CELEBRATED Pakistan-born novelist and pioneer of South Asian literature Bapsi Sidhwa, best known for her iconic novel Ice Candy Man, passed away on Wednesday (25) at the age of 86 in Houston, US, her family confirmed.
Her brother, Feroze Bhandara, announced that memorial ceremonies would be held over three days, followed by her last rites in Houston.
She is survived by her three children: Mohur, Koko, and Parizad.
Known for her poignant writings, she made an impact on global literature. Her works are rich in historical and cultural context, which earned her a place among the most celebrated authors of her time.
According to Pakistani newspaper Dawn, her death marks a profound loss for the world of literature in Pakistan, neighbouring India and the world Zoroastrian community.
Born on August 11, 1938, in Karachi to a prominent Parsi family, Sidhwa moved to Lahore shortly after her birth, where she spent much of her life. She contracted polio at the age of two, a challenge that shaped her resilience and outlook on life, Dawn added.
Sidhwa graduated from Lahore’s Kinnaird College in 1957 and began her career as a writer after her marriage and subsequent return to Pakistan.
She is regarded as one of Pakistan’s most influential writers, with her works gaining global acclaim for their evocative depictions of history and culture.
Her novels, including The Crow Eaters (1978), The Bride (1982), An American Brat (1993), and City of Sin and Splendour: Writings on Lahore (2006), vividly portray the cultural and historical fabric of South Asia.
Sidhwa’s literary debut, The Crow Eaters, also earned her widespread recognition for its portrayal of Parsi life and history.
Her novel Ice Candy Man — later adapted into the critically acclaimed film Earth by Indian-Canadian filmmaker Deepa Mehta — captured the horrors of the 1947 partition, a period Sidhwa personally witnessed as a child.
The story, featuring a polio-stricken young girl observing the chaos, mirrors Sidhwa’s own childhood experiences. The novel was included in the BBC's list of 100 most influential novels.
She also penned Water: A Novel (2006), which served as the foundation for Mehta’s Academy Award-nominated film Water (2005).
Her contributions to literature were recognised with Pakistan’s prestigious Sitara-e-Imtiaz.
A documentary about her life, Bapsi: Silences of My Life, was released in October 2022 by the Citizens Archive of Pakistan. It offers a glimpse into her journey as a writer and her experiences during the partition of India, which profoundly shaped her literary vision.
The Bapsi Sidhwa Literary Prize, under the sponsorship of the Zoroastrian Association of Houston and Federation of Zoroastrian Associations of North America (FEZANA) Information Research Education System, was also set up to honour her legacy as the first recognized Zoroastrian writer with an international reputation.
The FEZENA announced on Instagram the “passing away of one of the greatest authors of our times Bapsi Sidhwa” and said, “Her literary work spanning decades, captured a time and space and made it come alive across generations.”
Tributes poured in for the author from across the world even as Pakistan politicians and writers took to social media to express their sorrow at the demise of the literary giant of the country.
Pakistani author Raza Ahmad Rumi, in a farewell post on X, termed her as “the finest of Pakistani writers in English” and said: “Memorable novels with unique sensibility and wit. Also her undying love for Lahore. May you rest in peace and join the brightest stars in the Milky Way.”
Former Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz minister Khurram Dastigir Khan said: “RIP Bapsi Sidhwa, Pakistan-born novelist. Trail-blazer Author of 'The Crow Eaters' & 'The Ice Candy Man' (who) claimed English as an authentic Pakistani language.”
Chaudhry Fawad Hussain, who was minister in the Imran Khan government, said that “Lahore lost a powerful ambassador of its culture and traditions.”
Afrasiab Khattak, a human rights activist and politician, also mourned her death. “The death of #BapsiSidhwa has created a vacuum that will be difficult to fill. Her novels in the English language have woven poignant indigenous stories with universal human spirit. She was immensely creative and witty. Bapsi Sidhwa will live on in her fascinating fiction. RIP,” he said.
Writer Ayesha Ijaz Khan said she was “very sad to learn that Bapsi Sidhwa has passed away”.
“Not only was ‘The Bride” one of the first English novels I read by a Pakistani fiction writer, but she was kind enough to say positive words when I wrote my own book. A pioneer, and an inspirational figure. May she RIP,” she wrote.
(PTI)
Damian Talbot