“My grandparents used to pray five times a day, but they were quiet about their own thing. Completely liberal day by day; my grandmother was a social worker and my grandfather was an engineer, but they never talked about religion. My entire life I couldn't remember one conversation I had with them about religion.”

Pakistani novelist and essayist of the 2000s and beyond, Hamid blends fiction with social critique. His work explores globalization, class, and identity, often through layered narratives that reflect contemporary South Asian experiences. *The Reluctant Fundamentalist* and *Exit West* are among his most widely discussed novels.