ISLAMABAD, Jan 31: In a world dominated by conflicts and filled with frightful stories of armies trampling the frontiers of other nations as well as nature's wrath
, creative work of writers and poets succeed in drowning sorrows of mankind, and women certainly occupy a prominent place on that broad canvas.
This was stated by Perveen Qadir Agha at a function organized by literary organization 'Imkan' on Monday. Perveen Agha is the chairperson of Perveen Shakir Trust.
She was the guest of honour at the function held to honour Narjis Afroze, whose poetical collection Muhabbat Aasman Hai (Love is as tall as the sky) was published two years ago. This poetical collection won the Aks Khushboo Poetry Award for the year 2004.
Pakistan Academy of Letters Chairman Iftikhar Arif, who was the chief guest, said it was now common to celebrate achievements of women writers and poets. But, it was quite difficult in Urdu literature, at least some years ago, when women preferred using male pen names.
Later, women would write the first letter of their name, as for example Zahida Khatoon Sherani of Aligarh who would sign her poems as ZKS. However, readers ought to refrain from attributing personal reflections in poetry written by women since a general misperception to this effect continues to persist, he said.
Iftikhar Arif said Sylvia Platt, wife of English poet laureate Ted Hughes, excised more than a dozen poems from her work because this impression would not die down and her poems were generally suspected to describe her interaction with her man.
Poets like Narjis Afroze must move ahead and acquire a personal identity rather than be overshadowed by the style of Perveen Shakir so as to make a mark in the literary world.
As for the travails of Urdu feminist writers, eminent poet Shabnam Shakeel felt that women writers had to work hard to establish their distinctive voice. It was not so easy in the days of Ada Jafrey or Zohra Nigah, for example.
Shabnam Shakeel said women writers had to suffer double indignities. They were heir to hardship which is the lot of women of third-world countries, and yet it was quite remarkable for them to succeed in achieving a forceful voice in intense unfriendly environment.
In her essay, short-story writer and celebrated TV producer Farhin Chowdhury described Narjis' second poetical collection Muhabbat Aasman Hai as the work of a poet waling between uncertain thoughts and living reality of male-dominated society.
