Renowned writer, Bapsi Sidhwa, passes away aged 86

HOUSTON: Renowned Pakistani writer, Bapsi Sidhwa passed away on Wednesday, December 25,  in Houston, Texas, United States.

She was aged 86 at the time of her passing.

Read more: Wrestling legend, Rey Misterio Sr, passes away aged 66

Bapsi Sidhwa was renowned for her works in the English language. Of Gujrati Parsi descent, she gained prominence for her collaboration with Deepa Mehta, as her novels inspired the movies, ‘Earth’ and ‘Water’.

The renowned writer was born in Karachi in 1938, then part of the colonial British India. However, she would spend most of her youth in Lahore, where she saw first-hand the horrors of the Partition.

Bapsi Sidhwa’s works are celebrated for portraying complexities and intricacies of  cultural identity and the human condition. She often incorporated her personal experiences in her writing, particularly her accounts of the Partition and its impact on her personally.  

For her literary contributions, Bapsi Sidhwa received several accolades, including the Sitara-i-Imtiaz, the country’s highest honour in the realm of arts.

She has also received international awards for her works, including the Lila Wallace-Reader’s Digest Writer’s Award and the Mondello Prixze for her novel, ‘Water’.

Her most notable work include ‘The Crow Eaters’, ‘Cracking India’, ‘Water: A Novel’, ‘An American Brat’, and ‘The Bride’.

Read more: Beloved African elephant Sonia passes away unexpectedly at Safari Park

Besides her literary accomplishments, Sidhwa was active in academic circles, teaching at several universities in the United States.