The Idle Stance of the Tippler Pigeon

Nominated for The 2023 Asian Prize for Fiction

A contemporary South Asian drama of love, loss and trauma that transports you from the urban elites of Pakistan to the mountains of Peru and the hustle and bustle of London.

Zohaib, Misha, and Nadia were once inseparable, their childhood marked by fun and laughter. Yet the harmony shattered one fateful Karachi afternoon, laying bare divides they never saw coming.
Years pass, but scars remain. Zohaib seeks solace in London, haunted by memories that refuse to fade. Meanwhile, Nadia has escaped the household where she first met Misha and Zohaib, but fate delivers her back to their door. As their paths collide, Nadia and Zohaib grapple with fragments of a past they’re still piecing together.

The Idle Stance of the Tippler Pigeon masterfully weaves a tapestry of emotions that spans continents and generations in a story of love that endures the ravages of time, healing that finds its way through the cracks, and pain that must be confronted to pave the way for a better tomorrow. With exquisite prose and vivid storytelling, Safinah Danish Elahi explores intricate layers of trauma, class division, and the remarkable resilience of the human spirit.

Perfect for fans of Kamila Shamsie and Mohsin Hamid.

Safinah Danish Elahi is an author, a qualified lawyer, and the founder of an independent publishing house based in Pakistan. Her poetry collection has been critically acclaimed and one of her novels has been commissioned for television. Safinah was selected for the Iowa Writer’s Workshop 2022 Fall Residency and is often on the judging panel for writing competitions across Pakistan.