Bina Shah

Bina Shah is one of a handful of writers in Pakistan who have made

their mark in English fiction. She began her career as an IT journalist in
1996 when she became Features Editor of the Pakistani edition of
Computerworld. In 1998 she moved on to join Pakistan’s first Internet
magazine Spider as its editor. At the same time, she began to contribute
freelance articles to Pakistani publications such as Libas and The Friday
Times. To compliment her love of writing with her love of technology,
she also began to write for the well-known South Asian web site Chowk
and was made a regular columnist there in 2003.

Always one for multitasking, Bina began to write her first collection of
short stories, Animal Medicine, which was published in 1999 by Oxford
University Press. The collection, aimed at younger readers, contained
stories about young Pakistanis and their relationships with figures in the
animal world. This slim volume was hailed for its experimental nature
and became popular both with adults and children alike.

In 2001 Bina published her first novel, Where They Dream in Blue,
under the Alhamra imprint. This novel about a young Pakistani
American who travels to Pakistan in order to discover his past was
deeply autobiographical for Bina, who spent her early years in and
received her college education from America. It incorporates themes
surrounding the immigrant and cross-cultural experience, the mystical
elements of Islam, and the search for meaning in a challenging country.
The novel was extremely well received, especially amongst readers in
their teens and early twenties, who could best relate to its characters
and content.

Bina's latest novel, The 786 Cybercafe, has been published by Alhamra
in 2004 and is already creating waves for its bold look at the Internet
and its impact on ordinary Pakistanis. The story focuses on the troubles
and travails of Jamal Tunio, a young Sindhi man, as he struggles to set
up a viable business on Tariq Road, the heart of Karachi. Coming from a
Sindhi background, Bina wanted to write about what it means to be an
urban Sindhi in the twenty-first century, and how one’s culture and
background can equally be a handicap or a strength.

Apart from her writing career, Bina enjoys a wide variety of interests.
She is a keen musician and plays the flute and piano. She is an
enthusiastic learner of languages, having attempted to learn French,
Spanish, Arabic, and German, in addition to her ongoing quest to
improve her Urdu. She lives in Karachi, where the traffic and pollution
drive her crazy but the beaches and shopping keep her sane.