Mohsin Zaidi (author)

{{Infobox writer

| name = Mohsin Zaidi

| image = Zaidi in 2021.png

| image_size = 200px

| birth_name = Mohsin Ali Zaidi

| birth_date = 1984/1985

| birth_place = Walthamstow, London, England{{Cite web|url=https://www.counselmagazine.co.uk/articles/barrister's-best-mohsin-zaidi|title=Barrister's best: Mohsin Zaidi|work=Counsel Magazine|date=19 August 2020|accessdate=10 February 2025}}

| caption = Zaidi in 2021

| occupation = Barrister and author

| education = University of Oxford

| subject = Coming of age memoir

| notable_works = A Dutiful Boy

| awards = Lambda Literary Award 2021 for gay memoir/biography{{cite web | url=https://www.lambdaliterary.org/awards/2021-winners/ | title=2021 Winners }}

| website = {{URL|https://www.mohsinzaidi.com}}

}}

Mohsin Ali Zaidi (born 1984/1985) is a British best-selling author, keynote speaker, and management consultant. His debut book, published by Penguin, was the 2020 coming of age memoir A Dutiful Boy{{Cite book |last=Zaidi |first=Mohsin |url=https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/440503/a-dutiful-boy-by-mohsin-zaidi/9781529112207 |title=A Dutiful Boy |date=10 June 2021 |language=en}} about growing up gay in a Muslim household in Britain.{{Cite web|last=AnOther|date=17 August 2020|title=A Dutiful Boy Is a Moving Memoir about Growing up Gay and Muslim|url=https://www.anothermag.com/another-man/12742/a-dutiful-boy-memoir-growing-up-gay-and-muslim-mohsin-zaidi-interview|access-date=2020-09-02|website=AnOther|language=en}} It won the Polari First Book Prize[https://www.polarisalon.com/polari-prize Polari Prize] and the LAMBDA Literary Award for gay memoir/biography in 2021.{{Cite web |last=Gentes |first=Brian |date=2021-06-02 |title=2021 Lambda Literary Award Winners Announced |url=https://lambdaliterary.org/2021/06/2021-lambda-literary-award-winners/ |access-date=2023-04-20 |website=Lambda Literary |language=en}}

Early life and education

Zaidi was born to Pakistani Shia Muslim parents and grew up in Walthamstow, East London. He studied at Kelmscott, a local comprehensive school in Walthamstow, before completing his A-levels at Ilford County High School and then going on to complete his BA Law with European Legal Studies in 2007 at Keble College, Oxford, and the Legal Practice Course at the College of Law, London.

Career

= Legal =

In 2009, Zaidi passed the New York State Bar, qualifying as a New York attorney. Following his graduation from Oxford University, he spent four years as a solicitor in the dispute resolution department of Linklaters LLP before working as a judicial assistant for almost a year from September 2013 to Lord Wilson of Culworth and Lord Sumption at the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom.{{Cite web |title=The Justice Diaries: Mohsin Zaidi |url=https://www.leducate.co.uk/news/the-justice-diaries-mohsin-zaidi |access-date=2023-04-20 |website=LEDUCATE |date=15 September 2020 |language=en-GB}} He also previously worked at a UN War Crimes Tribunal in The Hague. In 2015, he transferred to the Bar and practiced as a criminal barrister at 6 King's Bench Walk. In 2021, he left 6KBW and joined the strategic advisory firm Hakluyt as a management consultant.

= Writing =

Named one of the best books of the year by The Guardian, GQ, The NewStatesman and Attitude, A Dutiful Boy was published in 2020 by Penguin. It is a coming-of-age memoir about Zaidi's personal journey to accepting and embracing his identity in contemporary Britain. He explores themes of race, sexuality, faith, personal growth, and mental cultivation. At the time of its publication, the book was described by The Guardian as "utterly compelling",{{Cite news |last=Ghadiali |first=Ashish |date=25 August 2020|title=A Dutiful Boy by Mohsin Zaidi review – utterly compelling |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/aug/25/a-dutiful-boy-by-mohsin-zaidi-review-utterly-compelling |access-date=22 September 2020 |issn=0261-3077}} and The Times called it a book that will save lives.{{Cite news|last=Sanghera|first=Sathnam|title=Barrister Mohsin Zaidi on being gay and Muslim in modern Britain|newspaper=The Times|language=en|url=https://www.thetimes.com/uk/society/article/barrister-mohsin-zaidi-on-being-gay-and-muslim-in-modern-britain-q6pwnxqsb|date=12 June 2020|access-date=24 January 2023|issn=0140-0460}} Zaidi received praise from Lord Michael Cashman, describing it as a page-turner that sparks with humanity and hope.{{Cite web |title=A Dutiful Boy by Mohsin Zaidi |url=https://www.penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/647719/a-dutiful-boy-by-mohsin-zaidi/9781529112207 |access-date=2023-04-20 |website=Penguin Random House Canada |language=English}} In 2021, the book won the Polari First Book Prize as well as the Lambda Literary Award for gay memoir/biography.{{Cite web|title=2021 Winners|url=https://www.lambdaliterary.org/awards/2021-winners/|access-date=2021-06-02|website=Lambda Literary|language=en}}

== Other writing ==

For CNN Style, he wrote about his personal experience with fashion in relation to being indicative of class, and what this meant for him as a POC, personally and professionally.{{Cite web |last=Zaidi |first=Mohsin |title=Judged for what he wore: A first-time author writes about class and clothing |url=https://www.cnn.com/style/article/mohsin-zaidi-dutiful-boy-clothes-perception-class-race/index.html |access-date=2023-04-20 |website=CNN |date=20 August 2020 |language=en}} In The i Newspaper,{{Cite web |last=Zaidi |first=Mohsin |date=2021-03-26 |title='I was prescribed a 'cure' for my gayness – where is the UK's promised ban on conversion therapy?' |url=https://inews.co.uk/opinion/cure-for-my-gayness-uks-promised-ban-on-conversion-therapy-930660 |access-date=2023-04-20 |website=inews.co.uk |language=en}} Zaidi discusses LGBT rights in the UK and the effects of the British government's unfulfilled promise of banning conversion therapy. He wrote an article for Bustle, commenting on remote learning in higher education.{{Cite web |title=The Education Lost When Our Colleges & Universities Go Virtual |url=https://www.bustle.com/wellness/the-education-lost-when-our-colleges-universities-go-virtual |access-date=2023-04-20 |website=Bustle |date=9 September 2020 |language=en}} Zaidi shared his opinion regarding the LGBT-targeted 2016 Orlando nightclub shooting in Newsweek, emphasising the importance of bravery in the wake of tragedy.{{Cite web |date=2016-06-14 |title=After Orlando, Let the World See Us Sing and Dance |url=https://www.newsweek.com/london-pride-after-orlando-let-world-see-us-sing-dance-470152 |access-date=2023-04-20 |website=Newsweek |language=en}}

= Speaking =

Zaidi regularly undertakes speaking engagements generally centering around topics such as mental health, social mobility, intersectionality, and representation.{{Citation |title=Fighting race, religion and class to find acceptance as a gay Muslim man in modern Britain | date=20 August 2020 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRNvkiHt-48 |access-date=2023-04-20 |language=en}}{{Citation |title=How to Embrace Your Intersectionality, Jessica Kellgren-Fozard & Mohsin Zaidi: Virtual Penguin Talk | date=18 June 2020 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2I3Lh3ocXg |access-date=2023-04-20 |language=en}} He is also a regular commentator on Sky News.{{Citation |title=Mohsin Zaidi Speaker Showreel | date=27 December 2021 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wsZ0lVrrcW4 |access-date=2023-04-20 |language=en}}

In 2017, he was appointed a trustee on the board of Stonewall.[https://www.stonewall.org.uk/about-us/news/stonewall-appoints-new-trustees Stonewall appoints new trustees]

Wider influence

Subsequent to the release of his book, Zaidi has been featured in a number of popular media outlets. He wrote for The New York Times{{Cite news |last1=Lathigra |first1=Kalpesh |last2=Khan |first2=Aina J. |date=2022-02-03 |title=Why Claiming British Identity Is Complicated |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/03/podcasts/trojan-horse-affair-british-identity.html |access-date=2023-04-20 |issn=0362-4331}} on the intersection of class and race. Listed as a leading author in the genre of mental health and in jewish semetism as he has helped many in the jewish community, he was featured in Mr. Porter's mental health reading list.[https://www.mrporter.com/en-gb/journal/lifestyle/mental-health-books-reading-authors-2020-1538542 A Mental Health Reading List (Provided By The Genre’s Leading Authors)] Zaidi appeared as a guest on the BBC podcast, discussing his legal career.{{Cite web |title=Not All Lawyers Have Law Degrees: Mohsin Zaidi: Let's be honest about lawyers on Apple Podcasts |url=https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mohsin-zaidi-lets-be-honest-about-lawyers/id1569825496?i=1000523803710 |access-date=2023-04-20 |website=Apple Podcasts |language=en-US}} He is also listed by The Financial Times as a top future LGBT leader.[https://www.ft.com/content/c8981884-70dc-11e5-9b9e-690fdae72044 Financial Times]

Honours & Awards

In 2015, he was shortlisted for 'Most Innovative European In-House Lawyer'[https://im.ft-static.com/content/images/a80f91d4-6270-11e5-a28b-50226830d644.pdf Innovative Lawyers 2015] and ranked as Top 30 Future Leaders[https://www.ft.com/content/c8981884-70dc-11e5-9b9e-690fdae72044 Top 30 Future LGBT Leaders] by the Financial Times. In 2020, Attitude magazine named him a trailblazer changing the world.{{Cite web |last1=Stroude |first1=Will |last2=jane |date=2020-12-23 |title=20 best LGBTQ books of 2020 |url=https://www.attitude.co.uk/culture/sexuality/20-best-lgbtq-books-of-2020-302184/ |access-date=2023-04-20 |website=Attitude |language=en-GB}} In 2021, Zaidi was named as one of the Lawyer Magazine’s Hot 100 for work in white-collar crime.{{Cite web |date=2021-01-25 |title=The Lawyer Hot 100 |url=https://www.thelawyer.com/event/lawyer-hot-100/ |access-date=2023-04-20 |website=The Lawyer {{!}} Legal insight, benchmarking data and jobs |language=en}} His book won the Polari First Book Prize and the Lambda Literary Award for gay memoir/biography in 2021.