Al Pacino’s memoir not only revisits the iconic characters essayed by one of the greatest actors of Hollywood but also explores...
Published 31 Aug, 2025 09:18am
A collection of essays traces the repercussions of Partition that carry an impact on the Subcontinent’s language, culture...
Published 31 Aug, 2025 09:00am
The glorious third sultan of the Ghaznavid dynasty Mahmud (r. 998-1030), who had conquered a vast territory from the Oxus
Published 31 Aug, 2025 08:54am
An anthology of personal essays by a cross-section of Pakistanis about the meaning of identity and home varies in tone but is
Published 24 Aug, 2025 09:30am
A quiet, introspective debut novel speaks to the emotional undercurrents many of us carry from childhood
Published 24 Aug, 2025 09:17am
A new book looks at the phenomenon of brain drain from Pakistan, analyses the reasons behind it and details the consequences the
Published 24 Aug, 2025 09:13am
In this age of sadness, what makes me happy is reading those who are younger than me. Not just younger, more talented, more astute
Published 24 Aug, 2025 09:03am
Leila Aboulela’s portrayal of a woman coming to terms with the loss of her spouse in an unfamiliar culture in her latest novel is
Published 17 Aug, 2025 09:32am
The result of years of exhaustive research, a self-published book provides readers with a closer look at the 2002 Indian Gujarat
Published 17 Aug, 2025 09:01am
A new book documents an untold story of courage and unwavering commitment during one of the most turbulent periods in the...
Published 17 Aug, 2025 08:57am
Poets-writers do not function in a vacuum, they belong to a milieu, have a circle of friends and rivals and an audience of...
Published 17 Aug, 2025 08:51am
Dreams, colonisation, relationships, literary puzzles and mortality — Nasir Abbas Nayyar’s collection of short stories attempts to
Published 10 Aug, 2025 08:46am
The winner of the International Booker Prize this year is a collection of powerful short stories about Muslim women written in...
Published 10 Aug, 2025 08:41am
British scholar Dr Robert Sampson has dedicated his life to teaching and learning from Pakhtuns. An educational...
Published 10 Aug, 2025 08:11am
According to one strand of history, slavery was abolished when Europeans found their conscience. According to...
Published 10 Aug, 2025 08:07am
A book of searing honesty by an Arab journalist gives words to the frustration felt by millions around the world at the lopsided
Published 03 Aug, 2025 08:21am
Senior journalist Mahmood Shaam’s collection of Urdu poetry, a collection of ghazals written in the same metre, is an attempt to
Published 03 Aug, 2025 08:17am
A technopreneur pens a debut novel that stands in for his own story of challenges and business success, and which can help guide
Published 03 Aug, 2025 08:10am
“Under the rubble of Gaza, the whole edifice of the United Nations’ human rights mechanisms and the international human rights...
Published 03 Aug, 2025 08:06am
An insider account of the high-stakes political drama that marked the first term of one of Pakistan’s most controversial civilian
Published 27 Jul, 2025 08:33am
A collection of first-hand accounts on one of the most storied journalistic collectives in the country, the Karachi Press Club
Published 27 Jul, 2025 08:26am
I hadn’t given the matter much thought until today, but I notice that most of my last several columns have been about works in...
Published 27 Jul, 2025 08:19am
A seasoned anchor, columnist and writer, Farrukh Sohail Goindi has authored several books. Known for his insightful perspectives
Published 27 Jul, 2025 08:15am
C.M. Naim was a giant of a scholar whose range of interests was large and expansive — from oriental literature and languages to
Published 20 Jul, 2025 11:24am
A compelling debut novel explores blasphemy laws and religious intolerance in Pakistan with unflinching honesty but also with
Published 20 Jul, 2025 11:21am
A book looks at the last Russian tsar and how his own shortcomings led to his Romanov monarchy being completely destroyed in 1917
Published 20 Jul, 2025 11:18am
What kind of political or ethical force, if any, can literature still exert in contemporary culture?
Published 20 Jul, 2025 11:11am
An autobiographical take on the author’s 44-year experience in the judiciary presents a no-holds-barred view of the rot at the...
Published 13 Jul, 2025 10:02am
A historical novel, set in 17th century Rome, follows an investigation into the unusual deaths of men, the women who poisoned...
Published 13 Jul, 2025 09:55am
The third edition of late journalist, writer and activist Agha Shorish Kashmiri’s long out-of-print memoir is a reminder of the...
Published 13 Jul, 2025 09:43am
In the last couple of years, one has observed that the work of literary translations in Pakistan is increasing and...
Published 13 Jul, 2025 09:30am
An English translation of Syed Mohammad Taqi’s Urdu treatise on the significance of the tragic events of Karbala explores the idea
Published 06 Jul, 2025 09:35am
The English translation of a Pashto novella about transgenders is engaging and fluid and captures the harsh realities they face —
Published 06 Jul, 2025 09:29am
Khushal Khan Khattak, Rahman Baba and Abdul Hameed Baba were three contemporaries who, despite their differences, claim an...
Published 06 Jul, 2025 08:48am
If someone were to ask me to name the drollest qissa in Urdu literature, I would tell them it is the Qissa...
Published 06 Jul, 2025 08:42am
In a first-of-its-kind compilation of Urdu essays, a fisherman shares his lived memories of traditional fishing practices, the...
Published 29 Jun, 2025 12:04pm
A beautifully presented travelogue of India by a Pakistani explores the commonalities of the histories of the two countries as...
Published 29 Jun, 2025 11:58am
This is a deeply spiritual book, which takes you on an emotional journey of faith, challenges and divine connection.
Published 29 Jun, 2025 11:53am
More than once, and in ways more than one, Ghalib has spoken of what may be called the paradox of manifestation (nazzaara/jalva).
Published 29 Jun, 2025 11:29am
A remarkable limited-edition book casts a long and piercing look at the historical antecedents and contestations of contemporary
Published 22 Jun, 2025 10:30am
Spanning three decades and the world, a debut Senegalese English novel weaves in music, the Black experience, a love story...
Published 22 Jun, 2025 10:24am
Frederick Forsyth, who passed away earlier this month, was one of the few authors whose novels were not only bestsellers but also
Published 22 Jun, 2025 10:17am
Recently, I chanced upon a book review by the British author and literary critic Terry Eagleton, published two years ago in the...
Published 22 Jun, 2025 10:14am
Although I have a large file of Naiyer Masud’s letters addressed to my father, I do not have the letters my father...
Published 15 Jun, 2025 06:04am
Mustanar Hussain Tarar’s Peshawar travelogue opens a window into the soul of the city, its rich past, vibrant streets and the
Published 15 Jun, 2025 06:04am
Anita Desai’s latest novel offers a quiet, meditative work that reflects on the limits of knowledge and memory
Published 15 Jun, 2025 06:04am
A gripping memoir by one of the country’s most respected civil servants offers a rare, unfiltered look inside Pakistan’s corridors
Published 15 Jun, 2025 06:04am
Ngugi wa Thiong’o, who passed away on May 28, was one of Kenya’s and indeed Africa’s greatest writers of all time. A Kenyan...
Published 06 Jun, 2025 07:52pm
The third book in a five-part fantasy series that is being compared to Harry Potter has recently come out. With magical dragons...
Published 06 Jun, 2025 07:46pm
An unusual collection of verse explores themes of nature and the environment and humanity’s attempts to mould them and co-exist
Published 06 Jun, 2025 07:41pm
In this column, we return to the structure of Qissa Chhabili Bhattiyari [Chhabili the Innkeeper] discussed earlier, to study how
Published 06 Jun, 2025 07:32pm
I have long delved into the relationship between art and power. It brings up new questions after every new incident,...
Published 01 Jun, 2025 06:51am
A powerful Urdu novel invites readers to question not only Pakistan’s political journey but also deeper spiritual and moral...
Published 01 Jun, 2025 06:51am
Despite a few historical flaws, Sana Pirzada’s latest novel, set before the turn of the 20th century, is a roller-coaster ride of
Published 01 Jun, 2025 06:51am
A former faculty member and administrator of prestigious universities pens a book that is part memoir, part history and part...
Published 01 Jun, 2025 06:51am
Pankaj Mishra’s latest book is a personal coming to terms with his pro-Zionist upbringing as well as the roots of the Western
Published 25 May, 2025 05:25am
A best-selling debut Young Adult novel from Korea weaves a fantasy that is grounded in reality, and which ultimately gently
Published 25 May, 2025 05:25am
A book by an accomplished trekker about his 10-day journey to the mountainous border of Pakistan with China is more erudite
Published 25 May, 2025 05:25am
November, 2023. On the top floor of the Shard, a very modern building near the Thames, there’s a prize-giving for...
Updated 27 Jul, 2025 08:18am
Zafar Masud, one of the only two survivors of PIA Flight 8303 that crashed in Karachi five years ago, has penned a first-person
Published 18 May, 2025 08:40am
A sci-fi novel with a robot as a protagonist is a sarcastic commentary on human society and the futility of human ambition
Published 18 May, 2025 08:35am
A slim compilation of fascinating accounts of travels inside and outside Pakistan makes the reader feel like the author’s constant
Updated 18 May, 2025 12:02pm
In The Museum Detective, Maha Khan Phillips returns with a fast-paced archaeological thriller. Set in Karachi, the...
Published 18 May, 2025 08:25am
In the works of Urdu’s prominent poet and cultural historian Farrukh Yar, the compositeness of South Asian civilisation and its...
Updated 11 May, 2025 02:17pm
Senior journalist and rights activist Hussain Naqi’s detailed interview in a newly published book is a story of journalism and...
Published 11 May, 2025 09:07am
A formulaic romance novel segues into a study of the emotional and psychological challenges faced by its protagonists, exploring
Published 11 May, 2025 09:02am
A debut novel by a Middle East political analyst forces readers to reconsider their assumptions about ideological transformation
Published 11 May, 2025 08:56am
An academic book investigates the demand for populism in the country and analyses the complex relationship between populism,
Published 04 May, 2025 07:15am
Coco Mellors’ remarkably engaging latest novel is an authentic story about sisterhood,
sibling rivalry, loss, anguish
Published 04 May, 2025 07:15am
An unconventional biography of Shyam Benegal by a longtime collaborator and mentee, provides rich information on the filmmaker
Published 04 May, 2025 07:15am
Regarding the shelves in a bookshop the other day, where some of my favourite writers were displayed, I recalled
Published 04 May, 2025 07:15am
When it comes to art’s relationship with power, history is replete with instances where artists have sucked up to power. However
Updated 27 Apr, 2025 11:25am
The sequel to The Light Blue Jumper has deeper themes and more ambitious worldbuilding, while retaining the sci-fi novel’s trad
Published 27 Apr, 2025 06:44am
A novel about exes getting involved with their exes’ partners’ exes is a sweet, light, easy read but do not expect it to stay
Published 27 Apr, 2025 06:44am
What is the ‘Pakistan Ideology’ and is it the same as ‘Islamic Ideology’, as it is sometimes represented? The latest book
Published 27 Apr, 2025 06:44am
A book co-authored by a Pakistani and an American scholar is the first-ever to present a South Asian perspective on the...
Published 20 Apr, 2025 08:06am
A debut novel about a family dispute showcases the author’s facility with words but suffers from a less-than-riveting plot
Published 20 Apr, 2025 07:58am
An Urdu book by a disciple pays worthy tribute to the musical legend that was composer Nisar Bazmi
Published 20 Apr, 2025 07:53am
The death of Peruvian author Mario Vargas Llosa (Arequipa, 1936-Lima, 2025) marks the end of a Golden Age of Latin...
Published 20 Apr, 2025 07:47am
A selection of articles and editorials by Shaukat Siddiqi, originally published in the Urdu weekly magazine Al-Fath during the...
Published 13 Apr, 2025 09:00am
A debut novel set in rural England explores the deep fractures caused by rigid traditions, identity struggles and ideological...
Published 13 Apr, 2025 08:52am
A book on linguistics presents findings about how change in the world and modernisation is impacting patterns of behaviour and...
Published 13 Apr, 2025 08:48am
My father Shamsur Rahman Faruqi’s archive of letters is vast. Before emails diminished the volume of handwritten...
Updated 13 Apr, 2025 01:42pm
Over 100 years after the first publication of T.S. Eliot’s ‘The Waste Land’, an Urdu book delves into the poem’s journey and...
Published 06 Apr, 2025 11:05am
A gothic YA novel is often predictable but also atmospheric and entertaining and would enhance a young person’s desire to develop
Published 06 Apr, 2025 10:58am
A Punjabi book brings together interesting biographies and anecdotes about 30 outstanding sportspersons from both Pakistani...
Published 06 Apr, 2025 10:54am
The qissa is a marvellous genre that encompasses every imaginable form of storytelling, from adventures to travelogues to healing
Published 06 Apr, 2025 10:46am
A recent book is a compelling examination of the interplay between growth, equity and governance and an essential read for anyone
Published 30 Mar, 2025 08:49am
A second collection of engaging short fiction from writer Shahbano Alvi, often centred on unhappy marriages, death and disease...
Published 30 Mar, 2025 08:37am
An ambitious anthology presents the curated work of 68 Pakistani poets writing in English, turning the venture into an informal...
Published 30 Mar, 2025 07:57am
In Pakistan and among the Pakistani diaspora, it is heartening to see the strong emergence of a new generation of gifted English
Published 30 Mar, 2025 07:47am
The Zeenat Haroon Writing Prize for Women is sending out a call for submissions. This year’s category is ‘Short Fiction’. Writers
Published 30 Mar, 2025 07:42am
A ‘standalone sequel’ collection of college stories by Nadya Chishty-Mujahid draws readers into familiar territory but is more...
Published 23 Mar, 2025 09:06am
A recent book details the story of a woman who, through her sheer dedication and pursuit of excellence, has shaped the future of
Published 23 Mar, 2025 08:59am
A well-researched book details a people’s history of Karachi and how gradual negligence turned the city of lights into a city of
Published 23 Mar, 2025 08:54am
My copy of So Long a Letter is dated September 1986. That year, I was feeding my imagination on what we then quaintly referred to
Published 23 Mar, 2025 08:35am
A voluminous biography of China’s celebrated former prime minister, based on previously inaccessible documents, is also partly a
Published 16 Mar, 2025 12:03pm
American journalist and author Jessica Bruder was in Pakistan last month to attend the Lahore Literary Festival. She speaks with
Published 16 Mar, 2025 11:54am
Mustansar Hussain Tarar’s new book delves into the intricacies of human nature as he shares his personal experiences with some of
Published 16 Mar, 2025 11:42am
