BIOGRAPHY
Her novels, The Holy Woman, Typhoon, Revolt & collection of short stories, A Pair of Jeans and other stories and The Concubine & The Slave Catcher – stories from around the world, have been translated into several languages including Mandarin. Her Holy Woman won the Bradford Waterstones’ title of Best Book of the Month and has been a bestseller for 15 years in Indonesia. Her novels and stories including A Pair of Jeans are studied in schools and universities. A critical analysis of her works has been done in a book entitled The Holy and the Unholy: Critical Essays on Qaisra Shahraz’s Fiction (2011). She has appeared in many international writers’ festivals and book fairs. Her award-winning drama serial Dil Hee To Hai was broadcast on Pakistani Television in 2003.
Qaisra Shahraz MBE JP FRSA is the Founder, Curator and Executive Director of MACFEST, Muslim Arts and Culture Festival and MWAFoundation, Muslim Women’s Arts Foundation. She is a prize-winning and critically-acclaimed novelist, scriptwriter, culture champion, and peace and gender activist. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, a literary judge, a former Director of Gatehouse Books and Asia Pacific Writers & Translators partnership. Qaisra is an advisor to the University of Salford’s school of Arts and Media, Demilitarise Education and International Journal IJRHS. She has gained two Masters Degrees in English & European literature and scriptwriting for television.
In 2017, Qaisra was recognised by ‘Lovin Manchester’ as number 1 in a list of 50 Most Influential Women in Manchester, one of 100 influential Pakistani women in Pakistan Power 100 List and included in the Muslim Power 100 list (2018). On 2019 International Women Day Qaisra appeared in Manchester Metropolitan Universities list of 11 Extraordinary Women From Manchester alongside Emmeline Pankhurst, the famous Suffragette.
For her work in the field of art, culture and bringing communities together, nationally, Qaisra was awarded with a She Inspires Award for 2021 in the category ‘Culture Champion Award’. “I am honoured and delighted to win this award. It pays homage to my dedicated work in celebrating multi-arts, culture and heritage in communities, as well as in schools and colleges across the North West.” On 9th November 2021 at Windsor Castle she was awarded her MBE by Prince William, HRH Duke of Cambrdge. In October she and her MACFEST team received the highly prestigious ‘Queens Award for Voluntary Service.’
Her novels, The Holy Woman, Typhoon, Revolt & collection of short stories, A Pair of Jeans and other stories and The Concubine & The Slave Catcher – stories from around the world, have been translated into several languages including Mandarin. Her Holy Woman won the Bradford Waterstones’ title of Best Book of the Month and has been a bestseller for 15 years in Indonesia. Her novels and stories including A Pair of Jeans are studied in schools and universities. A critical analysis of her works has been done in a book entitled The Holy and the Unholy: Critical Essays on Qaisra Shahraz’s Fiction (2011). She has appeared in many international writers’ festivals and book fairs. Her award-winning drama serial Dil Hee To Hai was broadcast on Pakistani Television in 2003.
Qaisra has enjoyed a successful career in education as an Ofsted inspector, a quality manager, assessor, education consultant and international teacher trainer including working under the auspices of the British Council. She is highly committed to promoting harmony and community cohesion through MACFEST and Muslim Women Arts Foundation and trustee roles with We Stand Together and Manchester Muslim-Jewish Forum and UK partner with New York’s Foundation for Ethnic Understanding. She is also the trustee of Manchester Young Lives, and The Portico Library.
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