Mohammad Hanif
Before Hanif gained popularity worldwide as an author, he graduated from the Pakistan Airforce Academy. He left to pursue a career in journalism working for Newsline Magazine, writing for The Washington Post and India Today. He later moved to the United Kingdom to work for the BBC where he headed the BBC Urdu Service until 2008 when he moved back to Pakistan.
Hanfi’s talents are boundless. His connection to the reader is instant- whether its in his plays, novels or scrip writing.
Hanif’s first book ‘A case of exploding mangoes’ was an instant hit. A fictional account of the circumstances surrounding General Zia-ul-Haq’s assassination, it gripped the nation and audiences worldwide. The book won both the Commonwealth First Book Prize as well as the Shakti Bhatti First Book Prize. It was also shortlisted for the Guardian First Book Awards as well as the Man Booker Prize.
Hanif’s second book ‘Our Lady of Alice Bhatti’, is a love story set amongst the chaos of Karachi. It is an insightful sociological essay on the predicament of minorities in Pakistan. This book was shortlisted for two prizes as well: the Wellcome Trust Book Prize and the DSC Prize for South Asian Literature.
