Pakastani Authors......

In an attempt to find out more about english language authors of Pakistani origin I tried to dig out a list of names. Quite surprisingly the result was very impressive. We have a considerable number of writers for fiction and non-fiction both as well as for poetry. Many political comentaries, religious works, travelogues, poetry collections and novels and short story collections have been published. What was quite disappointing was the fact that a significant number of these authors are based out side Pakistan and publish their works from their host countries. One such name is that of Adam Zameenzad, who although of Pakistani origin, has no links whatsoever with his parent country. So much so that hardly anyone save for those in the literary scene know of this talented writer. This is what I found on his official website.

Adam Zameenzad was born in Pakistan and spent his early childhood in Nairobi. He went to university in Lahore, Pakistan, becoming a lecturer there. He then took two years off to travel around Europe and the Americas before coming to live and work in the UK.

He has had five novels published: The Thirteenth House (winner of the David Higham Prize); My Friend Matt and Hena the Whore; Love, Bones and Water; Cyrus Cyrus; Gorgeous White Female. His latest work is Pepsi and Maria, a novel about the lives of street children.

His novels have been translated into many languages. In his writings he tends to portray the lives of social outcasts, loners, losers, the deprived and the dispossessed. He aims to give voice to the voiceless, reshape and re-form those distorted by time and circumstance, embrace the rejects of this world, dignify 'trash' - white, tinted or tainted - and make visible the invisible.

He has also had many short stories published in many anthologies, and poems in certain magazines

To get to know this author better, I emailed him to ask more about his latest work and whether any of his writings have been inspired from Pakistan. This is what he said:

PEPSI and MARIA, my last book, is about street children in Latrin America in
general, though mostly inspired by Mexico in particular.

Unfortunately my books are not generally available. I am one of those
writers who, for better or worse, get good critical acclaim, but do not sell
in great quantity. Most likely because I write about the troubled and
unfortunates of the world, not very popular in the current celebrity
obsessed consumerist culture of the west. Neither do Pakistanis or Indians
find me entirely acceptable as I often, though not always, write about the
sufferings of all kinds of people, all over the world, regardless of colour
or ethinicity. Some find it a betrayal of my homeland. That is not my
intention or disposition. It is just that human suffering, poverty and
oppression anywhere and everywhere concern me rather passionately.

As to whether writers from the old Indian sub-continent receive any
recognition, it chiefly depends on whether they make money or not. That
applies to native western writers as well. Everything these days is 'market
orientated', which means how it sells. That might seem a bit cynical, but is
a fact recognised by most concerned. It is getting more and more difficult
even to get publoished unless publishers can smell money. No longer is it
the decision of an editor as to the literary qualities of a manuscript. The
decision is taken by a board of directors, the final say being with
accountants.

Interview with Bapsi Sidhwa

Bapsi Sidhwa is the author of four internationally acclaimed novels. She lives in Houston, Texas, but was born in Karachi, Pakistan, and raised in Lahore. She graduated from Kinnaird College for Women, Lahore, and began writing in her twenties after the birth of two children.

In 1978, at a time when publishing in English was practically non-existent in Pakistan, Sidhwa self-published her novel The Crow Eaters. Since then, The Crow Eaters has been published and translated in numerous Eurapean and Asian countries. While The Bride was the first novel Sidhwa wrote, it was the second to be published. Cracking India, Sidhwa's third novel, was declared a New York Times Notable Book for1991, received the LiBerature Prize in Germany and was nominated by the American Library Association as a Notable Book the same year. An American Brat, was published in 1993.

Following is an excerpt from a short interview of Mis. Sidhwa taken by myself:

First of all, your first novel was published when there was hardly any concept of english authors from Pakistan and despite that you got international appreciation. What was the response at home? And being a Parsi and a Pakistani, what problems did you face in early years as a writer? Was there an issue of acceptability?

When I self-published Crow Eaters in Lahore, I had to peddle the book from shop to shop and the rare reviews were dismal. Most writers though loved it, specially Faiz, Ashfaq, Bano Qudsia. Once the book was published by Cape in UK, the slew of positive reviews changed the perception in Pak. and I was suddenly commented on favorably and interviewed as a celebrity. There is a slight problem being Parsi. Some reviewers harp on it to discredit me, saying things like 'Can you be a true Pakistani as a Parsee? etc.' It is v. hurtful, but fortunately there are not too many such people. There is a warmer feeling for Muslim writers in general. But I shouldn't quibble because on the whole I have been embraced and lionized.

Pirated book stalls are like a haven for avid readers because they are at a quarter of a fraction of the real cost. It obviously affects sales. What can authors do to prevent this from happening? Moreover, why aren’t prices kept to suit the pocket of an average Pakistani?

Piracy is a problem because of the steep prices. However some pirates are developing a conscience and assigning my previously pirated books to publishers. They have made a packet off me, but so long as books are read, I don't mind as much as I should. If we have more publishers and a larger reading public, the prices could be better controlled.

Finally, do you think much is being done to promote english language authors in Pakistan?

The small increase in publishers encourages writers and the media is kind and encouraging for the most part. Schools and Colleges should be teaching/assigning the books on a regular basis. The professors are scared of teaching my novels because of censorship fears. We are too squeamish about even mild sexual content.

Introduction

This blog will basically be a collection of findings on the Books and Publishing industry of Pakistan. A rich literary background but a dying taste for books is what characterizes this industry.
What was and what is it now? Where do we stand? Who were the pioneers of the industry?
Nothing profound, but this will be a humble attempt to join the dots and draw the picture.