About:
Safina is a journalist from South Asia based in Indian Administered Kashmir. She writes about gender, health, human rights, conflict, environment, and culture. She has contributed to the Guardian, The Christian Science Monitor, and Nikkei Asia, among others, and is a Pulitzer Center Grantee.
We asked Safina Nabi a series of quirky questions to get to know her better…
🍽 What person living or dead would you invite to your dream dinner party?
I would invite my father who is no more with us. I had an estranged relationship with him due to ideology, and when we cleared the issues and became good friends, he left us too soon. I really want to spend some time with him, even if only in my dreams.
🦅 What is your spirit animal?
The Eagle—I am as free as an eagle in spirit. If I choose to do something in life, no one can stop me and I am highly ambitious, which guarantees success. These are also the qualities of eagles who fly high without fear and are ambitious toward achieving anything.
🇹🇷 Where is the best destination you’ve been to?
Istanbul. As a child, in my dreams, I used to see myself traveling in a boat through the Bosphorus to Istanbul and praying inside the Blue Mosque. This dream suddenly stopped after a few years.
During my post-graduation days, a friend of mine gifted me a book titled “Portrait of a Turkish Family”. This book brought back my childhood memories and I was fascinated with the city. Last year I got a chance to live this dream in reality and the feeling was surreal when I prayed inside the Blue Mosque.
🧞♂️ If you had one wish to improve the world, what would you change?
I would definitely change the world and would make it more equal where the rule of the land would be equality and treating people on equal parameters without taking into consideration their gender, caste, religion, etc.
📚 Which books do you recommend to others?
I am a great fan of non-fiction and especially female writers who write non-fiction. I recently read a book by Meena Kandasamy titled When I Hit You and I feel everyone must read it.
