Zubair Qureshi
Literary awards accompanied with around Rs 850,000 are being given in recognition of the books on poetry, prose, fiction during the Parveen Shakir Urdu Literature Festival being celebrated on Tuesday.
While giving details of the Urdu Literature Festival, Parveen Qadir Agha said apart from Aks-e-Khushbu Award (along with PKR 50,000 each for a book on poetry and a book on prose) which is a regular feature of the PST, seven new awards are being announced and given during the festival.
They include Husn-e-Funn Award (along with PKR 100,000 cash prize), Mian Atta Rabbani Sada Bahaar Award (along with PKR 100,000), Nayyir Adbi Award (PKR100,000), Sheikh Abdul Qadir Award (PKR 50,000), Younas Sethi Wafa Award (along with PKR 50,000), Sultan Mehmood Qazi Award (PKR50,000) and Begum Sarfaraz Iqbal Award (PKR 50,000).
PST established in memory of Parveen Shakir, noted Urdu poetess of Pakistan who lost her life in a car accident back in 1994.
According to Secretary of the PST, Raana Seerat, in the cold and dry environment of Islamabad the Urdu Literature Festival will bring warmth of life and literature as three big names Amjad Islam Amjad, Asghar Nadeem Sayyid and Mustansar Hussain Tarar are participating in the one-day event.
She said different sessions of the Urdu Literature Festival are creatively and artistically designed for interactive discussions and free and frank debates on various subjects related to Urdu fiction, poetry and prose.
one important feature and highlight of the event is arrival of Turkish scholar and writer Dr Davut Sahbaz who will be given Nayyir Adabi Award for his book on Mazharul Islam.
Besides, a number of seminars, discussions and debates on novels, future of printed word will be held and people will have the opportunity to listen to their favourite writers.
