Soniah Kamal Explained

Soniah Kamal is a Pakistani-American writer. She is the author of two novels, An Isolated Incident (2014) and Unmarriageable (2019).[1] The latter is a retelling of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice set in Pakistan in 2000 and 2001.[2]

Early life and education

Kamal was born in Karachi, Pakistan, and attended an English-medium school.[3] She subsequently lived in England and Saudi Arabia, and then attended St. John's College in Annapolis, Maryland as an undergraduate, studying philosophy.[4]

Writing

An Isolated Incident

Kamal published her first novel, An Isolated Incident, in 2014. It is set in Kashmir, the United States, Afghanistan, and Pakistan.[5] Reviewing the book for Dawn, Fareeha Rafique wrote, "Kamal’s beautiful use of language is what carries her story."[6] An Isolated Incident was a finalist for the 2016 Townsend Prize for Fiction from The Chattahoochee Review and the Georgia Center for the Book.[7]

Unmarriageable

Kamal's second novel, Unmarriageable, was published on January 22, 2019.[8] The retelling of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice features Pakistani English teacher (and Austen fan) Alys Binat and her four sisters,[9] a formerly high-society family that has fallen on comparatively hard times owing to family betrayal. Their mother is anxious to see her daughters married, particularly Alys and Jena (the two eldest), but the task is a challenge as the family has lost most of its money and former social standing.

Publishers Weekly called the book "a funny, sometimes romantic, often thought-provoking glimpse into Pakistani culture, one which adroitly illustrates the double standards women face when navigating sex, love, and marriage. This is a must-read for devout Austenites."[10] Reviewing the novel for NPR, Ilana Masad wrote, "Kamal's Unmarriageable succeeds in being both a deliciously readable romantic comedy and a commentary on class in post-colonial, post-partition Pakistan, where the effects of the British Empire still reverberate."[11]

Personal life

Kamal has three children. She lives in Georgia.[12]

Notes and References

  1. News: Pride and Prejudice Redux Fiction Reviews . 19 December 2018 . The Library Journal . October 19, 2018 . 20 October 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20181020115742/https://www.libraryjournal.com/?detailStory=lj181101PrideandPrejudiceRedux . live .
  2. News: Rehman . Sonya . Recreating 'Pride and Prejudice' in Pakistan . 19 December 2018 . Forbes . October 12, 2018 . en . 21 January 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190121121840/https://www.forbes.com/sites/sonyarehman/2018/10/12/recreating-pride-and-prejudice-in-pakistan/#476d33d62cfa . live .
  3. News: Grey . Idris . Modernizing Austen: PW Talks with Soniah Kamal . 19 December 2018 . Publishers Weekly . October 26, 2018 . 21 January 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190121121817/https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/authors/interviews/article/78435-modernizing-austen-pw-talks-with-soniah-kamal.html . live .
  4. News: Two South Asians Among Townsend Prize Finalists . 19 December 2018 . India West . May 6, 2016 . en . 21 January 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190121064440/https://www.indiawest.com/news/global_indian/two-south-asians-among-townsend-prize-finalists/article_7425f13c-13bf-11e6-a82e-3f8e4e8c3c72.html . live .
  5. News: An Isolated Incident: In first novel, Soniah Kamal looks at survival . 19 December 2018 . The Express Tribune . 18 December 2014 . 21 January 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190121194623/https://tribune.com.pk/story/809100/an-isolated-incident-in-first-novel-soniah-kamal-looks-at-survival/ . live .
  6. News: Rafique . Fareeha . Cover story: Other worlds, troubled worlds . 19 December 2018 . Dawn . 23 February 2015 . en . 21 January 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190121064736/https://www.dawn.com/news/1165187 . live .
  7. Web site: 2016 Townsend Prize Finalists . The Hooch: News & Events . The Chattahoochee Review . 19 December 2018 . en . 11 January 2016 . 21 January 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190121065123/https://the-hooch.com/2016/01/11/2016-townsend-prize-finalists/ . live .
  8. News: UNMARRIAGEABLE by Soniah Kamal . 19 December 2018 . Kirkus Reviews . October 2, 2018 . en . 21 January 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190121064832/https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/soniah-kamal/unmarriageable/ . live .
  9. News: Trombetta . Sadie . 9 Jane Austen Retellings You Might Not Have Read Yet . 19 December 2018 . Bustle . en . 29 November 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20181129123310/https://www.bustle.com/p/9-jane-austen-retellings-you-might-not-have-read-yet-13205294 . live .
  10. News: Fiction Book Review: Unmarriageable by Soniah Kamal. Ballantine, $27 (352p) ISBN 978-1-5247-9971-7 . 19 December 2018 . . October 29, 2018 . en . 21 January 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190121064615/https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-1-5247-9971-7 . live .
  11. News: Masad . Ilana . 'Unmarriageable' Sets 'Pride And Prejudice' In Pakistan . 20 January 2019 . NPR . January 20, 2019 . en . 21 January 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190121064432/https://www.npr.org/2019/01/20/686316472/unmarriageable-sets-pride-and-prejudice-in-pakistan . live .
  12. Web site: Review: 'Unmarriageable: Pride and Prejudice in Pakistan,' by Soniah Kamar. McCarthy. Maureen. January 21, 2019. Minneapolis Star Tribune. https://web.archive.org/web/20190122044237/http://www.startribune.com/review-unmarriageable-pride-and-prejudice-in-pakistan-by-soniah-kamar/504656452/. 2019-01-22. live. 2019-01-21.

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