Shahzad Mazhar was born in Lahore, Pakistan. For his schooling, he was sent to St. Mary’s Academy and finished his high school at Forman Christian College, Lahore. He was first exposed to Urdu and Persian poetry by his father, who was an officer in the Pakistani army. After high school, he traveled to the U.S.A. to study engineering. He was a partner in a computer manufacturing company in his twenties and thirties.
His interest in Rumi since his early twenties exposed him to the translations of Dr. Nevit Ergin. Further inquiry brought him into contact with Millicent Alexander, who provided him with the opportunity to be part of a team bringing Ergin’s translations to the world, translations of the extraordinary poetry of the spiritual Master known in the West as Rumi. He brought a special gift to the project: his ability to read medieval Farsi, the original language of Rumi’s Divan-i Kebir.
He currently works for a non-profit providing rebuilt computers to children and institutions across America. He lives in Alhambra, California.