A coffee table book, Beyond the Valleys, was formally launched at an event celebrating visual storytelling, travel and social impact, bringing together artists, writers and members of the creative community.
The publication reimagines travel and memory-making in Gilgit-Baltistan through a retro-inspired visual narrative that captures roadside towns, candid encounters and sweeping northern landscapes.
Authored by visual activist and interdisciplinary artist Zaheer Chaudhry, the book challenges conventional ideas of travel photography by demonstrating that meaningful visual storytelling can emerge from presence, instinct and observation rather than expensive equipment. Captured primarily on a mobile device, Beyond the Valleys reflects Chaudhry’s belief that visual expression has the power to provoke deeper understanding and connection.
More than a collection of photographs, the book serves as a visual guide for tourists and storytellers, encouraging authentic documentation and spontaneity. The book discusses the 50-year legacy of the Gilgit-Baltistan government-owned Northern Areas Transport Corporation. The book’s central message is that travel is shaped by both tradition and adopting transformation. The launch also acknowledged the role of the Aalam Bibi Foundation, a grassroots education initiative for underprivileged children in Lahore’s industrial areas, by Farah Deeba Akram. Beyond the Valleys invites readers to see Gilgit-Baltistan not only as a destination but as a space of memory, movement and meaning, reminding audiences that journeys are shaped as much by human connection as by landscape. News desk