Shaila Abdullah

Who is Shaila Abdullah?

Shaila Abdullah is an author whose creative work focuses on the strengths and weaknesses of Pakistani women and their often unconventional choices in life. Her work also deals with the Asian experience in the United States, the conflict between the two worlds and the culture of her adopted country.

Abdullah was born in Karachi, Pakistan, in 1971.

Abdullah has been published in Dallas Child, Web Guru, About Families, Sulekha, Women's Own, She, Fashion Collection and a magazine of the Daily Dawn newspaper called Tuesday Review. Her latest book, Beyond the Cayenne Wall, is a collection of stories about Pakistani women struggling to find their individualities despite the barriers imposed by society.

Beyond the Cayenne Wall received the Jury Prize for Outstanding Fiction which is the highest award in the Norumbega Fiction Awards, and the DIY Convention Award. The book also received special mention in the Writers Notes Book Awards and Abilene Writers Guild Award.