Pakistan Academy of Letters Officials Mourn the Passing of Renowned Novelist Bapsi Sidhwa
Islamabad, The Gulf Observer: Dr. Najiba Arif, Chairperson of the Pakistan Academy of Letters, and Mr. Sultan Nasir, Director General, expressed profound sorrow over the demise of internationally acclaimed novelist, playwright, and educator Bapsi Sidhwa. Ms. Sidhwa passed away on December 25, 2024, in Houston, USA.
Bapsi Sidhwa was born on August 11, 1938, in Karachi. Her family later moved to Lahore, where she completed her BA from Kinnaird College. Subsequently, she relocated to Houston, Texas, in the United States, where she was associated with teaching at several American universities. Her native languages were Gujarati and Urdu; however, she chose English as her medium of creative expression. Her English novels played a pivotal role in bringing South Asian and Pakistani fiction to global prominence. Among her most notable works are Ice Candy Man and The Crow Eaters. Some of her novels have been adapted into films and translated into major world languages.
The themes of migration (especially the experiences during the 1947 Partition of India), displacement, women’s rights, and the condition of Parsis in South Asia prominently feature in her novels. She resided in the United States for many years, where she was involved in teaching and mentoring in the art of creative writing. She proudly identified herself as Pakistani, Punjabi, and Parsi. In recognition of her literary contributions, the Government of Pakistan awarded her the Sitara-i-Imtiaz. She also received numerous international accolades, including the Lila Wallace Reader’s Digest Writer’s Award and the Bunting Fellowship at Radcliffe/Harvard. Her novels have also received awards for the best English books by the Pakistan Academy of Letters. Bapsi Sidhwa is among Pakistan’s towering literary figures whose photographs and biographical details have been displayed in the Hall of Fame at the Pakistan Academy of Letters.
Dr. Najiba Arif and Mr. Sultan Nasir offered prayers for the departed soul and extended heartfelt condolences to her bereaved family.
