Pakistani-American Author
Wins 2006 DIY Award
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 the United States in 1995
after having an arranged marriage thrives on juggling the
various roles in her life as a designer, writer, wife, and
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." Abdullah
has been writing for Dallas Child, About Families, Sulekha,
Women's Own, Fashion Collection, and other publications since
1993.
Her creative work focuses on the strengths and weaknesses
of Pakistani women and their often unconventional choices
in life. She is a member of the Texas Writers' League. She
may be contacted through her Web site at http://www.shailaabdullah.com,
by e-mail at shailaabdullah@gmail.com, or by phone at 512-924-7674.
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