Moni Mohsin
{{Short description|British-Pakistani writer}}
{{Use Pakistani English|date=September 2020}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2020}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Moni Mohsin
| birth_name = Syeda Matanat Ghaffar
| birth_date = September 1963
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| known_for = Newspaper columnist for The Friday Times,{{cite web |last1=Mohsin |first1=Moni |title=Partition Stories |url=https://www.thefridaytimes.com/author/moni-mohsin/ |website=The Friday Times}} The Guardian
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| occupation = Writer,{{cite news |title=Life of Ahmed |url=https://www.thefridaytimes.com/life-of-ahmed/ |work=The Friday Times |date=19 July 2019}}{{cite news |title=A galaxy of literary stars |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/788074 |work=Dawn |date=23 February 2013 |language=en}} freelancer journalist
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Syeda Matanat Ghaffar (born September 1963), commonly known as Moni Mohsin, is a British-Pakistani writer based in London, United Kingdom.{{Cite web |url=https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/officers/FPVGEA4rcPttOX_D_VfdpwM5740/appointments |title=Syeda Matanat Ghaffar}}{{cite news|url=https://tribune.com.pk/story/511752/the-key-is-to-write-about-what-you-know |title=Lahore Literary Festival (LLF) 2013: 'The key is to write about what you know'|newspaper=The Express Tribune (newspaper)|author=Aroosa Shaukat|date=24 February 2013|accessdate=28 September 2020}} She wrote a long running satirical column "The Diary of a Social Butterfly" for The Friday Times and a book with the same name.{{cite web |title=Yale Club of London - Mixing It Up: Marvin Rees and Moni Mohsin, In Conversation |url=https://www.yale.org.uk/event-2509827 |website=www.yale.org.uk}}{{cite web |title=Moni Mohsin {{!}} Emirates Airline Festival of Literature |url=http://litfest-archives.com/eng2013/authors/moni-mohsin/}}
Early life and career
Mohsin grew up in Lahore, Pakistan and describes herself as being from a family of "educated, westernised people".{{citation needed|date= October 2022}} When General Zia ul-Haq came to power in a coup in 1977, her family began to feel less comfortable in the new, religious Pakistan, where political repression against nonconformists became routine, but she chose to remain in Lahore. Mohsin left Pakistan at age 16 to study at a boarding school in England, and later attended Cambridge University, where she studied anthropology and archaeology. After General Zia's death in 1988, she moved more decisively into the public sphere, working for the country's first independent magazine Friday Times, where she rose to the ranks of features editor.{{cite news |last1=Jalil |first1=Rakhshanda |title=Stinging butterfly |url=https://www.thehindu.com/features/magazine/Stinging-butterfly/article15128957.ece |work=The Hindu |language=en-IN |date=5 February 2011}} Her sister, Jugnu Mohsin, is the publisher of The Friday Times, an independent Pakistani newsweekly.{{cite news |last1=Wax |first1=Emily |title=How Pakistan's Satirists Poke Fun, Politically |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/27/AR2007112702243.html |date=28 November 2007}} She is aunt of Ali Sethi{{cite news |last1=Naqvi |first1=Maniza |title=Pakistani English fiction's search for approval and recognition |url=https://herald.dawn.com/news/1154041 |work=Herald Magazine |date=5 March 2018 |language=en}}{{cite web |title=Ali Sethi - His Biography, Life, Education, Career, Music and Writings |url=https://www.parhlo.com/ali-sethi/ |website=Parhlo}} and Mira Sethi.{{cite news |title=Mira Sethi's book will hit shelves in April 2021 |url=https://images.dawn.com/news/1185410 |work=Images |date=12 June 2020 |language=en}}
Mohsin is often invited in the panel of literary festivals.{{cite news |title=Former hostage to address Sharjah book fair |url=https://gulfnews.com/uae/education/former-hostage-to-address-sharjah-book-fair-1.1607444 |work=Gulf News |language=en}}{{cite news |title=LAHORE LITERARY FESTIVAL: Writing from the edge |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/789973/lahore-literary-festival-writing-from-the-edge |work=Dawn |date=3 March 2013 |language=en}}{{cite news |title=Writing to build a better world |url=https://gulfnews.com/going-out/society/writing-to-build-a-better-world-1.1614202 |work=gulfnews.com |language=en}} She was also included among the panel of judges for The Zeenat Haroon Rashid Writing Prize for Women.{{cite news |title=The Writing Prize In Honour Of The Woman Who Set Up Pakistan's National Women's Guard |url=https://mashion.pk/the-writing-prize-in-honour-of-the-woman-who-set-up-pakistans-national-womens-guard/ |work=Mashion |date=15 December 2019 |language=en}}{{cite news |title='Zeenat Haroon Rashid Writing Prize For Women' announced |url=https://www.thenewstribe.io/2019/03/11/zeenat-haroon-rashid-writing-prize-for-women-announced/ |work=The News Tribe |date=11 March 2019}}{{cite news |title=This new competition is celebrating writing by Pakistani women |url=https://images.dawn.com/news/1182024 |work=Images |date=12 March 2019 |language=en}}
Publications
Mohsin is author{{cite news |title=English writing by Pakistani women |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/news-detail-51421 |work=The Daily Star |language=en |date=23 August 2008}} of two novels: The End of Innocence (2006){{cite news |title=Writing prize for women to honour Women's National Guard stalwart Zeenat Haroon Rashid |url=https://dailytimes.com.pk/364430/writing-prize-for-women-to-honour-womens-national-guard-stalwart-zeenat-haroon-rashid/ |work=Daily Times |date=12 March 2019}}{{cite news |title=COVER STORY: 'Every story dictates its own style — Moni Mohsin' |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/612840/cover-story-every-story-dictates-its-own-style-moni-mohsin |work=Dawn |language=en |date=13 March 2011}}{{cite news |title=The End of Innocence, by Moni Mohsin |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/reviews/end-innocence-moni-mohsin-6097361.html |work=The Independent |language=en |date=22 June 2006}} and Tender Hooks{{cite news |title=Gossip girl |url=https://dailytimes.com.pk/112302/gossip-girl/ |work=Daily Times |date=3 February 2011}}{{cite news |last1=Husain |first1=Irfan |title=Miro, Moni Mohsin and Sondheim |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/646731 |work=Dawn |language=en |date=25 July 2011}} aka Duty Free (2011), and two books of collected columns: The Diary of a Social Butterfly (2008){{cite news |title='The Diary of a Social Butterfly' — social commentary wrapped in humour |url=https://dailytimes.com.pk/325699/the-diary-of-a-social-butterfly-social-commentary-wrapped-in-humour/ |work=Daily Times |date=24 November 2018}}{{cite news |title=Five books to read as we struggle to survive the lockdown |url=https://dailytimes.com.pk/609355/five-books-to-read-as-we-struggle-to-survive-the-lockdown/ |work=Daily Times |date=8 May 2020}}{{cite magazine |last1=Kamal |first1=Sauleha |title=Pakistani English novel's ceaseless quest for identity |url=https://herald.dawn.com/news/1154072 |magazine=Herald |language=en |date=3 April 2018}} and The Return of the Butterfly (2014).{{cite news |last1=Adil |first1=Mamun M. |title=REVIEW: The Return of the Butterfly by Moni Mohsin |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1133191 |work=Dawn |date=21 September 2014 |language=en}} Her writings have also appeared in The Times of India,{{cite news |title=Moni Mohsin Blog |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/blogs/author/monimohsin/ |work=Times of India Blog}} The Guardian,{{cite news |title=Moni Mohsin |url=https://www.theguardian.com/profile/monimohsin |work=The Guardian |language=en}} Prospect,{{cite web |title=Moni Mohsin |url=https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/author/moni-mohsin-2 |website=Prospect}} The Nation,{{cite news |title=Moni Mohsin |url=https://www.thenation.com/?s=moni+mohsin&post_type=article |work=The Nation}} 1843 (The Economist),{{cite magazine |title=Moni Mohsin |url=https://www.1843magazine.com/contributor/8941 |magazine=1843}} Boston Review,{{cite magazine |title=Boston Review — Moni Mohsin: State of Emergency |url=http://www.bostonreview.net/archives/BR34.2/mohsin.php |magazine=Boston Review}} NPR,{{cite news |title=A Life-Changing Book With A Fierce, Feisty Heroine |url=https://www.npr.org/2011/09/26/140598095/a-lively-independent-heroine-worth-mooning-over |work=NPR |language=en}} Herald{{cite magazine |last1=Mohsin |first1=Moni |title=Je suis Chauburji: Development matters but not more than heritage |url=https://herald.dawn.com/news/1153659 |work=Herald |date=3 February 2017 |language=en}} and other publications.
Mohsin is working as a freelancer and writes about class, politics, culture, society and lifestyle.{{cite news|url=https://tribune.com.pk/story/669008/no-fluttering-about-moni-mohsin-may-be-a-social-butterfly-but-she-stings-like-a-bee |author=Zahrah Mazhar|title=No fluttering about: Moni Mohsin may be a social butterfly but she stings like a bee|date=7 February 2014|newspaper=The Express Tribune (newspaper)|accessdate=28 September 2020}}{{cite news|url=https://tribune.com.pk/story/508402/lahore-literature-festival-organisers-hope-festival-triggers-revival-of-culture |title=Lahore Literature Festival: Organisers hope festival triggers revival of culture |date=17 February 2013|newspaper=The Express Tribune (newspaper)|accessdate=28 September 2020}}{{cite news |title=Let's not forget our roots |url=https://dailytimes.com.pk/323890/lets-not-forget-our-roots/ |work=Daily Times |date=18 November 2018}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{official website|https://www.monimohsin.com}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Mohsin, Moni}}
Category:21st-century British writers
Category:British writers of Pakistani descent
Category:Pakistani emigrants to the United Kingdom
Category:Naturalised citizens of the United Kingdom
Category:English-language writers from Pakistan
Category:British satirical columnists
Category:British humourous columnists