Hanif Kureishi

Hanif Kureishi, born in London in 1954 to an English mother and a Pakistani father, is a British writer and screenwriter. He became internationally known for his screenplay for Stephen Frears’s film *My Beautiful Laundrette* (1985), which was nominated for an Academy Award. His debut novel, *The Buddha of Suburbia*, received the Whitbread Prize in 1990. Kureishi wrote novels, short stories, essays and further screenplays, often addressing racism, discrimination, unemployment and identity. His honors include the Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, the PEN Pinter Prize and appointment as a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE).