Shahida Rahman was born and raised in Cambridge, UK. Her late father, Abdul Karim, moved to Cambridge from East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) in 1957, and her mother arrived in 1964. She is an author of historical fiction, particularly focusing on and raising awareness of South Asian history and heritage, which she has been doing for the last 10 years. She has won numerous civic and cultural awards for her work. She has undertaken several voluntary roles. Shahida is a trustee of Karim Foundation, which aims to relieve poverty by providing food and support with domestic costs for those in financial hardship in Cambridge.