Tahir Shah, Biography


Tahir Shah is the author of ten books, chronicling a wide range of unusual and outlandish journeys. For him, there is nothing so important as deciphering the hidden underbelly of the lands in which he travels. He shuns well-trodden tourist paths, and avoids celebrated landmarks, preferring instead to position himself in a dusty café and observe life go by.

His most recent book is "The Caliph's House: A Year in Casablanca". It tells the tale of his family's move from a cramped London apartment to a haunted Caliph's mansion in Casablanca. His other works include a search for Paititi, the greatest lost city of the Americas (House of the Tiger King), and a quest through Ethiopia for King Solomon's Mines (In Search of King Solomon's Mines). Previous to that, Shah published an account of an epic journey he made through the Peruvian Amazon on the trail of the so-called Birdmen of the Amazon (Trail of Feathers); and a book of his experiences as a godman's pupil in India (Sorcerer's Apprentice).

Tahir Shah also makes documentary films. These have included the feature Documentary "House of the Tiger King", and National Geographical TV's "The Search for King Solomon's Mines".

His books have appeared in more than ten languages and forty editions all over the world. He is regarded as an extremely original author, with a peculiarly observant viewpoint, and a talent for combining hardship and humour.

He lives in Casablanca with his wife and two small children.