Diverse short stories in an intriguing new book on December 27, 2022A lady in her utter embarrassment stated recently on social media that despite being Punjabi by birth she gets embarrassed when she is asked as to why her children do not converse in Punjabi language. She knew that as her children had grown, she had preferred to make their admission in English speaking schools. Punjabi […]
Bilquis Khanum — veteran ghazal singer is no more on December 23, 2022The news emanating from Karachi about Bilquis Khanam’s demise shattered my nerves. I recalled that I had written on her talent and personality in 2008. Nothing has changed except that she is no more with us physically except her music shall remain with us or decades to come. My book Melody Makers has a chapter […]
Memories of visitors preserved in literary magazine on October 27, 2022It has been a decade since Sonan Azhar Javed has kept the legacy of his father alive by continuously publishing the literary magazine which his father Azhar Javed started 54 years ago. Inside the cover of the magazine contains the photographs of the literary persons who visited the office of monthly Takhleeq in the month […]
From the backyard of the universe on September 15, 2022Listening to the humming of songs by Sanober Altaf’s mother while busy in household affairs, left a mark in Sanober Altaf’s subconscious. This feeling influenced her poems and short stories as regularly published in Islamabad’s literary journals. Her interest in criticism of prose on literature and social issues were also published. She continued with her […]
Book overlaps socio-political environment and history on September 7, 2022To this reviewer’s comprehension a biography contains the author’s life history and experiences overlapping the socio-political environment and history of the era he lived them. Even in a novel the history in the making engulfs the plots and characters of the novel. Doctor Zhivago, novel by Boris Pasternak, was published in Italy in 1957. This […]
Cultural Odyssey — unveiling the contents of a beautiful book on August 25, 2022Cultural Odyssey of many countries is the content of a beautiful book written by Dr Fatima Hussain who is an Indian writer married to a Pakistani writer cum politician Fakhar Zaman. Printed on art paper with colour photographs has made Afzaal Ahmad’s presentation beautiful. Dr Fatima Hussain did her M Phil and PhD from Jawaharlal […]
Remembering Nayyara Noor who had a haunting, tuneful and a sweet voice on August 22, 2022A citizen is flabbergasted when he has to endure the news of political turmoil in the country every morning. In my case escape from this mental mayhem is found by listening to sot music by Melody Makers of the subcontinent. Sweet cultured voices like that of Nayyara Noor provided a relief from the torture of […]
Azhar Javed’s short stories are based on real accounts on August 9, 2022Writing a short story based on real happenings is a difficult task especially if written in a fluent and easy diction. Azhar Javed’s short stories book ‘Buhut Dair Ho Gayi’ (It’s already too late) is being referred to here. Now comes the million dollar question whether the credit should be given to the writer or […]
Masood Rana — a rich voice of bygone era on July 14, 2022It happens that you do not value a thing or a relation when it is available on your door steps. That was a case with me when I used to come across singer Masood Rana in PTV premises in senior music producer Rafiq Ahmad Warraich’s room. Now that I am hosting my Radio Show ‘Fun […]
Analysis of dissertation on Mumtaz Raashid on June 24, 2022It is a great tribute paid to an artist in his/her life time when research is conducted on his/her works and the researcher is rewarded in the shape of M Phil degree. Mumtaz Raashid is one such guy on whose works, research was conducted and the student who did research was Talat Riaz, and presenter […]