National Language Authority launch five Urdu books

Jumbo Editorial Team

May 28, 2012 became a Red Letter day as the National Language Authority launched as many as five books at its headquarters in Islamabad. The books covered a wide academic spectrum from the importance and decay of the Urdu language to socio-political dynamics of Pakistan.

The books to be launched were Urdu as a Secondary Language by Dr Suleman Athar, Liberalism in Urdu Literature by Dr Riffat Iqbal, Dr Abdul Salam Khursheed by Dr Mohammad Shahzad, Urdu Novel and Decline of Human Nature by Bazgha Qandeel and Hewanat ki Alamti Haesiat by Saeed Ahmed. 

The intellectuals present on the occasion expressed their concern over the decline in the number of people speaking native languages and dialects. 

They pointed out that every year the world witnessed about 2,500 languages reach extinction as native speakers did not work for the continuation of their mother tongue from generation to generation adding that the fast-paced and homogenous technological world of today was not conducive to verbal and literary diversity. 

Federal Secretary of National Heritage and Integration, Asif Ghafoor, pointed out that there were about 6,000 languages in the world out of which every year 2,500 vanish from the face of earth, emphasizing on the need to make sure that our local languages remained alive. He urged the literary persons to take steps to secure the local languages so that they would carry on.

Author Dr Suleman Athar said that in his book he had tried to convey the message that all the languages were very important and they should be protected. 

Author Dr Mohammad Shahzad said he had chosen Dr Abdul Salam as the subject of his book because he had really done well in the field of education and journalism. 

Author Riffat Iqbal said that he had discussed the liberalism of new era in his book and tried to relate it with the past. 

Author Bazgha Qandeel said that she had tried to show the downfall of the human beings. 

Dr Hanif Khalil of Quaid-i-Azam University while commenting on the book of Dr Suleman Athar said the local languages should be protected and the only way to protect them is that those languages should be introduced in the syllabus at provincial level. 

He gave the example of Sindhi and said that it had become the language of courts and the official language of the province. 

Manzar Naqvi while talking about the book of Riffat Iqbal said that the author had discussed different cultures and liberalism in them. In that book even freedom movements and their impacts had been discussed in detail, he added. 

Dr Roshan Aara while talking about the book of Dr Mohammad Shahzad said, “Although, usually there is a difference between personality of author and his writing but the book about Dr Abdul Salam reflects his true self.” 

Abid Sial while giving his expert opinion on the book of Bazgha Qandeel said that most of the quotes in the book had been taken from the Holy Quran. Hameed Shahid while discussing about the book of Saeed Ahmed said the book showed the difference between human beings and animals besides telling the history of story-telling in the Indian Subcontinent.

Rawalpindi Arts Council launches young poet Wajiul Hasnain Nizami

Jumbo Editorial Team

The Rawalpindi Arts Council, one of the leading institutions in the promotion of arts and culture in the Potohar region, scored another point by hosting the launching ceremony young poet Wajiul Hasnain Nizami’s maiden book ‘Nain Say Ain Tak’ on May 26.

Syed Asif Salahuddin, Chairman, Ad Group, was the chief guest in the function which was presided over by Shahid Hussain Tareen, a famous poet. 

“Literature is the reflection of the society, which can play an important role in social change according to situation. It’s very heartening that the young poets of Rawalpindi like Wajiul Hasnain are thinking of bringing about revolutionary change in the society,” Asif Salahuddin remarked in his speech on the occasion. 

“The harmony in Wajiul Hasnain’s poetry is due to his keen interest in music. He is a staunch follower of Amir Khusro,” Shahid Tareen observed. 

Naheed Manzoor, a guest of honour, also reckoned that Wajiul Hasnain’s keen interest in music also reflected in his poetry which differentiated him from other young poets.

 

Waqar Ahmed, Resident Director, Rawalpindi Arts Council, in his welcome address, praised the young poet for having compiled his collection in book form. 

Quite a few literary organizations from the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad participated in the book launch and appreciated the efforts of Rawalpindi Arts Council for encouraging new talent of the region. 

The poet, Wajiul Hasnain, also performed on ‘sitar’ and a local singer, Shabih Sen, enthralled the audience by singing his songs. The Rawalpindi Arts Council, located on Murree Road in the vicinity of the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, has remained quite active by organizing various events from time to time. It was established as Pakistan Arts Council in 1966 as an autonomous body and supported through grants from the Federal Government as well as the provincial government of the Punjab, while it was restructured in 1975.

Biennial Cape Town Book Fair from June 15

Jumbo Editorial Team

The Cape Town Book Fair, having started through a joint venture between the Publishers’ Association of South Africa (PASA) and the Ausstellungs- und Messe GmbH (Frankfurt Book Fair), has established itself as the best platform for the literary world to gather and trade in the business of publishing.

It was established in 2006 to harness the momentum created by the Harare Book Fair and create another book fair that could fill the vacuum. 

It proved to be the right decision because since then the Cape Town Book Fair has become a hugely popular book fair for the general public. 

Previously an annual event, in 2011 organisers, the PASA decided to make it a biennial event, starting in 2012. 

The eagerly awaited sixth edition will now be taking place at the Cape Town International Convention Centre from June 15 to 17. It’s being remodelled and set to impress with organisers confident that this year’s Fair will far outdo expectations: they’re anticipating an exciting mix of representatives from the African, Arab and Asian publishing worlds.

The opening day (June 15) will be observed as the trade-only day until 2 pm, after which the public will be welcomed until 10 pm. 

This will give trade visitors an opportunity to share ideas and trade well into the night with representatives from Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, the US, Nigeria, Turkey, Ghana, China, the UK, Uganda and the Netherlands. 

It caters for all bibliophiles, trade visitors and publishers, with over 200 events, including meet the author sessions, panel discussions, literary forums, book launches and symposiums. 

One of Africa's most prolific writers, Ngugi wa Thiong'o, will be participating in the opening session and visitors can look forward to a book reading and signing session as well. He is a prominent novelist and theorist of post-colonial literature, most well-known for Decolonising the Mind.

The Van Riebeeck Society will be launching AB Xuma Autobiography and Selected Works, a compilation of former-ANC leader, Dr Alfred Bitini Xuma's correspondence and prose, edited by Peter Limb. 

Two books on Jacob Zuma will be launched during the Fair as well. There will also be panel discussions on ANC policies - with Susan Booysen, Glenda Daniels and Anthony Butler, who will be leading some of these debates. 

Renowned academic and educational publishers and exhibitors will be returning this year. Wits University Press, Juta & Co, Unisa Press, UCT Press will be launching and selling books as well as hosting some of the debates. The Cape Town Book Fair had attracted 273 exhibitors and in excess of 33,000 visitors. 

This year the Cape Town Book Fair will coincide with the 29th International Publishers’ Association (IPA) Congress. The IPA Congress attracts between 600 and 1000 delegates while the speakers at the congress are top professionals and policy makers in the book sector. This means that the Fair will be enhanced with a decidedly international flavour of the who’s who in the publishing world.

Fatima Surayya Bajia’s autobiography launched at Arts Council

 Jumbo Editorial Team

The legendary writer Fatima Surayya Bajia’s autobiography was launched with great fanfare at Arts Council of Pakistan, Karachi, on May 21 with her illustrious brother, Anwar Maqsood, keeping the ceremony alight his razor-sharp wit and family anecdotes. He, however, never lost sight of the respect and reverence that Bajia deserved.

The autobiography has been authored by Syeda Iffat Hasan Rizvi after six years of research. She stayed with Bajia and talked at length to her siblings.

“At times I even asked extremely personal questions but Bajia never once raised an eyebrow,” she said. Anwar Maqsood admitted that the love shared by all of his 10 siblings, who include, eminent Urdu poet Zehra Nigah, fashion designer Bunto Kazmi and Zubaida Tariq, is seldom seen anywhere. “That’s because our parents never left anything for us,” he immediately quipped.

“All they left were around 10,000 books. Maybe if they had left some property then we wouldn’t love each other so much.” He introduced Qazi Wajid to the stage by saying he was the only actor who has been doing theatre before Bajia began writing plays. His best introduction was reserved for Zubaida Aapa.  

Prof Sehar Ansari praised Bajia’s character and her works. Talking about her habit of calling everyone a beta (son), he said that Bajia even called an 80-year-old beta when she was herself only 40 years old.

He lauded the fact that a book on Bajia’s life and works had finally been published. He said affection and compassion for fellow human beings were integral to Bajia’s personality.

Agha Nasir told the audience how Bajia first got involved with Pakistan Television. Her flight to Karachi had been delayed and she came to PTV Islamabad station for a visit. He hired her and Bajia made her debut in 1966 by acting in one of his plays. She began writing afterwards.

He observed that the most significant feat that Bajia had accomplished was that she was able to put together the culture and values of this country at a time when they cut a disparate picture.

The author of the book, Iffat Hasan Rizvi, stated that Bajia was such a great writer that she felt it was her responsibility not to ignore her works. The book was an attempt at making Bajia an important part of Urdu literature. 

Maqamat-e-Dil launched at Sir Syed University

By Abdul Qadir Qureshi

The Chancellor of the Sir Syed University of Engineering & Technology (SSUET), Karachi, Engr Z A Nizami, has renewed the commitment to continue supporting the cause of promotion of Urdu language and its literature.

He stated this while speaking as the chief guest at the launching ceremony of Shah Hasan Atta’s book titled “Maqamat-e-Dil” which was held under the SSUET at its spacious Bashir A Malik Auditorium. 

The graceful ceremony was largely attended by noted writers, scholars and other eminent literary personalities.  

The Chancellor pointed out that despite the fact that the SSUET is an engineering institution, it has published around 200 books on general subjects that showed the dedication and commitment to the cause of Urdu language. 

 “I personally feel that it is too difficult to preserve events and memories with complete truth and accuracy, yet Shah Hassan Atta wrote a book that is a valuable addition to the work of literature,” Engr Z A Nizami complimented. 

He paid glowing tributes to the outstanding works of Shah Hassan Atta and announced to bring out his biography soon and also to print his unpublished works. 

Speaking on the occasion, Prof Sehar Ansari, an eminent poet, said that author Shah Hassan Atta has left indelible marks in the period when every other person was a giant. He had deep studies and knowledge. He was the first Secretary of the students’ union at Aligarh Muslim University and later became the Vice President of students’ union. 

Dr Waqar Ahmed Rizvi, a noted writer and critic, described Shah Hassan Atta was a fabulous writer whose focus was much more on spirituality and Sufism. Senior Aligarian Saeed Siddiqui and Shah Umar Atta, author’s son, also spoke on the occasion, appreciating the SSUET’s gesture of encouraging scholastic works for the promotion of Urdu, the national language of Pakistan.

60 scholars attend UK’s first-ever academic conference to discuss Harry Potter

Jumbo Editorial Team

Around 60 scholars from across the globe are set to take part in a conference at the St Andrews University in Scotland discussing JK Rowling’s famous Harry Potter books. It’s the UK’s first-ever academic conference on the subject and the first in the world to discuss Harry Potter strictly as a literary text.

The event, A Brand of Fictional Magic: Reading Harry Potter as Literature, aims to redress the lack of direct study of the body of work as a literary text. 

In an intense series of almost 50 lectures over two days, experts on the series will discuss how they deal with death, the role of empathy and the influence of writers such as CS Lewis and JRR Tolkien. 

Other papers will deal with paganism, magic and the use of food and British National Identity. The conference is organised by John Patrick Pazdziora from the university’s School of English, and Fr. Micah Snell from the university’s institute for theology, imagination and the arts (ITIA).

“We can't avoid the fact that Harry Potter is the main narrative experience of an entire generation, the children who quite literally grew up with Harry Potter. The Harry Potter novels are simply the most important and influential children's books of the late-twentieth and early-twenty-first centuries,” Pazdziora was quoted as saying. 

“For very many people, this is their first experience of literature, and of literary art. So they want to think about it, and analyse it, and talk about it. It's important because people care about it, and care very deeply,” he added. 

''As literary critics, as academics, why on earth wouldn't we want to come to grips with these texts? There's so much here to talk about, culturally and critically, that a two-day conference really can only get the conversation started. People will be reading and writing and studying Harry Potter for years to come. Rowling's seven novels run to 4100 pages, so the books would easily be able to sustain serious academic discussion over the two days,” Pazdziora stated.

The keynote speakers include John Granger, widely hailed as the leading authority on the series. He will be joined in St Andrews by fellow experts from countries including the USA, South Africa, Australia, India and the Philippines, as well as the UK. 

“The Hogwarts Saga is the most loved story in the history of publishing by quite a margin and, consequently, it is a natural and important subject of study for anyone interested in the literary arts,” Granger remarked. 

“Hogwarts, we're told, is hidden somewhere in Scotland, the author lives here, too, and Ms Rowling's mother was half Scot. It's somehow appropriate and fitting that the first academic conference of any size be held at Scotland's oldest university, St Andrews. The enthusiastic response and the quality of the universities from around the world who will be represented at the conference make it a landmark event,” he said.

Mexico's best known writer Carlos Fuentes passes away

Jumbo Editorial Team

Carlos Fuentes, who died recently in Mexico City at the age of 83, was one of the Spanish-speaking world's best known writers, famous for his prolific output and his use of experimental language.

President Felipe Calderon announced Mexico’s best known contemporary writer's death in a message on his Twitter account. 

The National Institute of Fine Arts and Literature confirmed he had died in a Mexico City hospital. The author's doctor Arturo Ballesteros informed the reporters that Fuentes could not recover after suffering a massive hemorrhage in his digestive tract at home. 

 Fuentes, the son of a diplomat, was born in Panama City on November 11, 1928. He spent parts of his childhood in Quito, Montevideo and Rio de Janeiro, and was enrolled in a US public school when his father was transferred to Washington. 

"You have to take some time out to be able to give literature the attention it deserves -- for journalism, for speaking, for friendship. I cannot be cloistered like a monk because I would lose contact with human beings, with life," Fuentes was quoted as saying in an interview in 2003.

A leading figure in the 1960s Latin American literature boom. Fuentes befriended both Colombian leftist Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Peruvian conservative Mario Vargas Llosa, and was known for criticising both the harsh side of Capitalism and the tough realities of Communism. 

Unlike his contemporaries though, Fuentes never won a Nobel Prize in literature, although for years he said to be on the short list and collected a clutch of other prestigious awards. 

"I met him 50 years ago," Vargas Llosa said in a Twitter message upon learning of Fuentes' death, "and we were friends all that time without anything ever impoverishing that friendship." 

Fuentes published his first collection of short stories, "Masked Days," under the guidance of his father Rafael. In 1958, when he was 30, he achieved international renown with "The Most Transparent Region," a portrayal of Mexico City's explosive growth. 

The novel "The Death of Artemio Cruz" (1967) won Fuentes both critical and public acclaim and became his best known work.