Anisfield-Wolf Book Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 75 (2010) Winner
Kamila Shamsie
カミラ・シャムシー
Kamila Shamsie
Profile
- Gender
- Female
- Born
- 1973-08-13 （Karachi, Pakistan）
- Nationality
- Pakistan, United Kingdom
- Languages
- Urdu, English
- Religion
- Islam
- Residence History
- Karachi (born–until c.2007) → London (from 2007)
Career
- Occupations
- Novelist, Writer, Professor of Creative Writing
- Active Years
- 1998-
- Affiliations
- Manchester Centre for New Writing (University of Manchester), Royal Society of Literature (Fellow), Manchester Literature Festival (patron)
- Memberships
- Royal Society of Literature (Fellow)
- Influenced By
- Agha Shahid Ali (poet), Arundhati Roy, Salman Rushdie
- Nominations
- Man Booker Prize (Longlisted, 2017), Orange Prize / Women’s Prize for Fiction (Shortlisted, 2009), Walter Scott Prize (Shortlisted, 2015)
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Karachi Grammar School | — | — | — | — | Pakistan |
| Hamilton College | — | Creative Writing | BA | — | United States |
| University of Massachusetts Amherst (MFA Program for Poets & Writers) | — | MFA Program for Poets & Writers | MFA | — | United States |
Karachi Grammar School
Country:
Pakistan
Secondary education
Hamilton College
Creative Writing
Degree:
BA
Country:
United States
BA in creative writing (exchange student background)
University of Massachusetts Amherst (MFA Program for Poets & Writers)
MFA Program for Poets & Writers
Degree:
MFA
Country:
United States
Master of Fine Arts in creative writing
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Prime Minister's Award for Literature (Pakistan) | In the City by the Sea | — | Government of Pakistan | Won |
| 2002 | Patras Bokhari Award | — | — | Academy of Letters (Pakistan) | Won |
| 2005 | Patras Bokhari Award | Broken Verses | — | Academy of Letters (Pakistan) | Won |
| 2010 | Anisfield-Wolf Book Award (Fiction) | Burnt Shadows | Fiction | Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards | Won |
| 2009 | Orange Prize for Fiction / Women's Prize for Fiction | Burnt Shadows | — | Women’s Prize for Fiction | Shortlisted |
| 2015 | Walter Scott Prize | A God in Every Stone | — | Walter Scott Prize | Shortlisted |
| 2017 | Man Booker Prize | Home Fire | — | Man Booker Prize | Longlisted |
| 2018 | Women’s Prize for Fiction | Home Fire | — | Women’s Prize for Fiction | Won |
| 2019 | Nelly Sachs Prize | — | — | Nelly Sachs Prize jury/committee | Withdrawn |
| 2019 | International Dublin Literary Award | Home Fire | — | International Dublin Literary Award | Shortlisted |
Prime Minister's Award for Literature (Pakistan)
1999
Work:
In the City by the Sea
Organization:
Government of Pakistan
Result:
Won
Patras Bokhari Award
2002
Organization:
Academy of Letters (Pakistan)
Result:
Won
Patras Bokhari Award
2005
Work:
Broken Verses
Organization:
Academy of Letters (Pakistan)
Result:
Won
Anisfield-Wolf Book Award (Fiction)
2010
Work:
Burnt Shadows
Category:
Fiction
Organization:
Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards
Result:
Won
Orange Prize for Fiction / Women's Prize for Fiction
2009
Work:
Burnt Shadows
Organization:
Women’s Prize for Fiction
Result:
Shortlisted
Walter Scott Prize
2015
Work:
A God in Every Stone
Organization:
Walter Scott Prize
Result:
Shortlisted
Man Booker Prize
2017
Work:
Home Fire
Organization:
Man Booker Prize
Result:
Longlisted
Women’s Prize for Fiction
2018
Work:
Home Fire
Organization:
Women’s Prize for Fiction
Result:
Won
Nelly Sachs Prize
2019
Organization:
Nelly Sachs Prize jury/committee
Result:
Withdrawn
International Dublin Literary Award
2019
Work:
Home Fire
Organization:
International Dublin Literary Award
Result:
Shortlisted
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Kartography
2002 FictionSet in Karachi, the novel explores friendship, memory of the city, and the repercussions of political violence.
memoryfriendshipurban violence
Burnt Shadows
2009 Historical fictionAn intergenerational story spanning World War II to the 21st century, examining how borders and history shape individual lives.
historybordersfate and coincidence
Home Fire
2017 Contemporary fictionA contemporary novel about family, state, love and loyalty, following a British-Muslim family and addressing citizenship and terrorism.
familycitizenshipstate vs individual
Bibliography
- In the City by the Sea (1998)
- Salt and Saffron (2000)
- Kartography (2002)
- Broken Verses (2005)
- Offence: The Muslim Case (2009)
- Burnt Shadows (2009)
- A God in Every Stone (2014)
- Home Fire (2017)
- Duckling: A Fairy Tale Revolution (2020)
- Best of Friends (2022)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Weaves historical perspective with personal historiesDetailed characterization combined with political and social themesPoetic yet controlled prose
- Recurring Motifs
- migration and belongingfamily bonds and betrayalconflict between state and individual
Legacy
An internationally recognized writer exploring migration, history and politics. Celebrated in both the UK and Pakistan, with multiple major award nominations and wins. Continues to speak publicly on citizenship and freedom of expression.
Academic Societies
- Royal Society of Literature
In Popular Culture
- Selected for BBC's '100 Women' (2013)
Quotes
-
"I never felt safe."
Source: The Guardian (interview with Kamila Shamsie, 2014) (2014)
Trivia
- Joined the Authors XI cricket team in 2012 despite not having played cricket before
- Elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in 2011
- In 2019 the Nelly Sachs Prize award decision was withdrawn, prompting protests from many writers