Malala Yousafzai working on new book, her ‘most personal’

Pakistani activist Malala Yousafzai attends the 95th Annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California on March 12, 2023. (AFP/File)
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Updated 18 April 2023
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Malala Yousafzai working on new book, her ‘most personal’

  • Yousafzai was shot in 2012 by Taliban for her objections to the group’s opposition to girls’ education
  • She has since won Nobel Prize, graduated from Oxford University and gotten married 

NEW YORK: Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai is working on a new memoir, the latest book by the young activist from Pakistan known for her advocacy for education for girls and for surviving an assassination attempt by the Taliban when she was in her teens.

Atria Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, announced the memoir Monday. It is currently untitled and has no scheduled release date.

Yousafzai’s previous works include the million-selling “I Am Malala: The Story of the Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban,” published in 2013, the year before she won the Nobel Peace Prize at age 17. She has since graduated from Oxford University and married Asser Malik, a manager with the Pakistan Cricket Board. Her production company, Extracurricular, has a deal with Apple TV+ for a wide range of film and television projects.

“The last few years of my life have been marked by extraordinary transformation, and all the anguish and joy that accompanies growth,” Yousafzai, 25, said in a statement released by Atria. “This is my most personal book yet and I hope that readers will find recognition, reassurance, and insight in my story.”

Atria is calling the new book a “breathtaking story of recovery and search for identity, a candid exploration of her coming-of-age in the public spotlight, and an intimate look at her life today.” Young readers and picture book editions are also planned.

Yousafzai was targeted by the Taliban for her relentless objections to the group’s regressive interpretation of Islam that limits girls’ access to education. She was shot while returning home from school in Pakistan’s Swat Valley in 2012.

The TTP, or Pakistani Taliban, is separate from but a close ally of the Afghan Taliban, and that group’s takeover of Afghanistan in August 2021 emboldened the TTP, which shares the group’s ideology.


Pakistan defeat Japan to qualify for Hockey World Cup after eight years

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Pakistan defeat Japan to qualify for Hockey World Cup after eight years

  • The national side was trailing 3-1 in the third quarter and smashed three goals in last nine minutes of the final quarter
  • PM Shehbaz Sharif tells Pakistan players ‘you can win the World Cup by playing with same hard work, determination’

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan defeated Japan 4-3 in the semifinal of the FIH Hockey World Cup qualifier in Egypt on Friday, qualifying for this year’s World Cup.

Pakistan’s victory at the Suez Canal Authority Hockey Stadium has earned them a place in the World Cup after eight years. Belgium and the Netherlands will co-host the tournament in Aug.

The Pakistan hockey team has not qualified for the last three Olympics and were ranked 12th when they last played a World Cup in 2018, despite hockey being the national game of Pakistan.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday congratulated the Pakistani side for securing a place in the upcoming World Cup, promising his government support to the players.

“You can win the World Cup by playing with the same hard work and determination,” he said in a statement. “The government will provide you with all the facilities. Your full attention should be focused on outstanding performance in the game.”

The national side, led by Ammad Butt, was trailing 3-1 in the third quarter of Friday’s match against Japan, when it smashed three goals in the last nine minutes of the final quarter to clinch victory.

Separately, President Asif Ali Zardari called the win a “message of encouragement for hockey revival in Pakistan.”

“Sports play an important role in promoting national unity, discipline and a healthy society,” he said, stressing the need to promote hockey and football across the country.

Pakistan’s hockey journey is marked by past glory and ongoing efforts to revive the sport. Once a dominant force with three Olympic golds in 1960, 1968 and 1984 along with four World Cups in 1971, 1978, 1982 and 1994, the country was known for its legendary players like Shahbaz Ahmed and Samiullah Khan.

However, poor management, lack of infrastructure and the rise of cricket from the late 1990s led to a decline. The failure to adapt to modern demands, including fitness and artificial turfs also further deepened the crisis.