Nationality Pakistani Name Safdar Zaidi | Occupation Author Role Author | |
Born 25 June 1968 (age 56) ( 1968-06-25 ) Karachi, Pakistan | ||
Safdar Zaidi (Urdu: صفدر زیدی) (born 25 June 1968) is a Pakistani author. He has written an Urdu novel called Chini Jo Methi Na Thi, which is translated into Dutch De suiker die niet zoet was, (The sugar that was not sweet).
Contents
Early life
Zaidi was born on 25 June 1968 in Karachi, Pakistan. His family migrated to Pakistan after the partition of British India. He belongs to a Syed family. He received his primary education in Karachi. Later he completed his B.A. degree from the University of Karachi. He moved to the Netherlands and lives there since 1999. He obtained a degree in life science from InHolland University. He has worked for LEI Wageningen UR. A part of his research work was published at Nihon University in Japan. He also worked as a trade development officer of the Pakistan embassy in The Hague.
Career
Zaidi enjoys writing poetry and prose in his native language Urdu. In addition to his professional area, he is interested in literature. The knowledge of multiple cultures and languages is the author's strength. He has published a novel in Dutch De suiker die niet zoet was (The sugar that was not sweet). In his book, the writer has a very moving piece written about the Lalla Rookh, the first sail boat carrying Hindustani contract laborers from India to Suriname. Zaidi describes how during the boat trip people of all faiths and castes lived together for three months middle during the trip over the ocean and how this situation broke the taboo of dealing with people of different castes and beliefs. The boat trip is also a symbol for a transition: the people have realized that faith and castes should make no difference in society. Eventually, these Indian contract laborers and their descendants created a new type of society in Suriname.
Publications
The book is published in the Netherlands and Suriname.