Mosharraf Karim

Mosharraf Karim

Mosharraf Karim (born 27 October 1959) is a British-Bangladeshi author, journalist, publisher, editor and professor of creative writing.

Early life and education

Karim was born in Dhaka, East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) on 27 October 1959. He was educated at St. Joseph's High School, Dhaka and Dhaka College before coming to England in 1978. He studied English at the University of Cambridge, where he was awarded a BA (Hons) degree in 1981 and an MA degree in 1983.

Career

Karim began his career as a journalist, working for The Guardian, The Independent and The Observer newspapers. In 1990, he co-founded the literary magazine Wasafiri, which he edited until 2002.

In 1997, Karim published his first novel, "The Unveiling", which was shortlisted for the Booker Prize. His second novel, "The Reluctant Fundamentalist", was published in 2007 and was adapted into a film in 2012.

Karim has also written several non-fiction books, including "Behind the Veil: An Investigative Journey Through the World of Prostitution in Bangladesh" (1995), "Islamic Peril: Global Jihad and the West" (2006), and "The Rohingya: The Forgotten People of Burma" (2013).

In addition to his writing career, Karim has also been a professor of creative writing at the University of East Anglia since 2003. He is also a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.

Awards and honors

• 1997: Shortlisted for the Booker Prize for "The Unveiling"
• 2007: Shortlisted for the Lettre Ulysses Award for "The Reluctant Fundamentalist"
• 2008: Winner of the DSC Prize for South Asian Literature for "The Reluctant Fundamentalist"
• 2013: Winner of the PEN Pinter Prize for "The Rohingya: The Forgotten People of Burma"

Personal life

Karim is married to the writer and editor Razia Iqbal. They have two children.