Commonwealth Writers' Prize
1 appearances
-
Edition 23 (2009) Winner
Mohammed Hanif
モハメド・ハニフ
Mohammed Hanif
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- null （Okara, Punjab, Pakistan）
- Died
- null
- Nationality
- Pakistan, United Kingdom
- Languages
- English, Urdu
- Residence History
- Okara (birthplace) → Karachi → London (resident; BBC) → Returned to Pakistan (since 2008)
Career
- Occupations
- Writer, Journalist, Screenwriter, Playwright
- Active Years
- 2008-
- Affiliations
- BBC (former head of Urdu service)
- Influenced By
- Salman Rushdie (often compared to)
- Nominations
- Man Booker Prize (Longlist) – 2008, Guardian First Book Award (Shortlist) – 2008
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pakistan Air Force Academy | — | — | — | — | Pakistan |
| University of East Anglia | — | — | — | — | United Kingdom |
Pakistan Air Force Academy
Country:
Pakistan
Attended as a pilot officer trainee; later left to pursue journalism
University of East Anglia
Country:
United Kingdom
Studied at UEA (graduation year not specified)
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Commonwealth Book Prize (Best First Book) | A Case of Exploding Mangoes | Best First Book | Commonwealth Foundation | 受賞 |
| 2008 | Shakti Bhatt First Book Prize | A Case of Exploding Mangoes | First Book | Shakti Bhatt Foundation | 受賞 |
| — | Sitara-i-Imtiaz | — | — | Government of Pakistan | 受賞（後に返還） |
| 2008 | Man Booker Prize (Longlist) | A Case of Exploding Mangoes | — | The Booker Prize Foundation | ロングリスト |
| 2008 | Guardian First Book Award (Shortlist) | A Case of Exploding Mangoes | — | The Guardian | ショートリスト |
| 2012 | Wellcome Trust Book Prize (Shortlist) | Our Lady of Alice Bhatti | — | Wellcome Trust | ショートリスト |
| 2013 | DSC Prize for South Asian Literature (Shortlist) | Our Lady of Alice Bhatti | — | DSC Prize | ショートリスト |
Commonwealth Book Prize (Best First Book)
2009
Work:
A Case of Exploding Mangoes
Category:
Best First Book
Organization:
Commonwealth Foundation
Result:
受賞
Shakti Bhatt First Book Prize
2008
Work:
A Case of Exploding Mangoes
Category:
First Book
Organization:
Shakti Bhatt Foundation
Result:
受賞
Sitara-i-Imtiaz
Organization:
Government of Pakistan
Result:
受賞（後に返還）
Man Booker Prize (Longlist)
2008
Work:
A Case of Exploding Mangoes
Organization:
The Booker Prize Foundation
Result:
ロングリスト
Guardian First Book Award (Shortlist)
2008
Work:
A Case of Exploding Mangoes
Organization:
The Guardian
Result:
ショートリスト
Wellcome Trust Book Prize (Shortlist)
2012
Work:
Our Lady of Alice Bhatti
Organization:
Wellcome Trust
Result:
ショートリスト
DSC Prize for South Asian Literature (Shortlist)
2013
Work:
Our Lady of Alice Bhatti
Organization:
DSC Prize
Result:
ショートリスト
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
A Case of Exploding Mangoes
2008 Novel (political satire)Set in Pakistan around 1979, the novel satirically examines the military and power structures. Using humor and irony, it fictionalizes events and personalities to explore assassination and corruption within the army.
Military ruleCorruption of powerSatireHistory and fiction
Our Lady of Alice Bhatti
2011 NovelFocusing on Alice Bhatti, a young nurse in Karachi, the novel portrays the lives of marginalized urban inhabitants, addressing religious prejudice, violence, and human dignity.
Marginalized peopleReligion and discriminationUrban life
The Baloch who is not missing and others who are
2013 Short stories / EssaysA collection of short stories and essays addressing political themes such as the Baloch people and enforced disappearances.
DisappearancesEthnic issuesPolitics
Red Birds
2018 NovelReportedly a novel exploring war, borders and the impact of violence; details are fragmentary in available sources.
WarMovement and bordersImpact of violence
Bibliography
- The Long Night (script, 2002)
- A Case of Exploding Mangoes (2008)
- Our Lady of Alice Bhatti (2011)
- The Baloch who is not missing and others (2013)
- Red Birds (2018)
- What Now, Now That We Are Dead? (radio play)
- The Dictator's Wife (play, 2008)
Adaptations
- The Long Night (feature film script, 2002)
- The Dictator's Wife (stage play; staged at Hampstead Theatre)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Satirical, darkly comic proseInterweaving politics and everyday life
- Recurring Motifs
- Depictions of the military and powerMarginalized charactersUrban violence and corruption
Legacy
Mohammed Hanif is internationally recognized for his satirical portrayals of Pakistan's politics and society. He has won and been shortlisted for several literary awards, contributed to international media as a journalist, and has taken public political stances, including returning a state honor.
Quotes
-
"Everybody of a certain age wanted to write like Rushdie and so did I, but I would not want being hunted around the world."
Source: Interview (Rediff, 2012) (2012)
Trivia
- Worked for BBC Urdu and served as head of the BBC Urdu service while based in London.
- A Case of Exploding Mangoes (2008) received multiple nominations and awards.
- In 2023 he returned the Sitara-i-Imtiaz in protest over crackdown on Baloch protesters.
- Married to actress Nimra Bucha.