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Welcome
You have no idea what goes on in here, somedays...
About Me
B.A. in Psychology from Wellesley College
M.Ed in Educational Technology from the Harvard Graduate School of Education
What I do for Work
I started off life as a lowly technical writer-cum-gopher-cum-telephone
attendent for Vectis Corporation, a start-up software company in Waltham. They’ve now been bought out by a huge health corporation and I have no idea what they call themselves these days.
When I moved back to Pakistan, I became the Features Editor for Computerworld Pakistan. It wasn’t easy being a woman in the field of IT.
I worked for a while as the Editor for SPIDER, Pakistan’s Internet Magazine produced by the
Dawn Group of Newspapers and Xibercom. It was quite an experience setting up a new magazine but I’m happy to say that SPIDER is now the most popular IT magazine in Pakistan. Its subscriptions outnumber the Herald.
These days, I am a full-time writer, which is not as glamorous an existence as you might believe. I freelance for the Dawn, writing columns for The Review and Books and Authors. I also think I might have a career as a novelist, but that’s yet to be seen.
I have published two books so far:
Animal Medicine (OUP 2000) - a collection of short stories
Where They Dream in Blue (Alhamra 2001) - a novel
These books can be found in most bookstores in Pakistan, or, if you are brave enough with your credit cards, they can be obtained from the following web sites:
www.desistore.com
www.alhamra.com
www.786books.com
Random Thoughts
My life has changed quite a bit since I have become a published author. I no longer have to offer long explanations about what I do, because my work speaks for itself. This is a relief, after many years of having to explain to people what SPIDER was, what kind of degree I got and what was it good for, and so on. Now, instead of people asking me when I am getting married, they ask me when my next book is going to be published. It’s a definite improvement. Some days I feel like my books are my children, and my publishers are my spouses!
I enjoy getting feedback about my work, although the positive criticism is always much more fun than the negative. For some reason, SAWNET hates my work and has published two horrible reviews of my books. I can’t quite understand why, but you do learn to live with it. To beginning writers, I would urge that you not become discouraged by negative feedback, if it is meant in good faith. You can learn a lot by someone else’s observations about your writing.
My favorite quote is from Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai, who went over his masterpiece, ’Shah Jo Risalo’ sixteen times before he finally gave up and threw his hands to heaven, saying, ’No book is perfect except for the Quran’.
Please let me know if you’ve read my books and what you thought of them. The exchange of ideas and the stimulation from your feedback is essential to the creative process.
Latest News
I am at work on a manuscript for another book, but its topic and title must remain top secret for now. If you ask me REALLY nicely, I might divulge some information about it, but that depends on what phase the moon is in.
Two short stories of mine, ’Imprints’ and ’Refugees’ are going to be published in Penguin India anthologies at the end of the year. The anthologies are about Lahore and Pakistani writers, respectively.
add to my favorite writers Twenty-First Century Woman column by Bina Shah
Articles by Bina Shah
Courage in a Time of Chaos
Bina Shah Dec 29, 2007 interacts: 45 Views: 4096The enemies of our country are vast and they are clever; they would like nothing better than to see us sink into lawlessness and despair.
Ayaan Ali Hirsi and the Big Bad Wolf
Bina Shah Jul 1, 2006 interacts: 463 Views: 32779Women must stand up for themselves, they must speak out against injustice, no matter what form or shape it takes. Islam cannot be used to justify oppression over women or their bodies or their futures.
Islam and the Age of Globalization
Bina Shah Jun 18, 2006 interacts: 280 Views: 25950Never one to shy away from a challenge, Professor Akbar S. Ahmed's latest brainchild is a project on Islam in the Age of Globalization, an in-depth look into how technology and the interactions of civilizations are affecting the practice and cultural trad
Messages
Bina Shah Mar 2, 2006 interacts: 63 Views: 6619I know what this is, because it isn’t the first time I’ve heard it: a bomb, and a strong one, judging from the way the windows shake
Cartoon Clash of Civilizations
Bina Shah Feb 2, 2006 interacts: 121 Views: 12193What astonishes me is that in a time when relations between the Western/European/American world are so delicate, people would want to do something to fire up Muslim sentiment against Europe
A Love Affair with Lahore
Bina Shah Nov 30, 2005 interacts: 45 Views: 8434Those who know Lahore intimately can feel its romance as they gaze across the rooftops of the walled city, and glimpse the spires of its colonial-era buildings
Book: The Time Traveler`s Wife
Bina Shah Nov 10, 2005 interacts: 2 Views: 2035Love without boundaries
Aftershocks and Afterthoughts
Bina Shah Nov 3, 2005 interacts: 17 Views: 3293I used to have a poster up in my room that illustrated the plight of the world’s refugees, and a slogan that I think applies perfectly to this situation: 'Desperate Millions on the Move'.
Earthquake Relief Efforts
Bina Shah Oct 10, 2005 interacts: 45 Views: 9545The organizers told viewers that they had received enough clothing; what they needed now was medicine and volunteers to come help sort out the items.
Rape and Exploitation - Pakistan’s Dilemma
Bina Shah Sep 18, 2005 interacts: 194 Views: 27181Musharraf will very probably live to regret this instance of foot-in-mouth disease, but the only way to show Pakistani women, and the world, that he has had it cured is to take very concrete steps for the protection of and the achievement of justice for e
Behind the Iron Purdah
Bina Shah Aug 25, 2005 interacts: 267 Views: 33282...what this country might look like if people who want Pakistan to emulate the Taliban (in terms of how women should be treated) got their way
Book: After Terror
Bina Shah Aug 7, 2005 interacts: 1 Views: 2048Twenty-eight essays from the world`s leading thinkers on the alternative to terrorism
On the Inside
Bina Shah Jun 23, 2005 interacts: 50 Views: 8104This essay is meant to bust a few myths and communicate a few home truths about “feudalism” in this country, which many people in the urban centers of the country believe to be the reason for why things in Pakistan are so amiss.
Why Mukhtar Mai Matters
Bina Shah Jun 1, 2005 interacts: 147 Views: 22532She has decided to take up the fight against “outdated and unIslamic customs and traditions” as she stated on International Woman’s Day this year. Mukhtar Mai is showing here that she is no victim, but a woman who has been forced to beco
Interview with the Vamp
Bina Shah May 24, 2005 interacts: 37 Views: 8112Angelina Jolie recently visited Pakistan for the second time in her capacity as a UNHCR goodwill ambassador...
Book: Lucky Girls
Bina Shah May 17, 2005 interacts: 1 Views: 2494Young American writer Nell Freudenberger created a buzz several years ago when her short story “ Lucky Girls” earned her a $500,000 offer for a book that hadn’t even been written yet.
Outside the Military Hospital
Bina Shah May 2, 2005 interacts: 9 Views: 3640The sun is equally unkind to them all
And God is equally forgiving. And that’s the way it’s always been
Despite fifty years and as many leaders in between.
Not Your Mother’s Holiday
Bina Shah Mar 22, 2005 interacts: 69 Views: 7555So 'National Bitch Day' could actually be seen as something very beneficial to women's collective mental health. This would be the one day where you, as a woman, are not allowed to be 'nice'.
Movie: Bride and Prejudice
Bina Shah Feb 6, 2005 interacts: 11 Views: 4508Bride and Prejudice is an experiment that should have stayed on the drawing board.
Book: A Beggar At the Gate
Bina Shah Jan 4, 2005 interacts: 5 Views: 3040The second in the trilogy about Sufism and love in India.
Is Helen Fielding a Racist?
Bina Shah Dec 27, 2004 interacts: 21 Views: 4747So what’s wrong with writing a novel where Al-Qaeda terrorists blow up a floating apartment block, kill Westerners, and yet are deeply attracted to the charms of the West, including women and alcohol? Isn’t that what Arabs do?
Book: Transmission
Bina Shah Dec 8, 2004 interacts: 2 Views: 3418Hari Kunzru`s sophomore novel is a slick mix of technology and culture, the epitome of "geek-lit".
The Real Blasphemy
Bina Shah Nov 17, 2004 interacts: 345 Views: 39901Van Gogh had received death threats for directing a film that accused Islam of condoning violence against women... there is something in the subject that seems to arouse the basest of passions in the human heart; the need to annihilate the person who says
The Trouble With Irshad Manji
Bina Shah Oct 3, 2004 interacts: 222 Views: 29609Manji believes that she’s appealing to young Muslims everywhere with her straight-talking, candid language and style. But she is more likely to alienate Muslims ...
A Matter of Destiny
Bina Shah Aug 28, 2004 interacts: 43 Views: 9477Unlike other dating sites, though, Naseeb is first and foremost a Web site for Muslims, and it shows.
The 786 Cybercafé on Tariq Road (continued)
Bina Shah Jul 28, 2004 interacts: 19 Views: 12364Karachi in the 1990s was a wasteland of failed opportunities; the salaried class was on its knees under the burden of heavy government taxes, and the only people who could afford to set up franchises and industries were the already super-rich, super-corru
The Rock Star and the Mullahs
Bina Shah Jul 9, 2004 interacts: 51 Views: 9227Salman Ahmed is a man on a mission: to challenge Pakistan’s hardline mullahs on why they believe music is not allowed in Islam.
The Need For Writing Across the Curriculum
Bina Shah Jun 12, 2004 interacts: 27 Views: 5283But why is there a need to integrate writing into all areas of learning?
Just Another Day On the Job
Bina Shah Apr 22, 2004 interacts: 11 Views: 4250The CEO of Pakistan strode in masterfully to chair the Wednesday weekly cabinet meeting at the CEO’s office in Islamabad. It was a weighty responsibility, but he knew he was man enough for the job. He had achieved a high level of fitness from carryi
Standing in the Fields
Bina Shah Apr 9, 2004 interacts: 11 Views: 4157The rest of the world wants to grow wings and fly
We only want to grow roots deep within the soil,
Where we belong.
Book: Vernon God Little
Bina Shah Mar 29, 2004 interacts: 1 Views: 2388The 2003 winner of the Booker Prize
The Hidden Pearls
Bina Shah Feb 18, 2004 interacts: 107 Views: 13609Recently I read a brochure that someone had given me entitled 'The Hidden Pearls'. ....it was a pamphlet explaining why women should wear the veil and the face covering (hijab and niqab respectively).
Zen Pakistanis
Bina Shah Jan 31, 2004 interacts: 29 Views: 7449The “Father of the Bomb” is undoubtedly realizing that from now on when they call him “Father of the Bum” it won’t merely be a mistake in pronunciation.
Charbagh
Bina Shah Dec 17, 2003 interacts: 5 Views: 5167Entering Gulgee’s gallery is like stepping into a wonderful surrealistic painting in which odd shapes, images, and objects stare at you as you pass by, giving you the feeling that you’ve turned into Alice and are stepping into Wonderland.
Book: A Mighty Heart
Bina Shah Dec 10, 2003 interacts: 19 Views: 3517It is a contribution to what Danny named as his life`s purpose: creating a dialogue between civilizations through his journalism.
Book: Brick Lane
Bina Shah Nov 28, 2003 interacts: 44 Views: 5732A panoramic view of the Bengali community as seen through the eyes of Nazneen, a young woman from a village who moves to London after her marriage at the age of eighteen
Boston
Bina Shah Oct 10, 2003 interacts: 43 Views: 10033The joy at having the customs official at Logan look at my passport and my visa and say, 'You’re going to Wellesley? That’s fantastic. I wish I could have gone to Wellesley.'
The Largest City
Bina Shah Sep 8, 2003 interacts: 10 Views: 4928Their wounds and scars speak to us in code
We are deafened by their quiet moans
Black Days in Karachi
Bina Shah Aug 17, 2003 interacts: 41 Views: 6708The Black Days have returned to Karachi, but this time they have nothing to do with politics, but a slowly widening oil slick, that grows day by day to destroy everything that Karachi holds dear.
Monsoon Days
Bina Shah Jul 6, 2003 interacts: 137 Views: 20608The woman on the television tells us it’s raining in India. This means the monsoon will come to Pakistan soon. You only have to see the satellite map on television to understand the Siamese nature of South Asian weather.
The Truth About Karachi
Bina Shah Jun 13, 2003 interacts: 202 Views: 26100Rejoinder to the Time article about Karachi
Qualitative Education
Bina Shah May 20, 2003 interacts: 76 Views: 9516By educating ourselves out of the Third World Mindtrap, we may not necessarily become wealthier nations,
Movie: Bhowani Junction
Bina Shah Apr 26, 2003 interacts: 2 Views: 3326An old-style Hollywood movie about Partition
Baghdad Lullaby
Bina Shah Mar 23, 2003 interacts: 45 Views: 5868They say the price of war is never cheap ...
The New Jews
Bina Shah Mar 8, 2003 interacts: 173 Views: 20745In this world, where Muslims are the new Jews, where Pakistanis are terrorists, visa cheaters and total bastards, What am I?
Goats, Terrorists, and the People Who Love Them
Bina Shah Feb 13, 2003 interacts: 67 Views: 9538this plate of meat being devoured by my relatives was Fluffy the Goat two hours ago
Ghada Karmi: The Strength of Palestinian Narrative in the Face of Violence
Bina Shah Feb 1, 2003 interacts: 46 Views: 8890She continues to hold the belief that Palestinian statehood is a goal that can be achieved with the use of all options
The Diary of a Pretty Young Thing
Bina Shah Dec 2, 2002 interacts: 34 Views: 8609I smiled charmingly at the visa officer
The Endangered Species
Bina Shah Nov 15, 2002 interacts: 146 Views: 18096I’m just waiting for the day when South Asian women are added to the WWF’s endangered species list.
Teasing or Torture?
Bina Shah Nov 6, 2002 interacts: 82 Views: 14528both men and women are equal losers when it comes to sexual harassment in our country
Bitter, Not Sweet
Bina Shah Sep 11, 2002 interacts: 95 Views: 10096We were treated to a shootout between seven Al-Qaeda suspects hiding in a residential apartment about three minutes away from my house.
When Riz Khan Came to Town
Bina Shah Jun 6, 2002 interacts: 2 Views: 12014The hotel where the BBC crew is staying has received 14,357 marriage proposals
Timestoppers
Bina Shah Apr 16, 2002 interacts: 82 Views: 10951light-years away from developing a wristwatch that could stop time, decided instead to adopt Daylight Savings Time
Movie: ABCD
Bina Shah Jan 15, 2002 interacts: 1 Views: 4368you might not go home with a happy ending, [but] you will be left with an honest one
The Taste of this Eid
Bina Shah Dec 23, 2001 interacts: 10 Views: 3946it made no difference that we had all tried to be so good
Book: American Muslims: the new generation
Bina Shah Oct 21, 2001 interacts: 0 Views: 7944American Muslims are better Muslims
Mango Diplomacy
Bina Shah Jul 8, 2001 interacts: 109 Views: 14025The King of Fruit sweetens palates and softens moods everywhere ...
Book: Interpreter of Maladies
Bina Shah May 26, 2001 interacts: 0 Views: 5655A review of the Pulitzer prize winning short story collection
Movie: American Desi
Bina Shah May 7, 2001 interacts: 0 Views: 4238Of course the guy gets the girl in the end
An Ode to Chowk
Bina Shah Mar 31, 2001 interacts: 29 Views: 4937South Asian writers - it’d be quite a zoo!
The Good Husband
Bina Shah Mar 15, 2001 interacts: 133 Views: 17795What do you want for your breakfast?
Beating the Donkey
Bina Shah Jan 8, 2001 interacts: 30 Views: 5853The Minister roared from the ground
Salman, Padma, Fatwa
Bina Shah Oct 27, 2000 interacts: 197 Views: 25789How about a Fatwa against trophy wives?
Who Wants to Marry a Millionaire’s Dog?
Bina Shah Aug 20, 2000 interacts: 135 Views: 17792a man in India who’d married his four-year-old daughter to a dog
Movie: East is East
Bina Shah May 8, 2000 interacts: 0 Views: 4489The movie strings its dramatic tension on the fact that George wants to arrange marriages for his grown-up sons
ALIF - The Way Ahead?
Bina Shah May 1, 2000 interacts: 29 Views: 5779to build the Kingdom of God out of scraps
Study in Black
Bina Shah Mar 12, 2000 interacts: 168 Views: 19567Why did a man get to wear white and a woman black?
Diary of a Coup
Bina Shah Oct 14, 1999 interacts: 37 Views: 5579A coup d’etat had taken place and everything was going on as if nothing had happened?
His Gift
Bina Shah Sep 8, 1999 interacts: 63 Views: 9159He knew things without knowing how he knew them.
The Marriage Trap II
Bina Shah Aug 7, 1999 interacts: 68 Views: 11278Let the (mating) dance begin ...
Movie: Jinnah
Bina Shah Jun 1, 1999 interacts: 0 Views: 5530In watching Jinnah, you are forced to really exercise your mind to understand this movie, which is the richest experience any film can offer
Fishhooks
Bina Shah May 19, 1999 interacts: 39 Views: 7093Some men are like fishhooks. They slide so easily into the softest flesh they find
Letter from a Soldier
Bina Shah Apr 14, 1999 interacts: 14 Views: 3825What would that soldier, captured by the Serbs, say?
Snakebite
Bina Shah Mar 30, 1999 interacts: 13 Views: 3497From the hole, a large hissing sound escapes, and she shrieks..
Peter Pan
Bina Shah Mar 3, 1999 interacts: 4 Views: 3268In circles flow all the great rivers of our hearts
The Marriage Trap
Bina Shah Jan 22, 1999 interacts: 58 Views: 10017Why aren’t we getting M-A-R-R-I-E-D?
An Interview with Nasser Khan Ghazi
Bina Shah Dec 21, 1998 interacts: 14 Views: 11633A talk with the man who started the first ISP in South Asia.
Daddy’s Girl
Bina Shah Nov 14, 1998 interacts: 2 Views: 2485To my friends who lost their father at an early age
Bookstore Lessons
Bina Shah Nov 5, 1998 interacts: 7 Views: 2599Watching the two boys... I was seized by the impulse to do something for them...
Music: Star Rise
Bina Shah Sep 30, 1998 interacts: 0 Views: 2863Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Michael Brooks` Night Song Remixed.
A Heavy Price to Pay
Bina Shah Sep 23, 1998 interacts: 47 Views: 6026I am told I must not enter that world...
Squeamish in the Name of Science
Bina Shah Sep 11, 1998 interacts: 8 Views: 2358Refuting the great Desi Dream
On Being an Ex-Expatriate
Bina Shah Aug 2, 1998 interacts: 41 Views: 7915What’s it like to come back to Pakistan? An ex-expatriate speaks.
Bina Shah
- Articles on Chowk: 93
- First article: Aug 2, 1998
- Latest article: Dec 29, 2007
- Times read on Chowk: 918148
