BIO
Sehba Sarwar was born in Karachi, Pakistan in 1964. She came to the U.S. to pursue her undergraduate degree in English at Mount Holyoke College in 1983 and later pursued a graduate degree from The University of Texas at Austin in Public Affairs, finishing in 1992. Ms. Sarwar is an accomplished writer, activist, and artist. She has been the founder and artistic director for Voices Breaking Boundaries (VBB) for 13 years, which is an organization that explores issues in education, race, women's rights, and demographic changes in Houston and other parts of the world. She has also worked in the Houston School District as a Journalism and Creative Writing teacher for five years as well as for the Houston Community College. She has published many essays, short stories, and poems in the U.S. and in Pakistan, including the novel titled Black Wings. She has served on numerous boards, including the board for Planned Parenthood and KPFT radio. Ms. Sarwar became a naturalized citizen in the United States in 2001, but frequently travels back to Pakistan for work and to spend time with her family. She is currently married and has an eight-year-old daughter with whom she lives in the Houston area. She speaks English, Urdu, and a little Spanish.