Kamila Shamsie

Kamila Shamsie is a renowned author, known for her work in mystery, literary fiction, horror, and general fiction. She has written at least eight standalone novels, and has also published numerous short stories, novellas, and picture books. Her writing has been well-received and she has won several awards for her work.

Shamsie was born in Karachi in 1973 and went on to study Creative Writing at Hamilton College in Clinton, NY. She then completed her MFA at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. It was while studying at the University of Massachusetts that she wrote her first novel, "In the City by the Sea," which was published in 1998 by Granta Books UK. The novel was shortlisted for the John Llewelyn Rhys Award in the UK and Shamsie received the Prime Minister’s Award for Literature in Pakistan in 1999.

Shamsie's writing has continued to be successful and she has been recognized with numerous awards for her work. In 2000, she was selected as one of Orange’s “21 Writers of the 21st Century” and her third novel, "Kartography," was shortlisted for the John Llewelyn Rhys award in the UK. Both "Kartography" and her next novel, "Broken Verses," won the Patras Bokhari Award from the Academy of Letters in Pakistan. "Burnt Shadows," Shamsie’s fifth novel, was longlisted for the Orange Prize for Fiction. Her books have been translated into a number of languages.

Shamsie is the daughter of literary critic and writer Muneeza Shamsie and the granddaughter of the memoirist Begum Jahanara Habibullah. She is also the niece of celebrated Indian novelist Attia Hosain. In addition to her work as an author, Shamsie has also worked as a reviewer and columnist, primarily for the Guardian. She has served as a judge for several literary awards including The Orange Award for New Writing and The Guardian First Book Award. Shamsie also sits on the advisory board of the Index on Censorship. For many years, she spent equal amounts of time in London and Karachi, and occasionally taught creative writing at Hamilton College in New York State. She now primarily resides in London.