK. She has led many workshops in Pakistan and India, teaching about "Quality in Education" through the British Council. Her writing often explores how different people, cultures, and genders connect or clash. In 2016, she won a special Lifetime Achiever Award at the National Diversity Awards.

Early Life and Education

Qaisra Shahraz was born in Pakistan in 1958. She grew up in England and has lived in Manchester since she was nine years old.

She studied at The University of Manchester, earning a degree in English literature. She also has two master's degrees from the University of Salford in European literature and scriptwriting. She even studied Islamic studies to learn more about different cultures, religions, and history.

Before becoming a full-time writer, she worked as an advisor for the University of Lancaster. She was also a college inspector and a journalist.

Her Career as a Writer

Qaisra Shahraz has had a varied career. She has been a teacher, trained other teachers, given lectures, and worked as an inspector for colleges.

Shahraz often writes about issues important to women. She finds inspiration in everyday people but makes sure not to use them as characters in her books. She once said in an interview: "I never use real people in my books. I don't think it is fair to them to be fictional characters."

Many of her works have been published in magazines and newspapers, including The Times. She started by writing short stories, then moved on to longer novels. Her novel The Holy Woman became very popular and was published in many countries and languages. She also wrote a TV drama series called Dil he to hay for Pakistan Television (PTV). This show was nominated for five awards and won two of them.

One of her early short stories, "A Pair of Jeans," was published in the UK in 1988. This story looks at ideas about clothing, modesty, and how different cultures can clash. In 1989, a German professor chose it to be studied in German schools for their final exams.

In 2020, Qaisra Shahraz was honored with the Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) award. She received this for her work promoting gender equality and cultural understanding.

Her Books

"A Pair of Jeans" has been published many times, especially in Germany. It has also been featured in literary events in other countries.

Novels

• The Holy Woman (2002)
• Typhoon (2007)
• Revolt (2013)

Short Stories

Qaisra Shahraz's short stories have been published in various collections and magazines around the world.

• "A Pair of Jeans"
• "Holding Out"
• "Black And Priceless"
• "What Big Eyes You Have Got"
• "Dragon Fly In The Sun"
• "The Elopement"

Her stories have appeared in books like "One Language Many Voices" (Germany), "Emerging India" (India), and "And the World Changed" (Pakistan). Her novel The Holy Woman and Typhoon have also been translated into languages like Hindi, Urdu, Malayalam, and Turkish.

Awards and Recognition

Qaisra Shahraz has received many awards and honors for her writing and her contributions to society:

• 1988: Commonword Prize
• 1994: Ian St James Award
• 2001: The Holy Woman named "Best Book of the Month" by Bradford Waterstone's
• 2002: Shortlisted for Asian Women of Achievement Awards (Arts category)
• 2003: Jubilee Award for The Holy Woman
• 2003: Shortlisted for Muslim News Awards for Excellence (Arts category)
• 2004: Pakistan Television Awards for her drama Dil Hee to Hai
• 2011: Screenplay of The Holy Woman shortlisted for Muslim Writers Award
• 2012: Recognized as one of 100 influential Pakistani women in the Pakistan Power 100 List
• 2016: Won the Lifetime Achiever Award at the National Diversity Awards

See also

• List of British Pakistanis