Pakistani Literature in 2015
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Rauf Parekh: Literary Notes: Urdu literature in 2015: research and criticism take centre stage
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Iftikhar Arif
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Kishwar Naheed
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Ishrat Ansari: What was staple of Pakistan’s literary scene in 2015?
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Rauf Parekh: Pakistani Urdu fiction in 2015 Business as usual
Rauf Parekh: Literary Notes: Urdu literature in 2015: research and criticism take centre stage
IT is generally perceived that Pakistan’s cultural and political environment is more conducive to produce Urdu’s imaginative and creative writings — such as fiction, poetry and satire — and Indian Urdu writers, on the other hand, have come up with some remarkably fine pieces of research and critical works. But the recent trends do not testify to the perception as new Urdu books published during the past few years in Pakistan show an increased interest in literary research and criticism. During 2015, critical and research works outperformed the imaginative and creative ones, at least quantity-wise. Most of these works were published by new critics or younger researchers though, and many of them are dissertations submitted to some university for earning a degree in Urdu. The trend owes much to the Higher Education Commission’s policies that emphasise making higher degrees a part of hiring and promotion criteria at universities. As a result, everyone is rushing to carry out some kind of research work and the editors of university research journals are overwhelmed by the large number of research papers received for publication. Most of these research papers and dissertations are meant for fulfilling the hiring/promotion requirements and many of such ‘researchers’ do not write, or even read, anything once they reach the higher echelons they aspire for. But some dissertations published during 2015 do show some promise and one can hope that we are going to have some good researchers and critics as well as creative writers and poets in near future. For instance, Nighat Naheed Zafar’s doctoral dissertation angrezi roomani shuara ke Urdu shaeri par asraat, published by Lahore’s Co-opera publishers, captures quite well the essence of Romanticism and its impact on Urdu poetry. Aurang Zeb Niazi’s PhD thesis Pakistan mein Urdu tanqeed succinctly evaluates the critical Urdu works published in Pakistan. Ahtesham Ali’s MPhil dissertation Jadeed Urdu nazm mein asri hissiyet is a study of contemporary sensitivity in modern Urdu poems. But it discusses, largely, Pakistani poets and the topic should have been amended accordingly, or more Indian poets should have been included. Two dissertations written for MA and published in book form are Urdu mein hayyeti tanqeed, by Muhammad Nasrullah, and Vazeer Agha ke tanqeedi ravaiyye by Muhammad Rafi Azher. Aside from theses, some other praiseworthy works stoke the feeling that criticism and research is the name of the game these days in Pakistani Urdu literature. Naseem Abbas Ahmer and Shafeeq Anjum are comparatively young critics. Ahmer’s Urdu afsane ke nazri mabahis discusses Urdu short story’s epistemological issues. Shafeeq Anjum’s two books Haashiyaee maqalaat and Qavaid-e-tehqeeq-o-tadveen take up literary research’s basic issues and its principles. Though Naveed Shahzad’s Nai nazm aur Punjabi nazm is on Punjabi poems but lets the reader know quite a bit about modern poems in general, too. Two old works on Urdu grammar were compiled and edited; one is Moulvi Kareemuddin’s Insha-i-Urdu, first published in 1874, edited by Shafeeq Anjum. The other is Amanatullah Sheda’s Sarf-i-Urdu, first published in 1810, edited by Ghulam Abbas Gondal. Shahid Hinai compiled articles on the art and history of ‘khaka nigari’ or pen-sketches. Among the not-so-young critics is Nasir Abbas Nayyar. His new book Alamgiriyet aur Urdu includes essays on globalisation and some other literary issues. Shadab Ehsani edited a classical Urdu tale Qissa-i-ishq afza, written by Faraso Queen, a German poet of Urdu. Abdullah Suhail’s book mat sahal hamen jano is a critical study of Mir Taqi Mir’s poetry. The trend favouring critical works is further strengthened by reprinting of some famous works on criticism, such as mavazna-i-Anees-o-Dabeer by Shibli Nau’mani, muqaddama-i-shear-o-shaeri by Altaf Hussain Hali and hamari shaeri by Mas’ood Hasan Rizvi Adeeb. But poetry and fiction, too, had their fair share during the year and, as usual, a large number of collections of poetry appeared, though mostly unable to leave any lasting effect on the reader’s mind. As for short fiction, Mustansar Hussain Tarar and Muhammad Ilyas stood out with their new collections. Madaar, a biographical novel by Sheen Farrukh, an absorbing read, depicts Ali Imam’s life. Several publishers brought out collected works and selections of veteran fiction writers, as they always sell well. Sang-i-Meel Publications published, among other collected works, Hajra Masroor’s collected short stories under the titled Sab afsane mere. Among the translations of fiction, Baqar Naqvi’s mizraab, stood head and shoulder above the rest. It is the first complete Urdu translation of Les Miserbales. Saleem Siddiqi translated, from English, the best short stories from around the world, which were published by Karachi’s Rang-i-Adab in three volumes. Shahid Hinai translated, from Sindhi, Rasool Memon’s short stories, published under the title band kamre ka raaz. Among the veterans whose collected poetic works were reprinted are Saleem Ahmed, Dilawar Figaar and Mirza Yaas Yagana Changezi. Also, Kulliyaat-i-Anwer Shaoor, Kulliyaat-i-Qabil Ajmeri and Kulliyaat-i-Sarvat Hussain, much awaited works, were finally published. Shan-ul-Haq Haqqee’s nava-i-saaz shikan includes both published and unpublished ghazals. Kulliyaat-i-Qaiser Najfi was compiled by Hasan Sajjad. N.M.Rashid’s selection was compiled by Tehseen Firaqi. Najeeba Arif finally brought out her first poetic collection: Ma’ani se ziyaada. Autobiography and memoirs are becoming increasingly popular in Urdu. ham bhi vahan maujood thei and faraib-i-natamaam the two autobiographies by political personalities, Majeed Malik and Jum’a Khan Soofi respectively, reveal some political truths. Akhter Vaqar Azeem’s ham bhi vaheen maujood thei is an interesting account of a career at PTV. Kishwer Naheed’s muthi bhar yaaden and Rasheed Amjad’s aashiqi sabr talab let the readers have a peep at some literary personalities’ candid moments. Jafer Thanesri’s kala pani was reprinted by Idara-i-Yadgar-i-Ghalib. The silence in the realm of humour and satire is deafening. No new good humorists are coming up in Urdu. Aside from bazla snajaan-i-aalam a selection of humorous pieces compiled by Anwer Alvi, no notable humorous or satirical work appeared in 2015. Hamza Farooqi’s ham nafasaan-i-khush guzraan is at times witty and lively, but it is in essence a collection of pen-sketches. Ata-ul-Haq Qasmi’s har fan maula is a print version of his popular comedy TV serial. Andaz-i-bayan aur a collection of Qurrat-ul-Ain Hyder’s interviews, published by Oxford, is compiled by Jameel Akhter. Man-o-too is the collection of some writers’ interviews taken by Asif Farrukhi. A lot many works have appeared in 2015 but for want of space their names cannot be mentioned here. But one thing we may say for sure: Urdu language and literature are flourishing and the fears that the onslaught of the dotcoms would cause to whither Urdu are unfounded, at least in the near future.
Iftikhar Arif
Kishwar Naheed
DURING 2015, a large number of novels were based around the sad picture of terrorism and the APS Peshawar school incident. One of these was Mustansar Hussain Tarar’s story, ‘Aye meray tarkhaan‘, of a man making small coffins of the children who died in the incident. The same concept was artistically presented by Hameed Shahid in his collection of short stories titled Iss Dehshat mein Wehshat. The history of our country and times gone by is a source of inspiration for writers, too. There are so many various facets of the past that can be revisited. The subject of the War of 1971 has been dwelt upon in Masud Mufti’s Waqt Ki Qash, and Aqeela Ismail’s novel Of Martyrs and Marigold. On a different subject, Dr Shah Mohammad Marri has educated us on the movement against colonialism in Balochistan and also the women’s movement at the grassroots level in his book published this year. Two writers published novels this year based on the days of the British Raj; these are Mustansar Hussain Tarar with his Aey Ghazale Shab and Ali Akbar Natiq with his Nau Lakhi Kothi. Many poetry collections have also been published this year, but the one I most enjoyed reading was the collection of US-based writer Ahmad Mushtaq Auraq-i-Khizani. In a completely different style, Dr Aslam Farrukhi’s writing in his book Saat Aasman gives us a reflection of the classic style of Urdu. And ultimately, I must say that the one work published during 2015 that stands out is the biography of artist Ali Imam penned by Sheen Farrukh. This is something to read for those interested in art, as well as beautiful writing.
Ishrat Ansari: What was staple of Pakistan’s literary scene in 2015?
As the New Year beckons with the promise of a clean slate, it is vital to turn back the page and examine the literary offerings of 2015. During the course of the year, genres became increasingly diverse and offered a few pleasant surprises. Nevertheless, writers focused their efforts on a specific medium.
Several writers shifted their focus to fiction and the trend produced some fascinating results. “Mustansar Hussain Tarar, who is well-known for his travelogues, released a collection of stories titled Pandra Kahaniyan,” M Hameed Shahid, a prominent critic, told The Express Tribune. According to the critic, it has been a great year for fiction and many books by writers who have passed away were published. This, he said, serves as welcome proof that readers are interested in reading fiction. “[This year], the focus has been to breathe life back into literary thoughts and writing,” he added. Other authors were also drawn towards fiction and produced a captivating array of literary masterpieces. Shamsur Rehman Faruqi, another critic, also published a collection of stories. Shelf life “Mubashar Ali Zaidi’s 100 Lafzon Ki Kahani sold quite well [in 2015],” Sharmeen Hussain, Marketing Head at Liberty Books, told The Express Tribune. The book contained material that was socially relevant and even people who never read Urdu fiction were drawn towards it. “After the film Manto was screened across the country, the demand for the short story writer’s books also increased,” Hussain said. Oxford University Press Managing Director Ameena Saiyid voiced similar views regarding books about the late writer, saying his short stories were commercial successes. Osman Samiuddin’s The Unquiet Ones, Peter Oborne’s Wounded Tiger, Yaroslav Trofimov’s The Siege of Mecca and Simon Lister’s Fire in Babylon received a favourable response. In Urdu, Ahfazur Rehman’s book Sab Say Bari Jang, which is based on the struggle of journalists during 1971, was the toast of the year. According to Saiyid, non-fiction also remained popular. Neither a Hawk Nor a Dove by Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri, Quotes from the Quaid by Shariful Mujahid and Liaquat Merchant, Power Failure by Abida Hussain, Pakistan: Beyond the Crisis by State by Maleeha Lodhi,Life of Muhammad by A. Guillaume and Jinnah of Pakistan by Stanley Wolpert sold particularly well this year. Saiyid added books by Saman Shamsie and Hamida Khuhro attracted a wide readership. “Our graphic novels or illustrated books on Pakistani role models were popular,” she said. “The Urdu Virsa series, which comprises selections from the works of best known Urdu poets, did quite well.” The art of fiction Professor Sahar Ansari, a prominent critic, told The Express Tribunemost writers these days are trying to write in the same way as fiction is written. “Anything [that] reads like fiction increases readability,” he added. However, he said no extraordinary fiction novel was published in 2015. “Writers are not working hard in their respective fields,” he said, “They need to read international literature to broaden their vision.” Omer Shahid Hamid, whose latest novel The Spinner’s Tale hit bookstores earlier this year, said he writes fiction but reads more non-fiction. “Non-fiction should read like fiction,” he said. “I enjoyed reading books on sports this year. Even though most of books I read were non-fiction books, their greatest quality was that the writing followed a narrative style. This made me feel as though I was reading a novel.” Niche markets In 2015, a large number of poetry collections were published. These include Anwar Shaoor Ki Kuliyat and Sabir Zafar Ki Kuliyat. However, Ansari believes no extraordinary anthology was produced by Urdu poets. On the other hand, Hussain said there is a niche market for poetry and only specific readers look for collections of verse. “In sharp contrast, young adult literature did very well this year,” he said. “The Hunger Games series sold quite well.” Anoosha Lalani, whose debut novel, The Keepers, was published this year, said, “I love the way teenagers think. Everything is about the intensity of emotions and how characters struggle to rein it in [fascinates me].”
Rauf Parekh: Pakistani Urdu fiction in 2015 Business as usual
THOUGH 2015 will not go down in the history of Urdu fiction as a vintage year, it was, at least, not totally disappointing. The number of new fiction works published during the year was not high, as usual, and most of them could be rated as ‘mediocre’. But three works of fiction, the saving grace, merit a special mention. One is a biographical novel and the others are collections of short fiction. But first let us talk about some recent trends in Urdu fiction. Some critics feel that the Urdu novel has been going through a revival during the last couple of decades after a brief lean patch. The perception is not totally baseless as a number of new and accomplished novelists, such as Bano Qudsia, Mustansar Hussain Tarar, Shamsur Rahman Farooqi, Ubaidullah Baig, Muhammad Ilyas, Mirza Athar Baig and some others, had come up with some novels that gave a fillip to the genre. Though the momentum, it seems, has sustained much of its steam in the last few years, there have not been any truly remarkable novels among the ones published lately. But then, great novels in Urdu have always been scarce. On the other hand, the afsana, or short story, a more popular genre in Urdu, has produced some remarkably fine pieces quite often, though the Urdu short story is younger than the Urdu novel by at least 30 years. During the last year, too, the trend continued and the new collections of short stories outnumbered novels. Another trend that began in the late 1980s is the publication of collected works of fiction, both short and long. This, too, was in vogue during the year 2015 and the works of popular fiction writers, both from India and Pakistan – such as Balwant Singh, Hajra Masroor and Naiyer Masud – reappeared as collected works. Selected works, yet another trend, not only continued but seemed to gain more popularity. Oxford University Press, for instance, published selected short stories of Masud and Syed Rafiq Hussain, both compiled by Asif Farrukhi. Dehshat Mein Mohabbat, a selection of Mohammad Hameed Shahid’s short stories, was compiled by Mohammad Ghalib Nishtar. Pandrah Kahaniyan by Maustansar Hussain Tarar: Travel writer, novelist, playwright, short story writer and columnist Tarar has a huge following. But it is not without reason, as he shows us again in Pandrah Kahaniyan, his collection of short stories published by Sang-e-Meel Publications. With his usual imagery and fascinating prose, Tarar has taken up some issues faced by the nation, such as terrorism and mob justice. Madaar by Sheen Farrukh: Farrukh is a veteran journalist, advice columnist, travelogue writer and art critic. Her biographical novel Madaar, published by Lahore’s Sang-e-Meel Publications, narrates the life story of Ali Imam, a well-known Pakistani artist. She has painted the life of a painter compassionately and meticulously. One can meet many artists, learn about art and see Imam struggling through it. Aaeene Main Gum Aks by Mohammad Ilyas: Muhammad Ilyas has been very prolific and has published five novels and six collections of short stories. Though much underrated and generally neglected by the critics, Ilyas is the new, convincing voice in Urdu fiction. Aaeene Main Gum Aks is a collection of Ilyas’s 26 short stories and a novella. Some of these short stories are very short and span just a few pages, some even just one page. His economy of words and shockingly revealing climaxes remind one of some of the Western masters of the craft of storytelling: Guy de Maupassant, O. Henry and Somerset Maugham. Ilyas casts an ironical look at modern-day life and its complexities. Some other works: Another novel that has been much appreciated by some critics is Akhtar Raza Saleemi’s Jaage Hain Khwab Mein. Some of the noteworthy collections of short stories that appeared during the year are:Taar-e-Hareer-e Do Rang by Tahir Masood and Model Town by Bilal Hassan Minto; also, titled Ali Hyder Malik ke Afsaane and edited by A. Khayyaam, Ali Hyder Malik’s short stories were published posthumously.