Litbuzz

Litbuzz

Nearly 4,000 entries from 47 countries were received for this year’s Commonwealth Short Story award, for the best... Published 12 Jun, 2016 07:19am
The timber mafia

The timber mafia

A study of forest management and accompanying issues in Swat from 1915-1969
Published 12 Jun, 2016 07:19am
A debate that is a century old

A debate that is a century old

Through the prism of linguistics and lexicography, one can see the changed and the changing face of Urdu language
Published 12 Jun, 2016 07:19am
Litbuzz

Litbuzz

The 100-year art project is gaining momentum, as it chose its author of 2016 — David Mitchell, author of the...
Published 05 Jun, 2016 07:01am
Trouble in the city

Trouble in the city

A novel based on Partition, Tamas tells a story of dark times, yet with moments in which humanity triumphs above all
Updated 05 Jun, 2016 08:32am
Tale of an extraordinary teller

Tale of an extraordinary teller

Jem Roberts encapsulates the journey of the writer Douglas Adams and his most popular creation
Updated 05 Jun, 2016 08:30am
Through despair and darkness

Through despair and darkness

Adam Johnson’s latest collection of uneasy short stories presents characters struggling with a displaced and besieged
Updated 05 Jun, 2016 08:21am
Past into the present

Past into the present

Sophia Khan’s novel is an absorbing read which has an intricate plot — and therein lies its weakness
Updated 05 Jun, 2016 08:20am
Of flawed protagonists

Of flawed protagonists

A new female voice in Urdu writing, Saima Iram holds her own with stories that are hard-hitting and reflective of
Updated 08 Jan, 2017 08:32am
The revolutionising force of theatre

The revolutionising force of theatre

Anjum Katyal’s well-researched study gives insight into the life and work of Badal Sircar and highlights the need for
Updated 05 Jun, 2016 08:12am
A personal narrative

A personal narrative

Nadeem Farooq Paracha draws on his experiences to depict the volatile social and political landscape of the 1970s
Updated 05 Jun, 2016 08:44am
Books in brief

Books in brief

This memoir of a retired senior scientist provides a glimpse of the atomic energy development programme in Pakistan.
Published 29 May, 2016 08:11am
Deceptively simple

Deceptively simple

The beauty of the tale lies in the telling, and the narrative here is characteristic Ghulam Abbas; lucid and layered
Published 29 May, 2016 08:11am
A critical evaluation

A critical evaluation

Taking a broader look at the strengths and weaknesses of Pakistan’s taxation system
Published 29 May, 2016 08:11am
Rugby fields as battlegrounds

Rugby fields as battlegrounds

Journalist Danny Lockwood’s account of changing demographics in his hometown Dewsbury is polemic but speaks of a larger
Published 29 May, 2016 08:11am
Books in brief

Books in brief

This book is a corpus of stage, radio, and television dramas. A writer is chosen for each category, to express the
Published 22 May, 2016 07:26am
The symbol of honour

The symbol of honour

A treatise on the lives of Muslim women of the subcontinent from the 13th to 18th century
Published 22 May, 2016 07:02am
The reluctant militant mentor

The reluctant militant mentor

Despite some interesting first-hand accounts, maulana Samiul Haq reveals little about Taliban thought — whether of the
Published 15 May, 2016 08:37am
A less adventurous Alice

A less adventurous Alice

Despite somewhat dreary content, Vanessa Tait’s writing style is contemporary and refreshing in The Looking Glass House
Published 15 May, 2016 08:26am
After saying I do

After saying I do

Fates and Furies is a novel that is somewhat reminiscent of Gone Girl, at the outset at least
Published 15 May, 2016 08:21am
Books in brief

Books in brief

Written in an engaging style, Kitchen comes across as a work of fiction that belongs in our social milieu.
Published 15 May, 2016 08:15am
True to form

True to form

Kamal Ahmed Rizvi’s posthumously published book makes the art, literature and theatre scene of the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s
Published 15 May, 2016 08:11am
The quest

The quest

Nazneen Sheikh’s latest novel is about a Buddha statue that seems to carry a curse which brings death and misery to
Published 15 May, 2016 08:04am
Unity through diversity

Unity through diversity

Various factors associated with the 18th Amendment are analysed by scholars in Making Federation Work
Published 15 May, 2016 08:02am
Of faith and fratricide

Of faith and fratricide

Historian Murad Ali Baig’s first novel takes us into the world of Shah Jahan’s four sons and his daughters Jahanara
Updated 21 May, 2016 04:04pm
The birth of Muslim nationalism

The birth of Muslim nationalism

Tariq Hasan studies the Deobandi and independence movements in British India, attempting to distinguish the former from
Published 08 May, 2016 07:28am
A modern gothic tale

A modern gothic tale

Andrew Michael Hurley’s eerie novel is an impressive debut
Published 08 May, 2016 07:28am
Manto — the master storyteller

Manto — the master storyteller

Muhammad Umar Memon’s selections and commentary on Manto are a critical intervention in liberating Manto from commonly
Published 08 May, 2016 07:28am
Books in brief

Books in brief

Essentially a light read or coffee-table book, this illustrated history includes many a fascinating photograph too.
Published 08 May, 2016 07:28am
Shakespeare or Shaikh Zubair?

Shakespeare or Shaikh Zubair?

How the rich and political flavours of Shakespeare’s plays are inspired by the Muslim world of his times
Published 08 May, 2016 07:28am
Given the state that Pakistan

Given the state that Pakistan

Haroon Khalid is an educationist with an academic background in anthropology from the Lahore University of Management
Published 08 May, 2016 07:28am
Cover Story: This ancient land

Cover Story: This ancient land

Haroon Khalid’s new book is a study of religious folk practices, fertility cults, sacred trees and legends about saints…
Published 08 May, 2016 07:28am
Books in brief

Books in brief

An addition to the very few travel guides available, Islamabad Travel Guide packs in detailed information which will
Published 03 May, 2016 12:28am
Going back to nature

Going back to nature

Water in the Wilderness is a study of the biological and cultural diversity of Pakistan, and makes us understand the
Updated 03 May, 2016 12:03am
Being Faiz

Being Faiz

Ali Madeeh Hashmi’s biography covers all the facets of his grandfather’s life
Updated 03 May, 2016 12:13am
Home truths

Home truths

Yann Martel’s latest novel is no less brilliant than the preceding ones
Updated 03 May, 2016 12:54am
Remembrance and reality

Remembrance and reality

J.M. Coetzee and Arabella Kurtz attempt to bridge the distance between narrative technique and psychotherapy
Updated 02 May, 2016 11:49pm
Cover Story: A festival less literary

Cover Story: A festival less literary

Literature festivals should focus on celebrating the written and spoken word, and should bring together those with a
Published 24 Apr, 2016 08:27am
The new weapon: the media today

The new weapon: the media today

“What is the media?” This was one of the questions panellists attempted to answer at the session titled ...
Published 24 Apr, 2016 08:22am
The spoken language — Saif Mahmood

The spoken language — Saif Mahmood

You know, I’m a lawyer by profession. But I was born and brought up in a family where poetry is the spoken language,
Published 24 Apr, 2016 08:21am
The quest for regional stability

The quest for regional stability

The session titled ‘Regional Connectivity and Stability?’ at ILF was moderated by Haroon Sharif. The discussion...
Published 24 Apr, 2016 08:12am
Let’s talk about Urdu

Let’s talk about Urdu

The sessions based around Pakistan’s qaumi zubaan introduced a variety of thoughts
Published 24 Apr, 2016 08:10am
The mushaira

The mushaira

ILF carried on the tradition of the Urdu mushaira by inviting around 20 poets representing both the younger...
Published 24 Apr, 2016 08:08am
How ILF treated women’s issues

How ILF treated women’s issues

From the women’s protection bill to education issues and projection in art, several sessions focused on gender-specific
Published 24 Apr, 2016 08:00am
Of the liberal arts

Of the liberal arts

Does a liberal arts training aid the development of a “civic sense”, a realisation that “there are multiple,...
Published 24 Apr, 2016 07:59am
Balochistan: identity and injustice

Balochistan: identity and injustice

For many people, particularly those who aren’t enthusiasts, literature is little more than a subject studied in...
Published 24 Apr, 2016 07:57am
Meanwhile, in Hyderabad

Meanwhile, in Hyderabad

The successful launch of Hyderabad Literature Festival’s first edition at a time when a literature festival was...
Published 24 Apr, 2016 07:55am
Once upon a country

Once upon a country

A chessboard analogy of politicians is an extended metaphor … Rifaat Hamid Ghani’s debut novel is a teaser that is not
Published 17 Apr, 2016 09:27am
Of ghosts past and present

Of ghosts past and present

David Mitchell’s latest novel Slade House says something about humanity, immortality and if it’s even possible to save
Published 17 Apr, 2016 09:16am
Understanding the visionary

Understanding the visionary

Dr Tehseen Firaqi’s new book, a collection of essays and research papers, is an invaluable addition to critical writings
Published 17 Apr, 2016 09:13am
End of the road

End of the road

The latest in the Shopaholic series has its redeeming points, but lacks the punch of the previous novels
Published 17 Apr, 2016 09:08am
The politics of Partition

The politics of Partition

An analysis of the All-India Muslim League’s role in the developments leading up to 1947
Published 17 Apr, 2016 09:04am
The depths of disbelief

The depths of disbelief

Sleeping on Jupiter may be Anuradha Roy’s attempt to bear witness to circumstances she feels she cannot otherwise alter
Published 17 Apr, 2016 07:27am
Litbuzz

Litbuzz

The Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award for children’s literature, which honours the complete works by an author, has been
Published 10 Apr, 2016 06:58am
Books in Brief

Books in Brief

The independent documentary movement in India from the 1970’s onwards is examined in Filming Reality.
Published 10 Apr, 2016 06:58am
Interview — Basir Sultan Kazmi

Interview — Basir Sultan Kazmi

During schooldays when he would come home, we would be asleep. In the morning when we would leave for school, he would
Published 10 Apr, 2016 06:58am
Dream after dream

Dream after dream

The magical surrealism of Naiyer Masud is well-translated by Muhammad Umar Memon
Published 10 Apr, 2016 06:58am
To inspire young writers

To inspire young writers

On writing in a foreign language — English — and the penchant for using quotations
Published 10 Apr, 2016 06:58am
Understanding the threat

Understanding the threat

Jason Burke explores all possible dimensions of militancy in his new book, yet avoids suggesting any systemic solution
Published 03 Apr, 2016 07:15am
Power and other monsters

Power and other monsters

Julian Barnes’s latest work is an absorbing fictional biography of the composer Shostakovich
Published 03 Apr, 2016 07:15am
The language of displacement

The language of displacement

Rakhshanda Jalil’s translation of Intizar Husain’s Aagey Samandar Hai does complete justice to the original text
Published 03 Apr, 2016 07:15am
Litbuzz

Litbuzz

Aliette de Bodard has become the first writer to get both the best novel and best short story award in the same year at
Published 03 Apr, 2016 07:15am
Skin deep

Skin deep

A young French woman goes undercover on social media to investigate how IS brainwashes young Europeans into joining its
Published 27 Mar, 2016 07:20am
In the face of violence

In the face of violence

A study that aims to evaluate the impact of research in violently divided societies
Published 27 Mar, 2016 07:20am
An implausible yarn

An implausible yarn

Ernest Cline’s second science fiction novel is as far away from hitting all the right notes as it could be
Published 27 Mar, 2016 07:20am
The temperamental writer

The temperamental writer

In Andaz-i-Bayan Aur Qurratulain Hyder can be seen speaking on a range of subjects while refusing to talk about her
Published 27 Mar, 2016 07:20am
Terror in the Tilism

Terror in the Tilism

A critical reading of the dastan fiction in Urdu unveils the glorification of violence
Published 27 Mar, 2016 07:20am
Books in brief

Books in brief

This unusual novel centres on social ills and dilemmas. The storyline revolves around the fact that if society is going
Published 27 Mar, 2016 07:20am
Chronicles of the conquered

Chronicles of the conquered

Claire Chambers’s research on Muslim writers’ accounts of visits to Britain from 1780-1988 is a unique inquiry
Published 27 Mar, 2016 07:20am
Books in brief

Books in brief

The kafis selected for this anthology are some of Madho Lal Hussein’s best-loved ones. Sung and recited in public
Published 20 Mar, 2016 07:41am
Precision and passion

Precision and passion

Muhammad Ali Siddiqi’s memoirs show his immense fervour for his country and his profession
Published 20 Mar, 2016 07:41am
Thrill of the chase

Thrill of the chase

Benyamin’s latest novel has its moments, but disappoints on many scores
Published 20 Mar, 2016 07:41am
A cold fire

A cold fire

Stephen Kelman’s second novel has in its depths the search for dignity and meaning in human experience, but fails to
Published 20 Mar, 2016 07:41am
Like a new Titanic

Like a new Titanic

On the stories of Muslim refugees in Europe
Published 20 Mar, 2016 07:41am
Two nations, two armies

Two nations, two armies

Steven I. Wilkinson’s work on the Indian military and democracy presents a comprehensive view of the political
Published 20 Mar, 2016 07:41am
COVER: Following the Silk Roads

COVER: Following the Silk Roads

Peter Frankopan’s treatise on history is an ambitious work, but focus on any of the dimensions of the ancient routes
Published 13 Mar, 2016 06:39am
Surviving and thriving

Surviving and thriving

On how organisations of different kinds can prosper in an unfavourable institutional environment
Updated 13 Mar, 2016 07:27am
The trailblazer

The trailblazer

The key protagonist’s life in Sweet Caress, written as a fictional memoir, is the subtext to the greater occurrences of
Updated 13 Mar, 2016 07:25am
All creatures big and small

All creatures big and small

Tracy Stewart’s book is a light read that inspires compassion towards animals
Updated 13 Mar, 2016 07:20am
The wheels of the economy

The wheels of the economy

Hartmut Elsenhans presents a new way of looking at the right-left debate with his labour empowerment theory, which is
Updated 13 Mar, 2016 07:15am
Forgotten stories

Forgotten stories

The past, with its secrets, myths and legends, was woven into Mrs Abdul Qadir’s tales of horror and mystery
Updated 13 Mar, 2016 07:05am