Hearing from publishers about the books coming out is one of the best things about my job as an editor, especially those pertaining to the South Asian region. Thus, the stories, the characters, and the settings hit close to home. The advent of the trade ban between India & Pakistan gave birth to several successful publishing houses in Pakistan. These publishing houses had an almost stagnant publishing industry, with a lack of opportunities and a sizeable audience, no concept of literary agents, and non-existent careers and education pertaining to it. However, there has been much progress, and here’s a list of authors we want to put on your radar! Don’t miss out on reading them as these can never be overlooked. Thus, they will provide you with a novel outlook regarding the cultural contexts and issues prevalent in the Global South.
1. Kamila Shamsie
Although primarily based in London, Kamila was born and bred in Karachi. As daughter of Muneeza Shamsie, a literary critic and writer, and niece of Attia Hosain, a celebrated Indian novelist, literature & writing run in her DNA. Her latest novel, Best of Friends, is a book about friendships, respect, disrespect, loyalty, and morality. Touching upon class divides, and insecurities, the story revolves around Zahrah and Maryam. Hence, the two leads belong to two stark backgrounds and carve different paths for themselves to end up as strong, empowered women in upmarket London.
2. Faiqa Mansab
Faiqa Mansab is another remarkable author from Pakistan. With an MFA in creative writing, she also holds a distinction from Kingston University. While she is primarily an educationist, she continues to write for various local and international publications. Her debut, This House of Clay and Water, is a heart-touching read that breaks the stigma around forbidden love, feminity, loss, and betrayal. She sketched the relatable characters of Nida, Sasha, and Bhanggi, with strong yet fragile elements. We look forward to her new novel The Storyteller which will be published in 2024.
3. Saba Karim Khan
Saba Karim Khan is an award-winning filmmaker and educator. Her writing has appeared in various local and international publications. Most recently, she has authored Skyfall, which was well-received by the South Asian region. The book was a very powerful and timely debut that takes us through time in Lahore and then in New York. Rania who is born in Heera Mandi, the red-light district of Lahore, has been a troublemaker and is unable to give up on her dreams. The book deals with strong topics of homosexuality, inter-caste marriage, rape, and prostitution. Saba’s doc-film, Concrete Dreams: Some Roads Lead Home is now on Amazon Prime Video.
4. Saad Shafqat
Saad Shafqat is a very well-regarded neurologist at Aga Khan University and is one of the most critical authors in Pakistan. He has a number of certifications under his belt, including MBBS, PhD and MD in his field. His novel, Breath of Death, is a medical thriller that was published in 2013. His second novel, Rivals, is also a hospital drama with doctors competing for a prestigious department chairmanship. These doctors are worried about publications, presentations, trainees, committee meetings, departmental politics and sexual scandals. Thus, their stories hold no grand lessons and no attempt to correct terrible crimes.
5. Awais Khan
Awais Khan is one of the exceptional authors and consultants based in Lahore. Through his Writing Institute in Pakistan, he prepares young budding authors for creative writing, a much-needed practice in Pakistan. He has a large student base both in Pakistan and abroad. His first novel, In the Company of Strangers, was published to much critical acclaim. His second novel, No Honour is a masterpiece, touching upon the unpleasant realities of a society drenched in patriarchy. On the whole, it is a story of family, of the indomitable spirit of love, of courage and perseverance, when all seems lost. His third book will be out in 2023. So, fingers crossed for this one.
6. Zain Saeed
One of my favourite authors, Zain Saeed, is the winner of the Karachi Literature Festival English Fiction Prize 2022. When he isn’t writing, he is teaching literature and creative writing at Habib University. When he isn’t teaching, he plays music. Multi-faceted author of Little America, his book is a rollicking journey around the mind of a man desperate to be free, an allegory of the neocolonial endeavour, and an investigation of the desire to emulate the perceived superior. However, he also desperately tries to hold on to one’s own cultural identity. His second novel, The Year of Sound and Heat, released in 2022, is highly recommended read.
7. Osman Haneef
An impact investment advisor, by profession, Osman is an author at heart. He is the Managing Director of Heroes Capital, an advisory and impact investment firm focused on health tech, ed tech, and renewable energy startups in Asia. His debut novel, Blasphemy: The Trial of Danesh Masih, published in 2020, introduces readers to Sikandar Ghaznavi, a lawyer defending a young boy wrongfully accused of defiling a mosque. In this novel of quiet, creeping horror, Haneef forces us to confront the supreme evil that lies at the heart of Pakistan’s blasphemy law. It is an unsettling look into a Pakistani courtroom where justice isn’t always guaranteed, and power & position are valued more greatly than the truth.
5 Life Changing Books To Read From FUCHSIA! Listen in!
