Daily Times

Oxford University Press (OUP) hosted an event in memory of the great feminist poet Fahmida Riaz at its bookshop in Dolmen Mall Clifton. The event featured a discussion on Riaz’s life and literary career, with Sheema Kermani, social activist and theatre director; Khalid Ahmed, television director and actor; and Mujahid Barelvi, journalist and author, as speakers. This was followed by readings from Riaz’s poetic works.

The speakers highlighted that Fahmida Riaz was more than a poet and literary personality. She was a fearless and uncompromising literary innovator who tackled the most challenging of themes and whose love for humanity found expression in her poems and prose. They also spoke about Riaz’s role as an activist, a crusader for gender rights and freedom of expression, and a fighter on behalf of the oppressed and exploited.

Earlier in his address, OUP Pakistan Managing Director Arshad Saeed Husain, welcomed the guests and introduced the speakers. While speaking on the occasion, he said, “We are here today to honour that great lady, to pay tribute to her memory, and to be glad that someone of her literary magnitude had graced our days with her presence among us.” He further added that OUP had the privilege of working with Fahmida Riaz and publishing a number of her poetry anthologies, prose writings, translations, and books for children.

Published in Daily Times, December 18^th 2018.