BREWED WITH IMAGINATION
WINNER
Chai and the City
by
Sidra Nisar
The Zeenat Haroon Rashid Writing Prize for Women is delighted to announce that the Award for 2025 goes to writer Sidra Nisar for her compelling short story CHAI AND THE CITY. The judging panel was deeply moved by the emotional depth of the winning story, praising the funny, wistful, and tender character sketches of the customers who visit a Karachi chai dhaba seen through the eyes of Chacha Wahid, the owner-cum-listener of the place
Sidra will receive a cash award of Rs 100,000.
The winning author, Sidra Nisar, is a 27-year-old writer from Karachi whose story was inspired by the city itself. “Many of these reflections came to me while sitting at real chai dhabas, watching people gather over chai. There’s something profoundly human about those moments when students, workers, and dreamers find the same comfort in a single, steaming cup. Chai, for me, has become more than just a drink; it is an emotion — a universal language of comfort, celebration, and love. Through this story, I wanted to capture how one cup of chai can hold an entire city’s heart.”
HIGHLY COMMENDED
Ajrak and Ashes
by
Zahra Haider
A not unfamiliar theme of the discovery of another wife after the death of a husband is given fresh impetus as a contemplation of sisterhood blossoming from a shared intimacy.
Ghusl Before Maghrib
by
Maryam Zahid
As the Azan sounds, a woman performs her ablutions. An atmospheric story full of powerful sensuousness and imagery with a plot that cleverly subverts expectations.
Drenched in Qorma and Dread
by
Sumayya Arshed
An amusing satire about a family meal at Eid that interrogates gender roles with wit in a voice that is both deeply serious and hilarious.
Motia
by
Alina Ehtesham
Seen through the eyes of a child, a second wife joins the household. An ode to friendship and trust between women across generations, and to the ways that patriarchy and cycles of violence can be resisted.
A polished piece of writing that examines a mother-daughter relationship as it evolves before, during and after a camping trip to the mountains.
The Etymology of Maman
by
Elia Rathore
CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR WINNING AND HIGHLY COMMENDED AUTHORS. THEIR STORIES WILL BE PUBLISHED ON OUR WEBSITE IN DECEMBER​
HONOURABLE MENTION
Since we are not publishing a longlist this year, we would like to spotlight six stories and authors that have narrowly missed the shortlist:
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Blues — Eisha Tur Raazia
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Beyond the Landslide — Ayesha Siddiqui
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Data Darbar — Hareem Khan
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The Earth Demands Blood — Maliha S. Shah
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Umbilical — Aiman Tahir Khan
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Where The Roots Remember — Rijaa Malik
ANNOUNCING THE PANEL OF JUDGES 2025
This year there there is a slimmed down panel of just three judges: •   Uzma Aslam Khan is the prize-winning author of five novels published worldwide. Her most recent book The Miraculous True History of Nomi Ali was included in The New York Times' list for Best Historical Fiction 2022 as well as in their list of Books for Summer 2022. It won several literary awards including the Massachusetts Book Award 2023. •   Ailah Ahmed is Publishing Director at Hutchinson Heinemann, Penguin Random House UK where she publishes literary fiction and book club titles. Her authors have been shortlisted for major prizes and have hit the Sunday Times bestsellers list. •   Omar Shahid Hamid is an award-winning Pakistani novelist from Karachi.  Known for his gritty crime thrillers, he is the author of 6 acclaimed novels. The Prisoner (2013) proved to be a huge critical and commercial success and is being adapted for a screenplay by Netflix. In addition to his writing career, he has served as a senior counter terrorism police officer who, in between writing books, has survived several attempts on his life and had his offices blown up by the Taliban.
2024 RESULTS
WINNER
The Night Shift
by
Mariah Burney
HIGHLY COMMENDED
​​Mariah Burney is a medical student from Karachi whose lifelong dream has been to walk into a bookstore and see her name on a best selling novel. Regional winner of the USEFP writing competition 2019 and other local contests, she knows that this is only the beginning of her writing career
A refreshing, humorous and insightful depiction of Pakistan's struggling medical system seen through the eyes of overworked and underappreciated medical students. Although rooted in Pakistan, it has universal echoes for medical students everywhere.​
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A Trip to Seaview
by
Vaneeza Sohail
An evocative and poignant meditation on Karachi, which weaves together the personal and the external to demonstrate how a city is about the relationships we have in it.
Softening the Steel in My Spine
by
Laila Ghaffar
Well-crafted, and engaging in its experimental nature, this is a deeply reflective exploration of personal and political struggles.
Choti Aurat
by
Irta Usman
A compelling yet amusing narrative about a young woman navigating the expectations and limitations imposed by the complexities of having an arranged marriage
Walking Daydreams
by
Maliha Khan
A powerful portrayal of resilience and self-discovery through the simple yet profound act of walking. It blends personal reflection with themes of gender, mobility, and independence.
Dupatta
by
Fatima Hasan
A nuanced exploration of the dupatta as both a symbol of cultural identity and a marker of societal expectations, which is at once liberating and constraining.