A slim but noteworthy book looks at the decline of Hindustani classical music in Pakistan and posits the reasons behind it
Published 15 Dec, 2024 09:23am
In a ninth installment of ‘Evergreens’ from his bookshelf, Muhammad Ali Siddiqi remembers books about wars that defined the
Published 15 Dec, 2024 09:23am
The novel from Sehbai proves once again that, for him, art is a continuum with no beginning and no end. Art keeps grow
Published 15 Dec, 2024 09:23am
The library spilled over to the adjacent verandah. Father’s most amazing collection, the complete set of 45 volumes
Published 08 Dec, 2024 08:12am
A new book on the life of the late Baloch insurgent Mir Hazar Khan Marri is less about him than about presenting a statist
Updated 08 Dec, 2024 01:02pm
A prize-winning debut novel brings into perspective colour prejudice and the pleasures of the natural world, while being
Published 08 Dec, 2024 08:12am
The Urdu translation of a novel considered a classic of modern Chinese literature is immensely atmospheric and evocative
Published 08 Dec, 2024 08:12am
An Irish author’s novel about two brothers dealing with grief in their own ways and their relationship with each other offers some
Published 01 Dec, 2024 07:07am
A collection of reviews written in contemporaneous publications about Pakistani movies released between 1948 and 1971 fills a...
Published 01 Dec, 2024 07:07am
A republishing of the most comprehensive study of Sindh’s history is a visual treat as well as a book to cherish
Published 01 Dec, 2024 07:07am
Those who use print dictionaries frequently, get so practised in the exercise that they can usually open it on the...
Published 01 Dec, 2024 07:07am
Although Noor Zaheer shares the broad outlines of the same political ideology and their progressive literary bent,
Published 24 Nov, 2024 10:23am
The Dhahan Prize for Punjabi fiction announced its 11th annual winner, Jinder (Jalandhar, Punjab, India), of a...
Published 24 Nov, 2024 10:23am
A journalist’s memoirs shed light on a particularly tumultuous phase of Pakistan’s history
Published 24 Nov, 2024 10:23am
The murders of four women and the arrest of the suspect prompts a young woman to start corresponding with the killer in jail
Published 24 Nov, 2024 10:23am
A witty memoir sheds light on growing up queer in Pakistan, moving to America and struggling to find a place between the two world
Published 24 Nov, 2024 10:23am
On a fine, cold November afternoon, I am sitting at a restaurant with Naila Khan, a friend from Dhaka, who is ...
Updated 17 Nov, 2024 11:23am
A collection of articles focuses on the education crisis in Pakistan
Updated 17 Nov, 2024 11:23am
A darkly humorous essay about medical students wins the non-fiction prize this year
Updated 17 Nov, 2024 11:24am
You have been back in your London home for several months now, after a year in different hospitals, following your...
Updated 17 Nov, 2024 11:24am
Hanif Kureishi’s new book is a riveting and courageous memoir about the accident that left him paralysed and his experiences
Published 17 Nov, 2024 07:57am
The mere sweep of a voluminous tome, encapsulating centuries of Indian and Pakistani history, inspires awe. But some of its
Published 10 Nov, 2024 10:06am
The memoirs of a decorated army officer’s wife describes the idiosyncrasies of military life, the glamour of travel, and also the
Published 10 Nov, 2024 10:02am
A coffee-table book by a celebrated potter and ceramist delves into the art of earthenware across Pakistan and the artisans behind
Published 10 Nov, 2024 09:45am
Since my last column about Saadat Hasan Manto’s story ‘Tamasha’, I came across his sketch ‘Hindi Aur Urdu’ (1954). Then I read
Published 10 Nov, 2024 09:41am
Yet another book on the late leftist leader Meraj Muhammad Khan is a comprehensive look at his life and struggles, bringing
Published 03 Nov, 2024 10:53am
A debut novel by a Pakistani civil servant, based on the realities of Pakistani society, has hints of autobiographical details...
Published 03 Nov, 2024 10:33am
Blending humour, personal anecdotes and correctives on history, an engaging autobiography offers a roadmap to those let down by
Published 03 Nov, 2024 10:26am
The prolific and leading English author from the past century E.M. Forster famously wrote: “Two cheers for...
Published 03 Nov, 2024 10:16am
William Dalrymple’s latest book is a treat of expansive history, providing fresh insights into the westward and eastward expansion
Published 27 Oct, 2024 09:55am
A self-help book challenges readers to think about living a more satisfying life that goes beyond the mere accumulation of wealth
Published 27 Oct, 2024 09:50am
Abubakar Sheikh’s latest book brings travel-writing in Urdu into full form, showcasing history, geography and ecology into...
Published 27 Oct, 2024 09:45am
While conducting storytelling sessions at schools, I am often requested for stories with morals. I can understand the concern
Published 27 Oct, 2024 09:41am
Yuval Noah Hariri’s latest book delves into how information systems have shaped human destiny, the role of artificial intelligence
Published 20 Oct, 2024 07:41am
Taha Kehar’s sophomore novel is a meticulously crafted story about a bizarre memorial service for a dead woman in which those...
Published 20 Oct, 2024 07:37am
A new cookbook is not just a book of recipes, but a beautifully presented dive into a melting pot of different traditions...
Published 20 Oct, 2024 07:34am
The winner of this year’s Nobel Prize for Literature is the first South Korean writer to receive the award
Published 20 Oct, 2024 07:28am
The United States invaded Iraq in March 2003. In The Achilles Trap, Steve Coll, a professor of journalism at Columbia University
Published 13 Oct, 2024 09:57am
An ambitious and informative book about the history, culture and politics of Sindh through the ages is not critically rigorous...
Published 13 Oct, 2024 09:47am
Explicit novel Icebreaker is under fire for its ‘misleading’ cover. A book designer explains — and reveals how covers work
Published 13 Oct, 2024 09:43am
Out of the three principal centres of Indo-Persian civilisation that evolved from a fusion of multiple Vedic and...
Published 13 Oct, 2024 09:32am
A superbly engaging book penned by an Indian author provides the first-ever history of Pakistan women’s cricket, its
Published 06 Oct, 2024 09:30am
Fatima Ijaz inhabits the skin of a poet, but borrows a leaf from the prose writer’s handbook in her sophomore book, a moving me
Published 06 Oct, 2024 09:30am
A new collection of poems by one of Pakistan’s foremost English poets utilises the genre of sonnet to muse about love, loneliness,
Published 06 Oct, 2024 09:30am
I grew up in a home lovingly filled with books; there were books in every room. Books defined who we were. My mother...
Published 06 Oct, 2024 09:30am
A debut novel from Pakistan revolving around multiple plotlines and characters caught in their own tragedies, showcases its author
Published 30 Sep, 2024 04:25pm
A debut science fiction novel from Pakistan deals with heavy issues of colonialism and imperialism but is a rollicking adventure
Published 30 Sep, 2024 03:53pm
Dr Tariq Rahman’s book on Ghalib is an exceptional scholarly work that might prompt new thinking on a few themes in classical...
Published 30 Sep, 2024 03:49pm
During the 1970s and 1980s, some popular slogans among politically charged progressive students in Pakistan included...
Published 30 Sep, 2024 03:33pm
Journalist Robert Fisk’s posthumously published book about the Middle East is an analysis of his decades of reporting from that...
Published 22 Sep, 2024 08:50am
The latest poetry collection from a leading British poet of Pakistani origin contemplates the veracity and interpretation of words
Published 22 Sep, 2024 08:46am
A coffee table book on the city of Banbhore is priceless material for archaeologists and researchers but also contains a wealth of
Published 22 Sep, 2024 08:42am
As important as what to read is what not to read. So, instead of recommending a book on leadership or management...
Published 22 Sep, 2024 08:36am
A book that shows how public spaces, education and markets can be reshaped to nurture cooperation and help a society flourish
Published 15 Sep, 2024 09:28am
The memoirs of late actor Mathew Perry have him talking about his troubled life that drove him to drug and alcohol addiction
Published 15 Sep, 2024 09:25am
Muhammad Ali Siddiqi delves into more of his Evergreens from his reading shelf in an eighth installment
Published 15 Sep, 2024 08:58am
Autumn, 1979. At a church in Hammersmith, [London,] Ted Hughes reads from his collection Crow, which my friend buys...
Published 15 Sep, 2024 08:34am
A book that attempts to give context to Imran Khan’s political trajectory in Pakistan’s dynamic class and political landscape with
Published 08 Sep, 2024 09:45am
A retiree’s recollections of the many different aspects of the Karachi that was and is, along with the inhabitants of this city
Published 08 Sep, 2024 09:41am
A visually striking coffee-table book that delves into the broader socio-political implications of architectural design through...
Published 08 Sep, 2024 09:38am
Last time I wrote about learning Urdu, with a special focus on Ismat Chughtai’s writing. For me, 2024 has been the...
Published 08 Sep, 2024 09:32am
A book by a veteran educationist provides an overview of historical perspectives on teaching and teacher education and argues the
Published 01 Sep, 2024 06:31am
A satirical Urdu novella tells the story of a fantastical planet where animals with various human characteristics reign supreme
Published 01 Sep, 2024 06:31am
A book about Mairaj Muhammad Khan by his friend delves into the often-volatile life and times of the leftist politician and...
Published 01 Sep, 2024 06:31am
I begin with the confession that this column is limited to being a family memory. It is about my maternal uncle and...
Published 01 Sep, 2024 06:31am
Jhumpa Lahiri’s long-awaited return to the short-story genre is a moving collection about the lives of foreigners from various
Published 25 Aug, 2024 08:52am
A translator reflects on what she gained from a pioneering gathering of translators of South Asian languages
Published 25 Aug, 2024 08:51am
A one-day mini Adab Festival offered those attending plenty of insights and thought-provoking perspectives about books and issues
Published 25 Aug, 2024 08:50am
Learned bodies in arts and literature exist for the advancement and promotion of these disciplines, and everywhere ...
Published 25 Aug, 2024 08:49am
