In my latest essay, I disclose the series of missteps that led to my first (and second, and third) accidental sips of alcohol. Check it out in The Atlantic! Blame…
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Recent Work
I was completely shocked to discover than 1990’s Bollywood starlet (and Salman Khan’s ex-girlfriend) Somy Ali was settled down in Florida, where she crusades against domestic violence. I interviewed her to hear more about her inspiring journey for the New York Times.
A low-key supper club serving strictly vegetarian Indian food in a posh house in DC? I was so intrigued I had to go check it out for the New York Times.
This essay appeared in the Atlantic this week. Growing Up Is Hard to Do: Forced into Adulthood by an Aging Parent I approached my 30th birthday with the typical trepidation…
The Huffington Post republished my old Christmas story, and that too, on the front page! Happy holidays, all! Santa Claus Is Coming to Town…NOT When I was a kid I,…
I had author/lawyer/journalist Wajahat Ali show me around San Francisco’s Tenderloin district for the New York Times.
My latest essay, an ode to my love-hate relationship with Bollywood, ran in The Atlantic recently – check it out! My Own Private Bollywood “So, your last name’s Khan, huh?”…
What is Eid without a vast selection of doughnuts? I wrote a personal essay about the very American take on this Muslim holiday for the New York Times.
Check out my ode to kheema samosas in the Huffington Post today. Ramadan Rumblings A few years ago, I approached my desk after a morning meeting and was greeted by…
Awards & Books
Awards
- Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Awards, 2021: Honorable mention for the Grand Award, Travel Journalist of the Year
- South Asian Journalists Association, 2021: Outstanding Arts and Culture Reporting for “Zanzibar in the Rain,” New York Times
- Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Awards, 2020: Bronze in Short Work on Travel for “Raise the Roof,” Condé Nast Traveler
- South Asian Journalists Association, 2019: Outstanding Arts, Culture, and Lifestyle Reporting about South Asia for “Force of Nature,” Surface magazine
- Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Awards, 2018: Gold award in US/Canada Travel for “A Muslim American’s Homecoming: Cowboys, Country Music, Chapatis,” New York Times
- Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Awards, 2018: Bronze in Service-Oriented Consumer Work for “My Town,” Virtuoso Life
- Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Awards, 2017: Gold in Culinary-Related Travel for “Eating Bunny Chow in Durban,” Saveur
- South Asian Journalists Association, 2017: Outstanding Arts and Culture Reporting for “Eating Bunny Chow in Durban,” Saveur
- North American Travel Journalists Association Awards, 2016: Two Silver awards in Destination Travel and Adventure Travel for “7 Days, 1500 Miles in Namibia,” New York Times
- Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Awards, 2016: Gold in Foreign Travel for “7 Days, 1500 Miles in Namibia,” New York Times
- Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Awards, 2015: Gold in Personal Comment for “Returning to Hyderabad, Once a Land of Princes and Palaces,” New York Times
- Solas Awards for Best Travel Writing, 2013: Silver in Most Unforgettable Character for “Spitting Distance in Jodhpur,” Wall Street Journal
Books
- New York Times Cultured Traveler: Contributed a feature on Bosnia & Herzegovina to this upcoming anthology
- Best American Travel Writing 2021: “City of Saints” from Travel + Leisure was selected for the 2021 edition of this anthology, edited by Padma Lakshmi and Jason Wilson
- New York Times 36 Hours World: 150 Cities from Abu Dhabi to Zurich: Contributed 36 Hours guides to Johannesburg and Mumbai for this anthology
- My Life Abroad: A Selection of Expat Stories: Contributed to this compilation of expat stories from around the globe, recounting my experience as an American in South Africa, in the chapter “From New York City to Cape Town.”
- The Places We’ve Been: Field Reports from Travelers Under 35: Contributed my essay “When Coconuts Attack” to this travel anthology.