Sanam Maher’s ‘The Sensational Life and Death of Qandeel Baloch’ is set to hit shelves on May 10

Reknowned Journalist and author Sanam Maher’s upcoming book titled, ‘The Sensational Life and Death of Qandeel Baloch’ revolving around the famous social media starlet, who lost her life to honor killing, is set to hit shelves on May 10. The news was shared by author on her social media.

This book has been tipped as one of the most awaited reads for which a thorough research was conducted in Multan, DG Khan and Shah Sadrin while the remainder in Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi.

According to the author this book has taken over her life for the last two years. The story is not just about Qandeel Baloch but also comprises of the events and places that created Qandeel. The feature cover image is artwork by Rahema Zaheer Alam, which was made and shared online when Qandeel’s murder news broke out.

About the art work, author Sanam also says that it has been amazing to see how it has gone viral and taken on a life of its own, most recently at the Aurat Marches earlier this year.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bh8e9_mnafM/?taken-by=topbastard

The description of the book reads, ”Bold, Shameless, Siren were just some of the (kinder) words used to describe Qandeel Baloch. She embraced these labels and played the coquette, yet dished out biting critiques of some of Pakistan’s most holy cows. Pakistanis snickered at her fake American accent, but marveled at her gumption. She was the stuff of a hundred memes and Pakistan’s ¬first celebrity-by-social media. Qandeel¬ first captured the nation’s attention on Pakistan Idol with a failed audition and tearful outburst. But it was in February 2016, when she uploaded a Facebook video mocking a presidential ‘warning’ not to celebrate Valentine’s Day that she went ‘viral’. In the video, which racked up nearly a million views, she lies in bed, in a low-cut red dress, and says in broken English, ‘They can stop to people go out. But they can’t stop to people love.’ The video shows us everything that Pakistanis loved, and loved to hate about Qandeel, ‘Pakistan’s Kim Kardashian’. Five months later, she would be dead. In July 2016, Qandeel’s brother would strangle her in their family home, in what was described as an ‘honor killing’, a punishment for the ‘shame’ her online behaviour had brought to the family”.

Qandeel Baloch was murdered by her brother in a case of honor killing in 2016. This book is going to be one step further for discussing life and death of Pakistani internet sensation. It was last year when Saba Qamar portrayed Qandeel Baloch character in TV series named Baaghi, and rendered an award winning performance.

Our all time favorite Baaghi moments