| Austin, TX: Since publishing Beyond the Cayenne Wall, a collection of
short stories in 2005, Shaila Abdullah has received much recognition and
acclaim for her debut work. This month, she was named a winner in the
ebook category of the 2006 DIY Book Festival. The award honors
independent and self-published book on the cutting-edge of literature.
Abdullah's book also received the jury prize for outstanding fiction,
the highest award in the 2005 Norumbega Fiction Awards, a notable
award in the 2006 Writers Notes Award, and a finalist award in the
Best Books 2006 National Book Awards. She also received a grant from
the Hobson Foundation for her new novel that focuses on the life of a
Muslim widow in the United States. Abdullah's work has received
glowing reviews around the world and she has been featured in Dawn,
InSITE, Austin Woman, Austin American Statesman, Mood Indico, KOOP
91.7, and Voice of America. Her profile will run in the upcoming Asian
American volume of the Encyclopedia of American Ethnic Literature.
The collection of short stories about Pakistani women struggling to
find their individualities despite the barriers imposed by society is
defined by Midwest Book Review as "a superb read for students of
literature, culture and sociology because of its deftly written
engagement into the world and life of the alienated foreigner."
Abdullah who immigrated from Pakistan to United States in 1995 after
having an arranged marriage thrives on juggling the various roles in
her life as a designer, writer, wife, and a mother.
"I write for a multicultural diaspora to raise awareness about women's
issues in Pakistan," says Abdullah. "I am humbled by the attention the
work has received."" |
