Magazine launch: Echoing voices of Pakistani literati

The bi-monthly ‘Solidarity International’ celebrates its first edition.

A bi-monthly magazine aiming to promote the literary tradition and ingenuity of writers of Pakistani origin was launched here on Sunday.

The July-August issue of the magazine, “Solidarity International”, is devoted to English literature by writers of Pakistani origin around the world.

The magazine includes English poems by Zulfikar Ghose, Ejaz Rahim, Prof. Fawzia Afzal Khan, Nilofer Sultana, John Siddique, Shabnam Riaz, Sehba Sarwar, Khurram Khiraam Siddiqui, Pushpa Vallabh, Shumaila Shafkat Ali, Jam Jamali, Aadil Omer, Ammara Ahmad, Fatima Hafsa Malik and Khadija Khurram.

The prose section includes internationally renowned Pakistani fiction writer Bapsi Sidhwa’s article on Iqbal and Annemarie Shimmel; two very informative prose pieces by Muneeza Shamsie, one about Atiya Fayzee and the other about Ahmed Ali; a rare piece of memoir by Tamzin Jan Rashid, the daughter of N M Rashid; an article by Qutubuddin about prominent spy writer of 20th century H Iqbal; a book review by Saman Shamsie; and profile of Dr Anwaar Ahmad.

Chief Editor Khalid Athar writes in the foreword, “The publication of pure literary and art magazine shows our sincerity and solidarity with the writers, poets and the artists of the entire world.”

Khurram Khiraam Siddiqui, the magazine’s editor, in his editorial writes that the tradition of writing in English by the writers of Pakistani origin has been consistently moving ahead since the time of British rule in India.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 18^th, 2011.