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I have taught literature and creative writing since
1991 at The University of Arizona, as well as in Rabat, Morocco,
and in Lahore,
Pakistan. My literary interests are many, with a broad geo-literary
range that challenges the construction of the boundaries of ‘West’ and ‘East’.
My work has been shaped by the various countries and cultures I
have lived in, which include Pakistan, Japan, England, the United
States, France and Morocco. My novels are The Story of Noble
Rot (Penguin India 2001), Trespassing (Metropolitan/Henry Holt USA
2004), and The Geometry of God (Rupa & Co. India 2008). Trespassing was shortlisted for the Commonwealth Writers Prize 2003 and has
been translated into fourteen languages in eighteen countries.
The Geometry of God will appear in several European languages in
2009. All three novels are primarily set in Pakistan during or
after the turbulent years of General Zia’s military dictatorship.
Themes of conflict and loss – themes born of imperialism
and dictatorship – run through my writing, as well as in
the world literature I teach. My non-fiction has appeared in anthologies,
newspapers and literary magazines on topics that include the history
of the subcontinent, the modern political and cultural conflicts
of the region, and the stereotyping of Islam in the international
media. My most recent essay, ‘Flagging Multiculturalism:
How American Insularity Morally Justifies Itself’ will appear
in the anthology How They See Us, to be published by Atlas Books
USA in 2009.
Areas of Interest:
Creative writing, world literature
Education:
BA, Hobart and William Smith Colleges
MFA, University of Arizona