Nida Jay (born September 2, 1985) is a Pakistani novelist who writes in the English language. She is the recipient of numerous international awards, amongst them the Dunnen First Novel Prize. The debut novel ''Heart of Eternity'' published by Mirador has gained worldwide plaudits and recognition making Jay an influential name in philosophical and religious literature. Jay is a Fellow of the

Royal Society of Literature The Royal Society of Literature (RSL) is a learned society founded in 1820, by George IV of the United Kingdom, King George IV, to "reward literary merit and excite literary talent". A charity that represents the voice of literature in the UK, th ...

and is also a member of the

Stanford University Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is consider ...

vibrant group of literary scholars Jay was born and raised in a

Kashmiri Kashmiri may refer to: * People or things related to the Kashmir Valley or the broader region of Kashmir * Kashmiris, an ethnic group native to the Kashmir Valley * Kashmiri language, their language People with the name * Kashmiri Saikia Barua ...

family in Lahore. She has an MA in Creative Writing and Literature from Kinnaird College, and an MFA from the MFA Program for Poets & Writers at the University of Reading, where she was influenced by

Rumi Jalāl al-Dīn Muḥammad Rūmī ( fa, جلال‌الدین محمد رومی), also known as Jalāl al-Dīn Muḥammad Balkhī (), Mevlânâ/Mawlānā ( fa, مولانا, lit= our master) and Mevlevî/Mawlawī ( fa, مولوی, lit= my ma ...

and Dante. In 2010, she moved to the United Arab Emirates and currently lives in Dubai with her husband and two children. Jay frequently travels to the United Kingdom and Lahore where her family resides.

Writing career

In 2013, Jay published her Debut Novel Heart of Eternity through Mirador press in the United Kingdom. With the draft compilation of her second novel, Heart of Eternity took off. Heart of Eternity was shortlisted for the Guardian First Book Award in the Religion and Philosophy category. I don't care about philosophies or trends. “I don't care about vocabulary. What is important to me is whether the narrative is good or not. My protagonists are experiencing what I experience as I write, which is also what the readers experience as they read. In the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, writers offered the real thing; that was their task. In War and Peace, Tolstoy describes the battleground so closely that the readers believe it’s the real thing. But that is not my aim. I'm not pretending it’s the real thing. We are living in a fake world; we are fighting a fake war, the existing social order is a swindle and its cherished beliefs are mostly delusions. But we still manage to find reality in all of these", Jay mentioned in one of her interviews with Alan Jacob. Jay has appeared on numerous newspapers, podcasts and TV shows including BBC radio, Voice of America, Webbweaver books,

Guardian Guardian usually refers to: * Legal guardian, a person with the authority and duty to care for the interests of another * ''The Guardian'', a British daily newspaper (The) Guardian(s) may also refer to: Places * Guardian, West Virginia, Unite ...

, New York Times, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, and Khaleej Times. In 2015, she was included in the ''Granta'' list of 20 best young British writers.

Heart of Eternity

Heart of Eternity has inspired a devoted following around the world. It is a metaphorically written story that has all the components of a Shakespearean tragedy. The references are subtly borrowed from

John Milton John Milton (9 December 1608 – 8 November 1674) was an English poet and intellectual. His 1667 epic poem '' Paradise Lost'', written in blank verse and including over ten chapters, was written in a time of immense religious flux and political ...

and Dante. Some of the critics have stated that reading this story has melted and broken their hearts at the same time. Many celebrities have declared Heart of Eternity to be their favorite novel including

Kate Winslet Kate Elizabeth Winslet (; born 5 October 1975) is an English actress. Known for her work in independent films, particularly period dramas, and for her portrayals of headstrong and complicated women, she has received numerous accolades, incl ...

, N Jones and

Michael Bay Michael Benjamin Bay (born February 17, 1965) is an American film director and producer. He is best known for making big-budget, high-concept action films characterized by fast cutting, stylistic cinematography and visuals, and extensive use of ...

Social media

Jay is a writer with a very strong community online. The author has thousands of fans only on her Facebook main page and thousands more followers on Twitter. She also has private accounts on Instagram, Pinterest and Tumblr, among others as well as an Author Blog where she keeps a strong interaction with her readers.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jay, Nida 1985 births Pakistani novelists English-language writers from Pakistan Living people University of Massachusetts Amherst MFA Program for Poets & Writers alumni