Tariq Ali

Tariq Ali was born on 21 October 1943 in Lahore, then part of British India and now Pakistan. He grew up in a politically active family. His father, Mazhar Ali Khan, was a journalist, while his mother, Tahira Mazhar Ali Khan, was a political activist. His family background and the political environment of Pakistan influenced his early interest in politics and public affairs.

As a young man, Ali became involved in opposition to Pakistan's military government. He later moved to Britain in 1963 to study Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Exeter College, Oxford. In 1965, he was elected president of the Oxford Union, becoming prominent in British student and political circles.

During the 1960s, Ali became associated with the international New Left and anti-war movements. He was particularly prominent in opposition to the Vietnam War and became one of the public voices of the Vietnam Solidarity Campaign in Britain. His activism during this period made him an internationally recognized political commentator.

Ali subsequently developed a long career in journalism, political writing, filmmaking, and publishing. He became associated with the New Left Review, serving as a writer and editor, and has contributed to publications including The Guardian and the London Review of Books. He also worked in television and operated the independent production company Bandung, which produced programs for Britain's Channel 4 during the 1980s.

His nonfiction writing covers political history, international affairs, imperialism, Pakistan, the Middle East, and political movements. Among his notable books are Pakistan: Military Rule or People's Power?, Can Pakistan Survive?, The Clash of Fundamentalisms, Bush in Babylon, The Obama Syndrome, The Extreme Centre, and Winston Churchill: His Times, His Crimes. His political interpretations and criticisms have been influential within left-wing political and intellectual circles, while particular arguments remain subjects of political and scholarly debate.

Ali is also a novelist. His historical fiction includes Shadows of the Pomegranate Tree, set after the fall of Granada; The Book of Saladin, presented as a fictional memoir of Saladin; The Stone Woman; A Sultan in Palermo; and Night of the Golden Butterfly. These novels combine historical settings with questions about politics, religion, culture, and human relationships.

He has also written memoirs reflecting on his political and intellectual life. Street-Fighting Years: An Autobiography of the Sixties describes his experiences during the political movements of the 1960s, while You Can't Please All: Memoirs 1980–2024 covers later decades of his life and career.

Tariq Ali has remained active as a writer and public intellectual, continuing to publish books and contribute to political and historical discussions. His career spans journalism, political activism, historical writing, fiction, film, television, and publishing, making him a prominent figure in modern British-Pakistani intellectual and literary life.