ZUBAIR QURESHI
Acclaimed short story writer Mazharul Islam’s “Sarus Crane Apnay Khwabon mein se Urh kar ja Chukay Hain” was celebrated Wednesday at the Faiz Ahmed Faiz Auditorium of the Pakistan Academy of Letters (PAL). A book signing ceremony along with reading of different excerpts from the book was the highlight of the evening. Senator Raza Rabbani who himself is author of many books and Federal Secretary National heritage & culture Division Fareena Mazhar attended the ceremony and got their copies of Mazharul Islam’s novel signed by none other than the author himself. Chairman of the PAL, Muzaffar Ali Burki was also present to receive the honourable guests.
The book signing-cum-reading ceremony was organized by the Perveen Shakir Trust (PST) in collaboration with the PAL. Literati from the twin cities attended the ceremony and a panel of eminent writers read various chapters of the book. They described the book—a bird’s love story—the first time-travel novel of Urdu, that reminds us of thedays when people used to love, read books, and write letters.
The protagonist of the novel, a sarus crane, in order to meet his love, flies backward from the 21st century to the 18th.
He comes across different ages and travels through ancient cities. During the course of flight he learns how ‘rich’ the people of the past used to be as they upheld human values.
While paying rich tributes to Mazharul Islam’s ‘unique’ novel, Fareena Mazhar said Mazharul Islam’s fame is spread and his works are translated in many languages of the world. His first novel, “Mohabbat Murda Phoolon ki Symphony” (Love: Symphony of Dead Flowers) has already won him laurels from across the world, she said. His books of short stories and work on Punjab’s folklore have also won him acclaim at the national and international level, she said.
The panel of readers that read excerpts from the book included Director of the PAL and award-winning fiction writer, Muhammad Asim Butt, story writer Shoaib Khaliq, Jaweria Tameem, Bushra Taimoor and Ayesha Farooq.
Shoaib Khaliq called the ‘Sarus Crane Apnay Khwabon mein se Urh kar ja Chukay Hain’ a brief but striking review of the four centuries.
Sofia Shakeel read from the chapter that describes the 19th century “when people used to buy books instead of property, present books as gifts and wrote letters to their loved ones.”
Ayesha Book read out that Wazirabad where Mazharul Islam grew up in his forest officer father’s house and made friendship with butterflies, birds and trees in his early years made a recurring theme of the novel. At the end of the ceremony, former Federal Secretary Economic Affairs Division and a literary personality in his own right, Saleem Sethi paid a ‘poetic tribute’ to Mazharul Islam.
