Shadab Zeest Hashmi (born August 16, 1972) is an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, p ...

poet of

Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...

i origins. Her poetry, written in

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Culture, language and peoples * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England * ''English'', an Amish ter ...

, has been translated into

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...

and

Urdu Urdu (; , , ) is an Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in South Asia. It is the Languages of Pakistan, national language and ''lingua franca'' of Pakistan. In India, it is an Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of Indi ...

. She has been the editor of the ''Magee Park Poets Anthology'' and ''MahMag'' and is a columnist for ''3 Quarks Daily''. Many of Hashmi's poems explore

feminism Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideology, ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social gender equality, equality of the sexes. Feminism holds the position that modern soci ...

, history and perspectives on

Islam Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...

Biography

Shadab Zeest Hashmi grew up in

Peshawar, Pakistan Peshawar is the capital and largest city of the Pakistani province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. It is the sixth most populous city of Pakistan, with a district population of over 4.7 million in the 2023 census. It is situated in the north-west o ...

. She graduated from

Reed College Reed College is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Portland, Oregon, United States. Founded in 1908, Reed is a residential college with a campus in the Eastmoreland, Portland, Oregon, E ...

in 1995 and received her MFA from

Warren Wilson College Warren Wilson College (WWC) is a private liberal arts college in Swannanoa, North Carolina. It is known for its curriculum that combines academics, work, and service as every student must complete a required course of study, work an on-campus j ...

. Her poetry has appeared in ''Prairie Schooner'', ''Poetry International'', ''Vallum'', ''Atlanta Review'', ''Nimrod'', ''The Bitter Oleander'', ''Journal of Postcolonial Writings'', ''The Cortland Review'', ''The Adirondack Review'', ''New Millennium Writings'', ''Universe: A United Nations of Poets'', ''Drunken Boat'', ''Split this Rock'', ''Hubbub'', ''Pakistani Literature Women Writings'' and others. Shadab Zeest Hashmi's essays on eastern poetic forms such as the

ghazal ''Ghazal'' is a form of amatory poem or ode, originating in Arabic poetry that often deals with topics of spiritual and romantic love. It may be understood as a poetic expression of both the pain of loss, or separation from the beloved, and t ...

and

qasida The qaṣīda (also spelled ''qaṣīdah''; plural ''qaṣā’id'') is an ancient Arabic word and form of poetry, often translated as ode. The qasida originated in pre-Islamic Arabic poetry and passed into non-Arabic cultures after the Arab Mus ...

have been published in the ''Journal of Contemporary World Literature'', and her essays have appeared in the ''Washington Post'', ''Pakistaniaat: A Journal of Pakistan Studies'', ''Knot'' magazine, and "3 Quarks Daily" In 2010, Poetic Matrix Press published Shadab Zeest Hashmi's book ''Baker of Tarifa'', which won the 2011 San Diego Book Award for poetry. ''Baker of Tarifa'' is a book of poems based on the history of Muslim Spain; it attempts to recreate a near millennium of Andalusi culture which transformed Western thought, values, art science and technology, building a legend of peaceful co-existence known as "la convivencia". The work looks at Muslim Civilization as a bridge between antiquity and modernity, East and West, between three continents (Africa, Asia, and Europe) and three religions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam); a golden chapter not only in Muslim and European history, but human history. Shadab Zeest Hashmi has been inspired by the music of the Al-Andalus Ensemble. Eleanor Wilner called Hashmi's poems "luminous." Shadab's latest book is ''Kohl & Chalk'', which uses themes from her own life as a naturalized American citizen, while also remembering her home in Pakistan.

Works

Published Essays: * ''Qasida'' * ''Ghazal'' * ''Memoir Essay'' * ''Essay'' * ''Review'' * ''Ghazal, Sufism and the Birth of a Language'' * ''"Saying" the Ghazal: Duende and Performing the Courtly Art of the Ghazal'' Poems: * ''"''Sultana Morayma: the Last Queen of al-Andalus", ''Mizna, Summer '16 Issue, Volume 17.1'' p. 57 ISSN 1535-2331 * "Across the Windowsill", San Diego Museum of Art * "Iman", San Diego Reader * "Passing through Peshawar" * "It’s Your Marmalade House" * "Guantanamo" Books: * ''Kohl & Chalk'' (Poetic Matrix Press: January 25, 2013). * ''Baker of Tarifa'' (Poetic Matrix Press: September 1, 2010).

Awards

*1991 — SAARC medal for literature, *2004 — Stout Award, *2007 — Andalusia Prize for Literature, *2011 — San Diego Book Award, *2014 — Nazim Hikmet Poetry Prize, *2014 — San Diego Book Award

References

External links

Interview
*

' (text and audio)
Small Press Distribution listingAn Interview with Shadab Zeest Hashmi and Alicia Jo Rabins with Gray
Thoron (transcript) {{DEFAULTSORT:Hashumi, Shadab Zeest 1970 births Living people Pakistani emigrants to the United States Reed College alumni Warren Wilson College alumni San Diego State University faculty 21st-century American poets