Culture and Identity Selected English Writings of Faiz

by Faiz, Faiz Ahmad; Majeed, Sheema; Kazimi, Muhammad Reza

• ISBN13: 9780195979954
• ISBN10: 0195979958
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2006-03-30
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Summary

"This book is the first compilation of the English writing of Faiz Ahmed Faiz, Pakistan's premier poet and author, to be published. Apart from may volumes of poetry beginning with Naqsh-e-Faryadi in 1941, Faiz Ahmed Faiz wrote literary criticism and articles on culture in both Urdu and English. Some of his articles in this volume spell out the writer's well-known predilection for the progressive canons of literature. Articles on Amir Khusrau, Ghalib, Tolstoy, Iqbal, and Sadequain figure prominently in the collection as 'applied criticism'. This volume is not only invaluable for shedding light on the literary proclivities of Faiz but also stands on its own as a very candid and original exposition of Pakistan culture and thought."--BOOK JACKET.

Author Biography

Sheema Majeed is one of the most renowned literary researchers and bibliophiles of Pakistan. She has compiled and published more than fifteen books of some of our best literati and intellectuals. Among some important literary treasures she has unearthed are the Baqiaat-e-Miraji as well as the Urdu literary criticism of Faiz under the title Maqalat-e-Faiz (Lahore, 1994) and Maqalat-e-Rashid (Islamabad, 2002). Sheema Majeed has proved to be the mainstay of eminent literary scholars who otherwise would have sunk into oblivion.
Muhammad Reza Kazimi was born in Mumbai (1945) and migrated to Kolkata in his childhood, where he was able to witness the literary scene closely. Later in Karachi (1968 onwards) he published literary criticism such as Jadeed Urdu Marthia (1981), with a chapter on Faiz Ahmed Faiz; Taab-e-Sukhan (1994), a critique on literary critics themselves, and Nuqoosh-e-Josh (1995) studies of the revolutionary poet Josh Malihabadi. A stylistic and ideological analysis of Faiz Ahmed Faiz's poetry is to appear in his next critical collection. He is also the author of Liaquat Ali Khan: His Life and Work (OUP, 2003).

Table of Contents

Faiz by Faiz	p. 3
Impact of prison life on imagery	p. 21
The quest for identity in culture	p. 25
Cultural problems in underdeveloped countries	p. 33
Problems of cultural planning in Asia - with special reference to Pakistan	p. 37
Cross-cultural encounter in East-West literature - brief historical background	p. 49
What is the role of international exchange in cultural development?	p. 62
Problems of national art and culture	p. 79
What would you have?	p. 120
Shackles of colonialism	p. 122
The concept of beauty	p. 127
The unicorn and the dancing girl	p. 129
The world of sadequain	p. 133
The literary heritage of Pakistan	p. 137
The legacy of literature	p. 149
Khusrau : catalyst for social change	p. 153
Mirza Asadullah Khan Ghalib (1797-1869)	p. 156
Mohammad Iqbal	p. 164
Iqbal - the poet	p. 171
Iqbal	p. 178
Pakistan modern Urdu short stories	p. 184
Music research cell	p. 186
Major literary questions	p. 188
Moscow film festival	p. 194
Visit to the Soviet Union	p. 197
Homage to Tolstoy	p. 200
Writers, where do you stand?	p. 203
Poetry and sense	p. 206
Thoughts on the future of Ghazal	p. 212
No holiday from virtue	p. 219
Who was Tabata Sharra?	p. 221
The right to own women	p. 225
Gentlemen vs. players	p. 228
Like a vesture shalt thou change team	p. 235
Disgrace	p. 239
Stalin's peace offer	p. 241
Ghosts of yesterday	p. 243
Borrowed feet	p. 246
Indonesia week	p. 249
Pilgrimage to Washington	p. 250
The servants of the people	p. 254
Sindh Hari report	p. 257
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