Tahir Shah

This article is about the travel writer. For the Afghan football player, see Sayeed Tahir Shah. For the Pakistani singer-songwriter, see Taher Shah. For the Pakistani cricketer, see Tahir Shah (cricketer).

Tahir Shah

Tahir Shah in 2021

Born|  (1966-11-16) 16 November 1966 (age 57)
London, England, United Kingdom
Occupation| Writer, documentary maker
Subject| Travel, exploration, Arab World, cross-cultural studies
Children| 2
Relatives| Shah family
Website
tahirshah.com

Tahir Shah (Persian: طاهر شاه, Gujarati: તાહિર શાહ; né Sayyid Tahir al-Hashimi (Arabic: سيد طاهر الهاشمي); born 16 November 1966) is a British author, journalist and documentary maker of Afghan-Indian descent.

## Family[edit]

Tahir Shah was born into the saadat of Paghman, an ancient and respected family hailing from Afghanistan.[1] Bestowed with further lands and ancestral titles by the British Raj during the Great Game, a number of Shah's more recent ancestors were born in the principality of Sardhana, in northern India – which they ruled as Nawabs.[2]

His mother, Cynthia Kabraji,[3] was of Zoroastrian Parsi descent and his father was the Indian Sufi teacher and writer Idries Shah. Both his grandfathers were respected literary figures in their own right: Sirdar Ikbal Ali Shah[4] on his father's side, and the Indian poet Fredoon Kabraji,[5] on his mother's side. His elder sister is the documentary filmmaker Saira Shah,[6] and his twin sister is the author Safia Nafisa Shah. Numerous other members of Shah's family have been successful authors, including his aunt Amina Shah, and his Scottish grandmother Elizabeth Louise MacKenzie.

Shah is descended from the Afghan warlord and statesman Jan Fishan Khan. In 1995 Shah married the India-born graphic designer, Rachana Shah[citation needed] (née Devidayal[3]), with whom he has two children – Ariane Shah[7] and Timur Shah.[8] The marriage ended in 2017, although the two remain close friends.

## Childhood[edit]

Tahir Shah's childhood passport photo.

Shah was born in London and brought up largely in the county of Kent, where his family lived at Langton House,[9] a Georgian mansion in the village of Langton Green near Royal Tunbridge Wells. The property had been owned previously by the family of Robert, Lord Baden-Powell,[10] founder of the Boy Scout Movement. Shah has described how, as a child, he played in the woods which are said to have first interested Baden-Powell in the outdoors.[9]

Shah's father, the writer and thinker Idries Shah, surrounded himself with a diverse coterie of people, most of whom were interested in his published work. They included Nobel Laureate Doris Lessing, poet Robert Graves, American novelists J. D. Salinger[11] and Lisa Alther, psychologist Robert E. Ornstein,[12] as well as the pioneer of radar "Coppy" Laws, the garden designer Russell Page,[13] and the actor Walter Gotell. Shah maintains that much of his education derived from spending time with such a varied group of people.

His first appearance on television was in the 1972 BBC documentary about his father, Dream Walkers: One Pair of Eyes,[14][15] in which Shah, his sisters, and their friends, are seen listening to Idries Shah tell the tale of The Lion Who Saw Himself in the Water.

Shah has described how his Latin tutor appeared at the front door "white as a sheet",[9] at having spotted the renowned classicist Robert Graves digging a ditch at the front of Langton House; and how Doris Lessing encouraged him to read folktales and, later, encouraged his enthusiasm for travel.

During his childhood, Shah and his sisters would be taken to Morocco for extended periods, where his grandfather lived until his death in November 1969.[16] Described in his book The Caliph's House, the journeys introduced Shah to "a realm straight out of The Arabian Nights."[17]

## Education[edit]

Tahir Shah attended Rose Hill Preparatory School in Tunbridge Wells, Kent – where Lord Baden Powell had also been a student.[18] He has described the school as "a throwback to the Victorian age – sadistic and brutal in the extreme."[19] At 13, he was sent to Bryanston School,[9] near Blandford Forum, Dorset. He has written about his inability to keep up, as a result of "profound dyslexia".

Aged 17, Shah learnt to fly in Florida, and graduated with an FAA Private Pilot's Licence.[19] He attended university in San Diego, London and Nairobi – where he studied African dictatorships at the United States International University. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations in 1987.[19]

Shah has detailed how his parents planned to steer him towards the diplomatic service, assuming he would not have the ability to be a writer. Accordingly, he was "groomed for the world of diplomacy."[9]

He has described how his father strove to teach his children through stories.[20] These included the escapades of Nasrudin, the wise fool of Sufi folklore, as well as tales of Antar and Abla, and the epic treasury that forms The Thousand and One Nights.[20] During their childhood, Shah and his sisters were encouraged to solve problems for themselves. When they wanted money to buy chocolate, their father showed them how to gather seeds from the garden, and sell them from an old pram in the village.[20]

From an early age, Shah would be given work by his father including "conducting research, as well as editing and writing texts." His first publication, The Middle East Bedside Book was a collaboration between them.

## Personal life[edit]

Priding himself on being unconventional, Shah rails against society for "churning out cookie cutter people who live cookie cutter lives." He maintains that "the easiest way to have an interesting life is to do the opposite of what everyone else is doing."

Such methodology was the basis for uprooting his wife Rachana, and his two infant children from a small apartment in London's East End, and relocating to a mansion called "Dar Khalifa",[21] said by locals to be haunted by Jinn, "set squarely in the middle of a Casablanca shantytown." The adventure formed the basis for Shah's book The Caliph's House (2006). Shah has written widely about Casablanca, which he has resided in,[22][23] and Morocco,[24] and is regarded as an expert on both, as well as on India,[25] and a number of other destinations. His life at Dar Khalifa was widely covered in international media.

## Writing[edit]

Tahir Shah in his library at the Caliph's House, Casablanca.

Tahir Shah is a prolific author of books, documentaries, book introductions, peer reviewed academic articles, and book reviews. Shah's first published book was Cultural Research, written for the London-based Institute for Cultural Research. One of his more notable works is Trail of Feathers, an account of his trip through Peru, Machu Picchu, the Incas and Cusco. Another book, In Search of King Solomon's Mines, searching for undiscovered mines known only in folklore. Other books like In Arabian Nights and Travels with Myself are mostly about the author's journeys through exotic locations. His first traditional travelogue was in 1995 with Beyond the Devil's Teeth, covering a trip through Africa, India and much of Latin America.

Shah has written book reviews for The Washington Post, The Guardian, The Spectator, and The Literary Review. As well as writing and film making, Shah writes screen material and co-wrote Journey to Mecca,[26] an IMAX film charting the first journey made by Ibn Battuta to Mecca for the Hajj, in 1325. In addition, he reviews for a selection of other media on both sides of the Atlantic, and writes pieces for the radio, such as The Journey,[27] which was read on BBC Radio 3.

In the years before he turned his hand primarily to book writing, Shah wrote a large number of serious reportage-type magazine features, highlighting the lives of the voiceless in society, especially those of women. These included pieces about women on Death Row, widows who cleared mines in Cambodia, the trapped lives of bonded labourers in India, and the women-only police stations in Brazil, known as "Delegacia da Mulher" (Woman's Police Station). He continues to write journalistic pieces, especially aimed at drawing attention to causes he believes deserve public attention.[28][29][30][31][32][33]

After having published a number of books with traditional publishers, Shah made the move to self publishing in 2011 with his print-on-demand book Travels With Myself, which was published using Lulu.com. He later took his self publishing efforts a step further in 2012 with the release of Timbuctoo and again in 2013 with Scorpion Soup, two limited edition hardcovers that were designed by his wife Rachana.

## Documentaries[edit]

Shah has presented several documentaries, all of which have followed the quest theme, which have appeared on National Geographic TV, The History Channel, Channel 4, & Channel 5: The Search for King Solomon's Mines, House of the Tiger King, and Search for the Lost Treasure of Afghanistan.

## Influences[edit]

Tahir Shah with Sir Wilfred Thesiger, in Maralal, Kenya.

Shah regards family friend Doris Lessing as a key influence, as well as his aunt Amina Shah. Shah himself has written about his fascination with the works of Bruce Chatwin, especially his book The Songlines,[34] as well as with a range of the classic nineteenth century explorers, such as Samuel White Baker, Heinrich Barth and Sir Richard Burton. He had a close friendship with Wilfred Thesiger, whom he considered a mentor and a source of inspiration.[35]

Shah's father Idries Shah and English poet Robert Graves were close friends and confidants, and for a number of years, Spike Milligan and Robert Graves had a correspondence. The highlights were later published in a book called Dear Robert, Dear Spike.[36] Shortly after Tahir Shah's birth, in a letter dated 6 February 1967, Robert Graves wrote to Spike Milligan: "I may be over in a few weeks to help two young Afghan Arabs named Tahir Shah Sayid and his twin sister with a name so beautiful that I forget it. He's the nearest to Mahomet in a straight line, of any Arab baby in existence. Isn't Tahir a splendid name."

> I can hear 'Tahir, Tahir'

> Loud & clear
>  Shouted all the way from Kabul

> Without the least trouble.

Kabul is locally pronounced to rhyme with 'trouble', not 'a 'bull', and in the book the surname Shah is misspelled as 'Shar'.[36]

## Literary style[edit]

Shah's style is one of simple prose and overwhelming humour. He has said that his style of using short blocks of text, with a concluding denouement was influenced by Iron & Silk by Mark Salzman,[37] which he first read in 1988; and that he writes with the intention to educate and inform his readers, while at the same time amusing them.[38][39] In this capacity, one could liken Shah's work to the literary devise employed in several books by his father, Idries Shah,[40] who used the wise fool Mulla Nasrudin to illustrate deeper ideas in human understanding.

Shah avoids "self-congratulatory" literary festivals, although he had appeared as a speaker at a number of them in the past – including at Hay-on-Wye,[41] Wigtown,[42] Shute, Oxford, Deià,[43] Gibraltar,[44] and Vilnius.[45] He writes on a rigid schedule, keeping to a daily target. At any one time he has ‘between 25 and 25 writing projects in development’. Shah's earlier books fell into the travel literature genre, with more recent work being regarded as straight fiction. Most of Shah's work blurs the boundaries between fact and fiction, and Shah himself condemns ‘the way Occidental society draws a rigid line in the sand between one and the other. He champions authors such as Bruce Chatwin and Rory Maclean who have walked a line between the two.

## Political involvement[edit]

### Imprisonment in Pakistan[edit]

In July 2005 (a week after the 7 July London bombings) Shah and two colleagues from Caravan Film in London were arrested in Peshawar in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and held without charge in solitary confinement in a torture prison. Much of the time they were handcuffed, stripped virtually naked, and blindfolded. After sixteen days of interrogations in a "fully equipped torture room," Shah and his colleagues were released. The Pakistani government agreed that they had done nothing wrong. Tahir Shah gave an interview which was screened on British TV's Channel 4 News, and published an article in the British Sunday Times about the ordeal. Shah has publicly maintained his affection for Pakistan, despite the rough treatment he and his film crew received at the hands of the Pakistani secret services. The illegal custody earned Shah and his film crew a mention in the United States Department of State's 2005 report on Pakistan's human rights practices.[46] The news story came back into the spotlight in July 2008, when a British MP claimed that the British government had 'outsourced' the torture of British citizens to Pakistani security agencies.[47][48][49]

### East-West bridge[edit]

Tahir Shah is also a champion of what he calls "the East-West Bridge".[50] In the aftermath of the September 11 attacks in the United States in 2001, Tahir Shah began to devote a great deal of time and energy into establishing and promoting a "cultural bridge" made up by those who, like him, are both from the East and from the West.[51] One example of this work is the Qantara Foundation (from "qantara" meaning "bridge" in Arabic). He has spoken and written on the idea that people such as he have a responsibility to "show the East to the West, and the West to the East," highlighting the common cultural heritage of the two, and working towards a common goal.[51] Shah's greatest interest within the east–west theme is probably the subject of the legacy of science in medieval Islam, and its role in creating a foundation for the Renaissance. He has lectured publicly on the subject and believes strongly in the importance of drawing attention to the polymath poet-scientists from the Golden Age of Islam.[52]

## Works[edit]

### Travels[edit]

* Journey Through Namibia, Camerapix, 1994, ISBN 978-1-874041-23-8
* Spectrum Guide to Jordan, Spectrum Guides, 1994, ISBN 978-0-86190-397-9
* Beyond the Devil's Teeth, Octagon Press, 1995, ISBN 978-1-85799-980-8
* Sorcerer's Apprentice, Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1998, ISBN 978-0-14-028571-0
* Trail of Feathers, Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2001, ISBN 978-0-297-64592-4
* In Search of King Solomon's Mines, John Murray, 2002, ISBN 978-0-7195-6324-9
* House of the Tiger King, John Murray, 2004, ISBN 978-0-7195-6611-0
* The Caliph's House, Doubleday, 2006, ISBN 978-0-385-60807-7
* In Arabian Nights, Bantam, 2008, ISBN 9780553805239
* Travels With Myself: Collected Work, Mosaique, 2011, ISBN 978-1-4478-0582-3

### Novels[edit]

* Timbuctoo, Secretum Mundi, 2012, ISBN 978-0-9572429-0-6
* Eye Spy, Secretum Mundi, 2013, ISBN 978-1-291-59817-9
* Casablanca Blues, Secretum Mundi, 2013, ISBN 978-1-291-53013-1
* Paris Syndrome, Secretum Mundi, 2014, ISBN 978-1-291-73643-4
* Hannibal Fogg and the Supreme Secret of Man, Secretum Mundi, 2018, ISBN 978-1-912383-21-4
* Jinn Hunter: Book One — The Prism , Secretum Mundi, 2019, ISBN 978-1-912383-28-3
* Godman, Secretum Mundi, 2020, ISBN 978-1-912383-53-5
* Jinn Hunter: Book Two — The Jinnslayer, Secretum Mundi, 2020, ISBN 978-1-912383-60-3
* Midas, Secretum Mundi, 2021, ISBN 978-1-912383-57-3
* Jinn Hunter: Book Three — The Perplexity, Secretum Mundi, 2021, ISBN 978-1-912383-61-0

### Humour[edit]

* Travels With Nasrudin, Secretum Mundi, 2019, ISBN 978-1-912383-32-0
* The Misadventures of the Mystifying Nasrudin, Secretum Mundi, 2021, ISBN 978-1-912383-78-8
* The Peregrinations of the Perplexing Nasrudin, Secretum Mundi, 2021, ISBN 978-1-912383-79-5
* The Voyages and Vicissitudes of Nasrudin, Secretum Mundi, 2021, ISBN 978-1-912383-80-1
* Nasrudin in the Land of Fools, Secretum Mundi, 2022, ISBN 978-1-914960-51-2

### Teaching stories[edit]

* Scorpion Soup, Secretum Mundi, 2013, ISBN 978-0-9572429-1-3
* The Man who Found Himself, Secretum Mundi, 2021, ISBN 978-1-912383-55-9
* The Arabian Nights Adventures, Secretum Mundi, 2021, ISBN 978-1-912383-62-7
* Caravanserai Stories: Ghoul Brothers, Secretum Mundi, 2021, Limited edition, ISBN 978-1-912383-84-9
* Caravanserai Stories: Hourglass, Secretum Mundi, 2021, Limited edition, ISBN 978-1-912383-85-6
* Caravanserai Stories: Imaginist, Secretum Mundi, 2021, Limited edition, ISBN 978-1-912383-86-3
* Caravanserai Stories: Jinnlore, Secretum Mundi, 2021, Limited edition, ISBN 978-1-912383-87-0
* Caravanserai Stories: Jinn's Treasure, Secretum Mundi, 2021, Limited edition, ISBN 978-1-912383-88-7
* Caravanserai Stories: Mellified Man, Secretum Mundi, 2021, Limited edition, ISBN 978-1-912383-89-4
* Caravanserai Stories: Skeleton Island, Secretum Mundi, 2021, Limited edition, ISBN 978-1-912383-90-0
* Caravanserai Stories: Wellspring, Secretum Mundi, 2021, Limited edition, ISBN 978-1-912383-91-7
* The Caravanserai Stories (combined), Secretum Mundi, 2021, Paperback, ISBN 978-1-912383-93-1
* Daydreams of an Octopus, Secretum Mundi, 2022, ISBN 978-1-914960-01-7
* When the Sun Forgot to Rise, Secretum Mundi, 2022, ISBN 978-1-914960-22-2
* Tales Told to a Melon, Secretum Mundi, 2022, ISBN 978-1-914960-52-9
* Double Six, Secretum Mundi, 2022, ISBN 978-1-914960-98-7
* The Jinn Files, Secretum Mundi, 2022, ISBN 978-1-914960-99-4
* A Treasury of Tales, Secretum Mundi, 2022, ISBN 978-1-914960-88-8
* King of the Jinns, Secretum Mundi, 2022, ISBN 978-1-914960-89-5
* Mouse House, Secretum Mundi, 2022, ISBN 978-1-914960-90-1
* On Backgammon Time, Secretum Mundi, 2022, ISBN 978-1-914960-91-8
* The Cap of Invisibility, Secretum Mundi, 2022, ISBN 978-1-914960-92-5
* The Destiny Ring, Secretum Mundi, 2022, ISBN 978-1-914960-93-2
* The Forgotten Game, Secretum Mundi, 2022, ISBN 978-1-914960-94-9
* The Hoopoe's Flight, Secretum Mundi, 2022, ISBN 978-1-914960-95-6
* The Paradise Tree, Secretum Mundi, 2022, ISBN 978-1-914960-96-3
* The Wondrous Seed, Secretum Mundi, 2022, ISBN 978-1-914960-97-0
* Liquid Time, Secretum Mundi, 2023, ISBN 978-1-915876-33-1
* Cat Dog, Dog Cat, Secretum Mundi, 2023, ISBN 978-1-915876-34-8
* Dream Soup, Secretum Mundi, 2023, ISBN 978-1-915876-19-5
* The Monkey Puzzle Club, Secretum Mundi, 2023, ISBN 978-1-915876-24-9
* The Pharaoh Code, Secretum Mundi, 2023, ISBN 978-1-915876-23-2
* The Problem Exchange, Secretum Mundi, 2023, ISBN 978-1-915876-22-5
* An Unexpected Gift, Secretum Mundi, 2023, ISBN 978-1-915876-21-8
* Princess Pickle's Laugh, Secretum Mundi, 2023, ISBN 978-1-915876-35-5
* QWERTY, Secretum Mundi, 2023, ISBN 978-1-915876-14-0
* Renaissance, Secretum Mundi, 2023, ISBN 978-1-915876-15-7
* The Kingdom of Blink, Secretum Mundi, 2023, ISBN 978-1-915876-17-1
* The Man with the Tiger's Head, Secretum Mundi, 2023, ISBN 978-1-915876-16-4
* The Wisdom of Celestine, Secretum Mundi, 2023, ISBN 978-1-915876-18-8
* The Shop That Sold Truth, Secretum Mundi, 2023, ISBN 978-1-915876-13-3
* The Most Foolish of Men, Secretum Mundi, 2023, ISBN 978-1-915876-12-6
* The Fish's Dream, Secretum Mundi, 2023, ISBN 978-1-915876-10-2
* The Man Whose Arms Grew Branches, Secretum Mundi, 2023, ISBN 978-1-915876-11-9
* The Clockmaker Who Travelled Though Time, Secretum Mundi, 2023, ISBN 978-1-915876-09-6
* The Tale of the Rusty Nail, Secretum Mundi, 2023, ISBN 978-1-915876-07-2
* The Unicorn’s Tear, Secretum Mundi, 2023, ISBN 978-1-915876-08-9
* The Singing Serpents, Secretum Mundi, 2023, ISBN 978-1-915876-06-5
* The Princess of Zilzilam, Secretum Mundi, 2023, ISBN 978-1-915876-05-8
* Capilongo, Secretum Mundi, 2023, ISBN 978-1-915876-04-1
* Mittle-Mittle, Secretum Mundi, 2023, ISBN 978-1-915876-03-4
* Frogland, Secretum Mundi, 2023, ISBN 978-1-915876-02-7
* Cat, Mouse, Secretum Mundi, 2023, ISBN 978-1-915876-01-0
* Changing the World, Secretum Mundi, 2023, ISBN 978-1-915876-00-3

### Anthologies[edit]

* The Anthologies: Africa, Secretum Mundi, 2020, ISBN 978-1-912383-36-8
* The Anthologies: Childhood, Secretum Mundi, 2020, ISBN 978-1-912383-38-2
* The Anthologies: Ceremony, Secretum Mundi, 2020, ISBN 978-1-912383-37-5
* The Anthologies: City, Secretum Mundi, 2020, ISBN 978-1-912383-39-9
* The Anthologies: Danger, Secretum Mundi, 2020, ISBN 978-1-912383-40-5
* The Anthologies: East, Secretum Mundi, 2020, ISBN 978-1-912383-41-2
* The Anthologies: Expedition, Secretum Mundi, 2020, ISBN 978-1-912383-42-9
* The Anthologies: Frontier, Secretum Mundi, 2020, ISBN 978-1-912383-43-6
* The Anthologies: Hinterland, Secretum Mundi, 2020, ISBN 978-1-912383-44-3
* The Anthologies: India, Secretum Mundi, 2020, ISBN 978-1-912383-45-0
* The Anthologies: Jungle, Secretum Mundi, 2020, ISBN 978-1-912383-46-7
* The Anthologies: Morocco, Secretum Mundi, 2020, ISBN 978-1-912383-47-4
* The Anthologies: People, Secretum Mundi, 2020, ISBN 978-1-912383-48-1
* The Anthologies: Quest, Secretum Mundi, 2020, ISBN 978-1-912383-49-8
* The Anthologies: South, Secretum Mundi, 2020, ISBN 978-1-912383-50-4
* The Anthologies: Taboo, Secretum Mundi, 2020, ISBN 978-1-912383-35-1
* The Clockmaker's Box, Secretum Mundi, 2020, ISBN 978-1-912383-54-2
* Congress With a Crocodile (editor), Secretum Mundi, 2021, ISBN 978-1-912383-69-6
* A Son of a Son, Volume I (editor), Secretum Mundi, 2021, ISBN 978-1-912383-81-8
* A Son of a Son, Volume II (editor), Secretum Mundi, 2021, ISBN 978-1-912383-82-5
* Tahir Shah Fiction Reader, Secretum Mundi, 2021, ISBN 978-1-912383-77-1
* Tahir Shah Travel Reader, Secretum Mundi, 2021, ISBN 978-1-912383-76-4
* The Anthologies: Jinns, Secretum Mundi, 2022, ISBN 978-1-914960-73-4
* The Anthologies: Magic, Secretum Mundi, 2022, ISBN 978-1-914960-74-1
* The Anthologies: Teaching Stories, Secretum Mundi, 2022, ISBN 978-1-914960-76-5
* The Anthologies: Nasrudin, Secretum Mundi, 2022, ISBN 978-1-914960-75-8

### Screenplays[edit]

* Timbuctoo: Screenplay, Secretum Mundi, 2020, ISBN 978-1-912383-58-0
* Casablanca Blues: The Screenplay, Secretum Mundi, 2020, ISBN 978-1-912383-59-7

### On writing[edit]

* The Reason to Write, Secretum Mundi, 2020, ISBN 978-1-912383-52-8

### Journalism[edit]

* Travels With Myself: Collected Work, Mosaique, 2011, ISBN 978-1-4478-0582-3

### Research[edit]

* The Middle East Bedside Book, Octagon Press, 1991, ISBN 978-0-86304-060-3
* Cultural Research, (editor) for the London-based Institute for Cultural Research, 1993, ISBN 978-0-86304-064-1
* Three Essays, Secretum Mundi, 2013, ISBN 978-1-291-47127-4

### As editor[edit]

* Tale of a Lantern & Other Stories, The Scheherazade Foundation, 2023, ISBN 978-1-915311-03-0
* The Elephant & The Tortoise & Other Stories, The Scheherazade Foundation, 2023, ISBN 978-1-915311-04-7
* The Monkey’s Fiddle & Other Stories, The Scheherazade Foundation, 2023, ISBN 978-1-915311-05-4
* Ghost of the Violet Well & Other Stories, The Scheherazade Foundation, 2023, ISBN 978-1-915311-06-1
* Many Wise Fools & Other Stories, The Scheherazade Foundation, 2023, ISBN 978-1-915311-07-8
* The Frog Prince & Other Stories, The Scheherazade Foundation, 2023, ISBN 978-1-915311-08-5
* The Three Lemons & Other Stories, The Scheherazade Foundation, 2023, ISBN 978-1-915311-09-2
* The Twelve-Headed Griffin & Other Stories, The Scheherazade Foundation, ISBN 978-1-915311-10-8
* The Antelope Boy & Other Stories, The Scheherazade Foundation, 2023, ISBN 978-1-915311-11-5
* The Purple Sapphire & Other Stories, The Scheherazade Foundation, 2023, ISBN 978-1-915311-12-2
* Why the Fish Laughed & Other Stories, The Scheherazade Foundation, 2023, ISBN 978-1-915311-23-8
* Two Cats & Other Stories, The Scheherazade Foundation, 2023, ISBN 978-1-915311-24-5
* Three Stories, The Scheherazade Foundation, 2023, ISBN 978-1-915311-25-2
* The Twilight of the Gods & Other Stories, The Scheherazade Foundation, 2023, ISBN 978-1-915311-26-9
* The Son of Seven Queens & Other Stories, The Scheherazade Foundation, 2023, ISBN 978-1-915311-27-6
* The Moon Maiden & Other Stories, The Scheherazade Foundation, 2023, ISBN 978-1-915311-28-3
* The Metamorphosis & Other Stories, The Scheherazade Foundation, 2023, ISBN 978-1-915311-29-0
* The Celestial Sisters & Other Stories, The Scheherazade Foundation, 2023, ISBN 978-1-915311-30-6
* Tales From The Arabian Nights I, The Scheherazade Foundation, 2023, ISBN 978-1-915311-31-3
* East of the Sun, West of the Moon & Other Stories, The Scheherazade Foundation, 2023, ISBN 978-1-915311-32-0

### As a contributor[edit]

* Revue des Deux Mondes, 2002, ISBN 978-2710324980
* With Remarkable Muslims, Eland Books, 2006, ISBN 978-0907871644
* The Seventy Great Journeys in History, Thames & Hudson, 2006, ISBN 978-0500251294
* Modern Explorers, Thames & Hudson, 2013, ISBN 978-0500296325
* The Lonely Planet Travel Anthology, Lonely Planet, 2016, ISBN 978-1786571960
* Our Morocco, privately published, 2020, ISBN 979-8575846093
* Tales From the Life of Bruce Wannell, Sickle Moon, 2020, ISBN 978-1900209250

### Introductions[edit]

* Legends of the Fire Spirits, I. B. Tauris, 2014, ISBN 978-1780769042
* Marrakech: The Red City, Eland Books, 2004, ISBN 978-0907871996
* Home, Quadrille Publishing, 2006, ISBN 978-1844003389
* The Cafe Clock Cookbook, 33-Books, 2010, ISBN 978-0956660008
* Seven League Boots, Tauris Parke, 2012, ISBN 978-0755617579
* The Flying Carpet, Tauris Parke, 2011, ISBN 978-0857720771
* The Glorious Adventure, Tauris Parke, 2012, ISBN 978-1838601843
* A Moroccan Journey, International Publishing House, 2009, ISBN 978-0981469867
* Louis Vuitton: Morocco, Louis Vuitton, 2017, ISBN 9782369831310

## Interviews[edit]

* Shah, Tahir (1 July 2007). "Travel Writer: Tahir Shah". Vaggablogging (Audio podcast). Interviewed by Rolf Potts. Retrieved 13 April 2023.

* Shah, Tahir (4 October 2012). "Wigtown Book Festival 2012: Tahir Shah: 'Publishers have lost the plot'". The Daily Telegraph (Web page). Interviewed by Daisy Bowie-Sell. Retrieved 13 April 2023.

* Shah, Tahir (2014). "Tahir". Jazmine Russell (Web page). Interviewed by Jazmine Russell. Retrieved 13 April 2023.

* Shah, Tahir (12 December 2014). "Playing Godman". Snap Judgement (Audio podcast). Interviewed by Glynn Washington. Retrieved 13 April 2023.

* Shah, Tahir (3 March 2019). "In Conversation with Tahir Shah". Robert Twigger (Audio podcast). Interviewed by Robert Twigger. Retrieved 13 April 2023.

* Shah, Tahir (13 December 2020). "Widemindedness: Tahir Shah". Widemindedness (Web page). Interviewed by Victoria Ball. Retrieved 13 April 2023.

* Ambreen, Nida (2021). "In Conversation with Tahir Shah". English Studies in Southern Africa (Print). 26 (2–3): 67–70. doi:10.1080/18125441.2022.2124442. S2CID 253217042. Retrieved 13 April 2023.

* Shah, Tahir (29 April 2021). "Online Talk – Tahir Shah". World Storytelling Cafe (Web page with video). Interviewed by Staff. Retrieved 13 April 2023.

* Shah, Tahir (6 July 2021). "Bridging Cultures Through Story". Story Dojo (Video). Interviewed by Mary Alice MacArthur. Retrieved 13 April 2023.

* Shah, Tahir (20 September 2021). "Meet EBC: Interview With Tahir shah The Scheherazade Foundation". Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation (Video). Interviewed by Tefera Ghedamu. Retrieved 13 April 2023.

* Shah, Tahir (8 December 2021). "Susitikimas su rašytoju Tahiru Shahu ir knygos 'Mago mokinys' pristatymas". Tyto alba (Lithuanian) (Video). Retrieved 13 April 2023.

* Shah, Tahir (28 January 2022). "TNN January Book Club 'The Caliph's House: A Year in Casablanca' with author Tahir Shah". The Nomadic Network (Video). Interviewed by Staff. Retrieved 13 April 2023.

* Shah, Tahir (13 June 2022). "Interview with author Tahir Shah". Cassandra Goad (Web page). Interviewed by Cassandra Goad. Retrieved 13 April 2023.

* Shah, Tahir (13 July 2022). "Tahir Shah - The Intrepid Writer's Journey". Follow Your Blisters (Audio podcast). Interviewed by Will Gethin. Retrieved 13 April 2023.

## See also[edit]

* The Scheherazade Foundation

## References[edit]

1. ^ Zada, John (28 February 2017). "A Beacon of Sanity in Our Age of Polarity: On Contemporary Sufism and the Works of Idries Shah". Los Angeles Review Of Books. Archived from the original on 7 September 2023. Retrieved 28 February 2017.
2. ^ Staff. "Idries Shah (Author)". City Of Oxford School Association. Retrieved 28 February 2017.[permanent dead link]
3. ^ a b Staff. "Shah, Tahir 1966". encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
4. ^ Staff. "Sirdar Ikbal Ali Shah - Making Britain". The Open University. Archived from the original on 1 November 2023.
5. ^ Staff. "Fredoon Kabraji | Making Britain". Making Britain. The Open University. Archived from the original on 13 December 2020. Retrieved 13 December 2020.
6. ^ Saira Shah (2007). The Storyteller's Daughter. Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. ISBN 9780307429407. Archived from the original on 3 April 2023. Retrieved 18 December 2007.
7. ^ "Tahir Shah is interviewed by Ariane Shah". Youtube. Archived from the original on 14 December 2021. Retrieved 30 March 2012.
8. ^ "Timur Shah Interviews Author Tahir Shah on Writing and Travel". Youtube. Archived from the original on 14 December 2021. Retrieved 4 November 2014.
9. ^ a b c d e Twigger, Robert. "In Conversation With Tahir Shah". Robert Twigger. Archived from the original on 18 April 2023. Retrieved 3 March 2019.
10. ^ Churchill, Penny (22 July 2017). "Lord Baden-Powell's childhood home up for sale, with cricket pitch and nuclear bunker". Country Life. Archived from the original on 31 October 2023. Retrieved 22 July 2017.
11. ^ Webster, Jason (23 October 2014). "Sufism: 'a natural antidote to fanaticism'". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 24 November 2015. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
12. ^ Westerlund, David, ed. (2004). Sufism in Europe and North America. New York, NY: RoutledgeCurzon. pp. 53. ISBN 0-415-32591-9.
13. ^ Russell Page: the most famous garden designer no one's ever heard of Archived 21 September 2018 at the Wayback Machine in Telegraph(21 March 2015)
14. ^ One Pair of Eyes: Dreamwalkers (1970) Archived 17 April 2019 at the Wayback Machine (10 September 2013)
15. ^ "One Pair of Eyes: Dreamwalkers". Youtube. Archived from the original on 14 December 2021. Retrieved 6 July 2018.
16. ^ Shah, Tahir (16 October 2012). "My Grandfather in Tangier". National Geographic. Archived from the original on 9 September 2017. Retrieved 16 October 2012.
17. ^ Denning, Greg. "Tahir Shah". World School Academy. Archived from the original on 26 October 2016. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
18. ^ Robert Baden-Powell (2015). Paddle Your Own Canoe or Tip for Boys. Read Books Ltd. ISBN 9781473394902. Archived from the original on 3 April 2023. Retrieved 24 June 2015.
19. ^ a b c Kasem, Abu. "Tahir Shah, a Rara Avis". Abukasem. Archived from the original on 18 June 2021. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
20. ^ a b c Tahir Shah (2009). In Arabian Nights: A Caravan of Moroccan Dreams. Bantam Books. ISBN 9780553384437. "in arabian nights tahir."
21. ^ "Dar Khalifa: 5 minute tour of Tahir Shah's home". Youtube. Archived from the original on 14 December 2021. Retrieved 11 June 2011.
22. ^ "Casablanca writ large". TheGuardian.com. 24 July 2010. Archived from the original on 23 March 2019. Retrieved 23 March 2019.
23. ^ Shah, Tahir (22 August 2016). "A Local's Guide to Casablanca". National Geographic. Archived from the original on 30 August 2016. Retrieved 22 August 2016.
24. ^ "Tahir Shah - Morocco Travel Blog". Archived from the original on 1 April 2019. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
25. ^ Shah, Tahir (23 November 2018). "Know before you go: India". National Geographic. Retrieved 23 November 2018.
26. ^ Staff. "Journey to Mecca". Cosmic Picture. Archived from the original on 19 September 2017. Retrieved 23 September 2008. On IMDB main details Archived 7 February 2009 at the Wayback Machine, there is explicit co-writer credit to Tahir Shah.
27. ^ "Stopover Stories – The Journey". locatetv.com. Archived from the original on 17 July 2011. Retrieved 24 September 2008.
28. ^ "Trouble in Timbuktu in Newsweek (3 September 2012)". The Daily Beast. Archived from the original on 9 September 2012. Retrieved 10 September 2012.
29. ^ Across the Continents Archived 23 March 2013 at the Wayback Machine in Prospect (18 July 2012)
30. ^ Beijing's lost streets Archived 20 August 2017 at the Wayback Machine in The Guardian (1 July 2012)
31. ^ Travel writers' favourite tiny and unusual airports Archived 20 August 2017 at the Wayback Machine in The Guardian (8 June 2012)
32. ^ Tafraoute: Morocco's Berber heartland Archived 20 August 2017 at the Wayback Machine in The Guardian (25 May 2012)
33. ^ Ifrane, Morocco's winter idyll Archived 31 August 2012 at the Wayback Machine in The National (24 November 2011)
34. ^ Staff (4 December 2007). "No particular place to go". BBC. Archived from the original on 12 November 2012. Retrieved 23 September 2008.
35. ^ Shah, Tahir (1995). Beyond the devil's teeth: journeys in Gondwanaland. London: Octagon. ISBN 0-86304-029-2. OCLC 32746074.
36. ^ a b Scudamore, Pauline (1991). Dear Robert, Dear Spike. Alan Sutton Publishing, Ltd. p. 60\. ISBN 0-86299-648-1.
37. ^ "Tahir Shah, a Rara Avis". Abukasem. Archived from the original on 18 June 2021. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
38. ^ Staff. "Sorcerer's Apprentice Review". Kirkus Reviews. Archived from the original on 27 March 2019. Retrieved 5 October 2012.
39. ^ Kat (28 March 2010). "Tahir Shah". Reflections. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 5 October 2012.
40. ^ Staff. "In Arabian Nights by Tahir Shah". The Bookbag. Archived from the original on 5 April 2012. Retrieved 5 October 2012.
41. ^ "Tahir Shah - Hay Festival". Hay Festival. 29 May 2008. Archived from the original on 8 March 2019. Retrieved 29 May 2008.
42. ^ "Wigtownn Book Festival 2012: Tahir Shah:'Publishers have lost the plot'". Telegraph.co.uk. 4 October 2012. Archived from the original on 4 October 2012. Retrieved 4 October 2012.
43. ^ "Deià organizes a literary festival such as Welsh Hay and Wye". Vilaweb. Archived from the original on 6 December 2017. Retrieved 8 September 2004.
44. ^ "The Gibunco Gibraltar International Literary Festival". Issuu. 2 January 2014. Archived from the original on 1 March 2023. Retrieved 2 January 2014.
45. ^ "Author's book signing with Tahir Shah in Vilnius". Youtube. Archived from the original on 14 December 2021. Retrieved 23 February 2013.
46. ^ "Country Reports on Human Rights Practices 2005 – Pakistan". United States Department of State. Archived from the original on 20 September 2008. Retrieved 24 September 2008.
47. ^ Cobain, Ian (15 July 2008). "Torture: MPs call for inquiry into MI5 role. New allegations that abuse of Britons was outsourced to Pakistani agencies". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 2 September 2013. Retrieved 24 September 2008.
48. ^ Staff (15 July 2008). "MPs urge probe into torture claim". BBC. Archived from the original on 18 February 2016. Retrieved 24 September 2008.
49. ^ Staff (15 July 2008). "MPs demand torture investigation". Whitehall & Westminster World Civil Service Network. Retrieved 24 September 2008.[permanent dead link]
50. ^ Staff. "Destination ... anywhere". New Zealand Times. Retrieved 24 September 2008.[dead link]
51. ^ a b Staff (30 January 2010). "Harmony: East and West, Tahir Shah". Caravan Festival of the Arts. Archived from the original on 4 February 2012. Retrieved 11 October 2011.
52. ^ Staff (4 October 2008). "Lectures – Autumn 2008: The House of Wisdom, Tahir Shah". The Institute for Cultural Research. Archived from the original on 14 April 2012. Retrieved 11 October 2011.

## External links[edit]

Media related to Tahir Shah at Wikimedia Commons

* Official website

* v
* t
* e

Books by Tahir Shah

* The Middle East Bedside Book (1991)
* Journey Through Namibia (1994)
* Spectrum Guide to Jordan (1994)
* Beyond the Devil's Teeth (1995)
* Sorcerer's Apprentice (1998)
* Trail of Feathers (2001)
* In Search of King Solomon's Mines (2002)
* House of the Tiger King (2004)
* The Caliph's House (2006)
* In Arabian Nights (2008)
* Travels With Myself: Collected Work (2011)
* Timbuctoo (2012)
* Scorpion Soup (2013)
* Three Essays (2013)
* Eye Spy (2013)
* Casablanca Blues (2013)
* Paris Syndrome (2014)
* Hannibal Fogg and the Supreme Secret of Man (2018)

* v
* t
* e

Shah family

1st generation|

* Muhammed Shah (Jan-Fishan Khan)

2nd generation|

not applicable

3rd generation|

not applicable

4th generation|

* Sirdar Ikbal Ali Shah [m. Saira Elizabeth Luiza Shah]

5th generation|

* Amina Shah
* Omar Ali-Shah
* Idries Shah
* Nawab Mirza Aqil Hussain Barlas
* Lt Gen Zameerud-din Shah
* Naseeruddin Shah [m. Ratna Pathak Shah]
* Syed Kamal
* Aquila Barlas (Dr. Aquila Berlas Kiani)
* Akram Shah

6th generation|

* Arif Ali-Shah
* Saira Shah
* Tahir Shah
* Safia Shah
* Owais Shah
* Mohommed Ali Shah
* Imaad Shah
* Vivaan Shah

7th generation|

* Omar Ali-Shah (second)
* Sofía Cecilia Ali-Shah

Authority control databases

International|

* FAST
* ISNI
* VIAF

National|

* Norway
* France
* BnF data
* Germany
* Israel
* United States
* Latvia
* Czech Republic
* Korea
* Netherlands
* Poland

Other|

* IdRef

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template