S. F. Said
Encyclopedia
S. F. Said is a British author. He was born in Beirut
in 1967 and spent his first years in Jordan
. He grew up in the Iraqi
diasporic community in London, moving there with his mother at the age of two. After graduating from the University of Cambridge
, he worked as a press attaché and speech writer for the Crown Prince of Jordan’s office in London. He began a Ph.D.
in 1997 looking at the lives of young Muslims in Britain, but left academia to focus on film journalism for the Daily Telegraph – where he brought attention to much 'world cinema
', including contemporary Islamic cinema – and writing for children.
His first novel, Varjak Paw
(2003), tells the story of a Mesopotamian Blue cat called Varjak who leaves his sheltered upbringing to explore the city and learn the 'Seven Skills of the Way', taught to him in dreams by his ancestor Jalal. In his dreams, Varjak finds himself transported from his gritty urban surroundings to the deserts, rivers and mountains of Mesopotamia (ancient Iraq). With the Skills, he is able to fight the Gentleman and, in The Outlaw Varjak Paw (2005), the domineering ‘white cat with one eye,’ Sally Bones, who is invading other cats’ territory and ruling over it with torture and terror. Varjak Paw won the Gold Medal in the 2003 Nestlé Smarties Book Prize, and The Outlaw Varjak Paw won the 2007 Blue Peter Book of the Year Award. Varjak was staged as a play by Playbox Theatre, and was performed as an opera by The Opera Group in 2008.
Beirut
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
in 1967 and spent his first years in Jordan
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
. He grew up in the Iraqi
Iraqi people
The Iraqi people or Mesopotamian people are natives or inhabitants of the country of Iraq, known since antiquity as Mesopotamia , with a large diaspora throughout the Arab World, Europe, the Americas, and...
diasporic community in London, moving there with his mother at the age of two. After graduating from the University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
, he worked as a press attaché and speech writer for the Crown Prince of Jordan’s office in London. He began a Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
in 1997 looking at the lives of young Muslims in Britain, but left academia to focus on film journalism for the Daily Telegraph – where he brought attention to much 'world cinema
World cinema
World cinema is a term used primarily in English language speaking countries to refer to the films and film industries of non-English speaking countries. It is therefore often used interchangeably with the term foreign film...
', including contemporary Islamic cinema – and writing for children.
His first novel, Varjak Paw
Varjak paw
Varjak Paw is a children's novel by the British author S. F. Said and illustrated by Dave McKean. The illustrations in this book greatly resemble gothic forms of art. The novel received a Smarties Gold Award and has been adapted for other media....
(2003), tells the story of a Mesopotamian Blue cat called Varjak who leaves his sheltered upbringing to explore the city and learn the 'Seven Skills of the Way', taught to him in dreams by his ancestor Jalal. In his dreams, Varjak finds himself transported from his gritty urban surroundings to the deserts, rivers and mountains of Mesopotamia (ancient Iraq). With the Skills, he is able to fight the Gentleman and, in The Outlaw Varjak Paw (2005), the domineering ‘white cat with one eye,’ Sally Bones, who is invading other cats’ territory and ruling over it with torture and terror. Varjak Paw won the Gold Medal in the 2003 Nestlé Smarties Book Prize, and The Outlaw Varjak Paw won the 2007 Blue Peter Book of the Year Award. Varjak was staged as a play by Playbox Theatre, and was performed as an opera by The Opera Group in 2008.
Novels
- Varjak PawVarjak pawVarjak Paw is a children's novel by the British author S. F. Said and illustrated by Dave McKean. The illustrations in this book greatly resemble gothic forms of art. The novel received a Smarties Gold Award and has been adapted for other media....
(2003) the first book - The Outlaw Varjak Paw (2005) the second book
Awards
- Nestle Smarties Book PrizeNestlé Smarties Book PrizeThe Nestlé Children's Book Prize, also known as the Nestlé Smarties Book Prize, was an annual award given to children's books written in the previous year by a UK citizen or resident. The prize was administered by Booktrust, an independent charity which promotes books and reading, and sponsored by...
(2003) - Varjak Paw - Blue Peter Book Of The Year (2007) - The Outlaw Varjak Paw