FICTION: BRINGING THE BONES HOME

FICTION: BRINGING THE BONES HOME

Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s posthumously published, unfinished novella, despite its shortcomings, carries his deep understanding of Published 26 Oct, 2025 08:28am
NOBEL PRIZE: ART IN THE TIME OF TERROR

NOBEL PRIZE: ART IN THE TIME OF TERROR

The grand tales of Hungarian writer László Krasznahorkai, who won the Nobel prize for literature 2025, speak to our alienated...
Published 19 Oct, 2025 10:08am
FICTION: ONCE UPON A TIME…

FICTION: ONCE UPON A TIME…

The English translations of three stories from A.R. Khatoon’s Kahaniyan, preserve the tradition of telling fantastical bedtime...
Published 19 Oct, 2025 10:01am
POETRY: ECOLOGY, GEOGRAPHY, TIME

POETRY: ECOLOGY, GEOGRAPHY, TIME

Alamgir Hashmi’s 12th collection of verse consists of diverse, lyrical English poems that combine elegance and subtlety with...
Published 19 Oct, 2025 09:55am
COLUMN: GHALIB AND MOMIN — II

COLUMN: GHALIB AND MOMIN — II

In 1639, in the 11th year of his reign, the Mughal Emperor Shahjahan took the decision to build a new capital at...
Published 19 Oct, 2025 09:51am
COLUMN: THE BOOK CLUB STAGE-II

COLUMN: THE BOOK CLUB STAGE-II

Just like society needs structure and laws to keep diverse groups of people together, the Book Club too, must have a supervising
Updated 12 Oct, 2025 11:31am
FICTION: THE TALES WE PASS DOWN

FICTION: THE TALES WE PASS DOWN

A collection of short stories, anecdotes and vignettes in English and Urdu imparts a quiet wisdom accrued over decades
Updated 12 Oct, 2025 08:55am
NON-FICTION: RETHINKING TOURISM

NON-FICTION: RETHINKING TOURISM

Despite some analytical weaknesses, a new book about tourism succeeds as an intellectual provocation, challenging readers to
Updated 12 Oct, 2025 08:55am
FICTION: A DISAPPOINTING CONCLUSION

FICTION: A DISAPPOINTING CONCLUSION

The sequel and concluding part of a duology about magic and subversion feels rushed, flat, and largely unengaging
Published 05 Oct, 2025 09:18am
ANTHOLOGY: THE ANGLOPHONE COMPENDIUM

ANTHOLOGY: THE ANGLOPHONE COMPENDIUM

Muneeza Shamsie’s latest anthology of Pakistani English language literature provides access to work that may now be hard to access
Published 05 Oct, 2025 09:12am
COLUMN: COUNTERING JINGOISM

COLUMN: COUNTERING JINGOISM

It was embarrassing to watch what happened in the ACC Asia Cup 2025 in the three games that Pakistan and India ...
Published 05 Oct, 2025 09:02am
NON-FICTION: RECLAIMING A LEGACY

NON-FICTION: RECLAIMING A LEGACY

A biography of director and producer Raj Khosla is an enriching narrative about a multi-talented filmmaker who deserves far more
Published 28 Sep, 2025 07:25am
COLUMN: RELATIVE TRUTHS

COLUMN: RELATIVE TRUTHS

Many years ago, an editor at Critical Muslim asked me to contribute an essay to an issue she was preparing, on the...
Published 28 Sep, 2025 07:23am
FICTION: HOW WELL CAN WE KNOW OTHERS?

FICTION: HOW WELL CAN WE KNOW OTHERS?

Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s latest novel is about four women whose lives are interconnected and spans the US...
Published 21 Sep, 2025 10:14am
COLUMN: HOW ARUNDHATI GOT HER VOICE

COLUMN: HOW ARUNDHATI GOT HER VOICE

In her memoir Mother Mary Comes to Me, Arundhati Roy recounts how literary agent David Godwin flew from Britain to...
Published 21 Sep, 2025 09:48am
NON-FICTION: CYCLES OF EXCLUSION

NON-FICTION: CYCLES OF EXCLUSION

A recent book by a respected academic that traces the Middle East’s history from the colonial era to the present day in a clear...
Published 14 Sep, 2025 09:26am
FICTION: SLOGGING THROUGH A DREARY LIFE

FICTION: SLOGGING THROUGH A DREARY LIFE

A debut English novel provides a genuine window into the the trials and tribulations of a typical low-income Pakistani male but is
Published 14 Sep, 2025 09:14am
POETRY: A METAPHORIC WEALTH

POETRY: A METAPHORIC WEALTH

Urdu poetry seems to be novelist, translator and journalist Kashif Raza’s first love and he proves it with his latest collection
Updated 14 Sep, 2025 12:28pm
COLUMN: LESSONS FROM AN AGITATOR

COLUMN: LESSONS FROM AN AGITATOR

In Pakistan, like some other similar countries, the official narrative takes huge precedence over introducing students and people
Published 14 Sep, 2025 08:56am
NON-FICTION: FILLING THE VOID

NON-FICTION: FILLING THE VOID

Atish Taseer’s latest memoir/travelogue is a poetic and philosophical exploration of the condition of modern man, in a world...
Published 07 Sep, 2025 09:50am
FICTION: SMILES AND SABOTAGE

FICTION: SMILES AND SABOTAGE

A psychological thriller focuses on the dark side of female friendship and the world of influencers, where ‘cancel culture’ is
Published 07 Sep, 2025 09:46am
NON-FICTION: RISING TO THE SKIES

NON-FICTION: RISING TO THE SKIES

As the country celebrates its Air Force Day today, a timely book provides the story of the Pakistan Air Force, from its
Published 07 Sep, 2025 09:36am
COLUMN: THE BOOK CLUB STAGE

COLUMN: THE BOOK CLUB STAGE

One can presume that Samuel Johnson, as an author and the compiler of a dictionary, no less, understood the meaning...
Published 07 Sep, 2025 09:28am