COLUMN: Learning  from Bangladesh

COLUMN: Learning from Bangladesh

Naseer Memon’s book in Sindhi, Bangladesh: Bohraan Khaan Bohraan Taeen is a comprehensive account of the history of and political Published 14 Jun, 2026 05:55am
FICTION: Wilde and Gray in Urdu

FICTION: Wilde and Gray in Urdu

Oscar Wilde’s celebrated tale of beauty, vanity and moral decay finds a new linguistic home, opening one of English literature’s
Published 14 Jun, 2026 05:55am
FICTION: All that glitters

FICTION: All that glitters

An upper-class New York wife and mother in the 1970s finds herself suffocated by the demands of social performance
Published 14 Jun, 2026 05:55am
ESSAY: The limits of empathy

ESSAY: The limits of empathy

Adam Smith, Reinhold Niebuhr and Paul Bloom all value empathy. Yet each argue that feeling another’s pain is only the starting
Published 07 Jun, 2026 05:18am
POETRY: The rescue of Andromeda

POETRY: The rescue of Andromeda

A debut collection of poems offers moving meditations on the intricate role of identity and individuality in the journey
Published 07 Jun, 2026 05:18am
NON-FICTION: The enigma of Marilyn

NON-FICTION: The enigma of Marilyn

Part biography, part investigation, a fast-paced account retraces Marilyn Monroe’s journey from troubled orphan to global
Published 07 Jun, 2026 05:18am
COLUMN: RETHINKING EPIDEMICS

COLUMN: RETHINKING EPIDEMICS

In May 2026, the World Health Organisation declared Ebola in DR Congo and Uganda a “public health emergency of...
Published 31 May, 2026 06:58am
NON-FICTION: THE ORANGE CITY

NON-FICTION: THE ORANGE CITY

Academics, architects, artists and activists reflect on how a major transport project can reshape neighbourhoods and redefine
Published 31 May, 2026 06:58am
FICTION: ECHOES FROM THE STEPWELL

FICTION: ECHOES FROM THE STEPWELL

With memorable characters, vibrant landscapes and sharply tuned prose, the latest collection of Urdu short stories from Ali
Published 31 May, 2026 06:58am
NON-FICTION: A FOUNDATION REIMAGINED

NON-FICTION: A FOUNDATION REIMAGINED

An extraordinary collaboration between an art curator and an artist transforms the humble Urdu qaida into a work of art — one
Published 24 May, 2026 08:13am
FICTION: DEMONS IN THE DARK

FICTION: DEMONS IN THE DARK

A debut collection blends Pakistani folklore, supernatural beings and psychological dread into engrossing and suspenseful horror
Published 24 May, 2026 08:13am
NON-FICTION: MEMORIES OF A CITY

NON-FICTION: MEMORIES OF A CITY

An Urdu book about Karachi contains a treasure of historical facts about the metropolis and has nostalgia woven into every line
Published 24 May, 2026 08:13am
COLUMN: KHALIFAH AND THE GITA

COLUMN: KHALIFAH AND THE GITA

Hakim blends the Sanskrit names, the Persian terms and the Hindustani idiom in such a way that the translation reads like a
Published 24 May, 2026 08:13am
NON-FICTION: HOUSE OF GRIFTERS?

NON-FICTION: HOUSE OF GRIFTERS?

An unauthorised biography of the former Duke and Duchess of York attempts a sweeping exposé of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor
Published 17 May, 2026 08:09am
FICTION: MURDERS AND MYSTICISM

FICTION: MURDERS AND MYSTICISM

A novel blends suspense, trauma and Sufi philosophy into an ambitious thriller that is marred by an inconsistent style
Published 17 May, 2026 08:09am
COLUMN: JAUN ELIA’S JANUS FACE

COLUMN: JAUN ELIA’S JANUS FACE

In recent years, we have seen emerging on the literary horizon of the Urdu world a sustained Jaun Elia frenzy among...
Updated 10 May, 2026 08:54am
FICTION: SHADOWS OF THE PAST

FICTION: SHADOWS OF THE PAST

Across time and space, four friends discover that the past is not something left behind — but something that shapes the present
Updated 10 May, 2026 08:56am
NON-FICTION: AFTER THE DOUBLE FAULT

NON-FICTION: AFTER THE DOUBLE FAULT

Former tennis champion Boris Becker recounts his dramatic fall from grace and the lessons he learned behind bars in a new memoir
Updated 10 May, 2026 08:55am
FICTION: STORIES TO SPEND TIME WITH

FICTION: STORIES TO SPEND TIME WITH

A collection of Urdu short stories gathers a cast of lively characters from rural Sindh, shaping stories that blur the line...
Published 03 May, 2026 09:00am
FICTION: DESCENT INTO HELL

FICTION: DESCENT INTO HELL

After an academic adviser is blown up in a magical experiment, two of his students make a perilous journey to the underworld to
Published 03 May, 2026 08:57am
FICTION: NUGGETS FROM THE EVERYDAY

FICTION: NUGGETS FROM THE EVERYDAY

A debut collection of 24 Urdu short stories by a medical practitioner and academic are thought-provoking and wise observations...
Published 26 Apr, 2026 12:38pm
NON-FICTION: LOOK BACK IN TRIBUTE

NON-FICTION: LOOK BACK IN TRIBUTE

A collection of personal sketches of renowned figures from history and current times in Urdu encourages readers not just to...
Published 26 Apr, 2026 12:32pm
COLUMN: THE CONSTRICTED HEART

COLUMN: THE CONSTRICTED HEART

On an unseasonably cold November night in 2022, a pain, a dull burn, gripped my chest in what felt like a constriction, an uneasy
Published 26 Apr, 2026 12:18pm
FICTION: WRESTING CONTROL OF THE GRANARY

FICTION: WRESTING CONTROL OF THE GRANARY

The English translation of late Fahmida Riaz’s novel Qila-i-Faramoshi offers the Anglophone world a window into ancient Persian...
Published 19 Apr, 2026 11:49am
COLUMN: BOOKSTORES ARE FOREVER

COLUMN: BOOKSTORES ARE FOREVER

The Argentinian genius of a writer Jorge Luis Borges once said: “I have always imagined that Paradise will be a...
Published 12 Apr, 2026 06:08am
FICTION: THE STAR THAT DIMMED

FICTION: THE STAR THAT DIMMED

A new Urdu novel imagines the life of Ruttie Jinnah, bringing to life a woman lost in the margins of history and rescuing her from
Updated 19 Apr, 2026 12:15pm
COLUMN: POETRY OF THE MIND

COLUMN: POETRY OF THE MIND

Between the 16th and 18th centuries, Persian language poets in Iran and India established a parallel universe of...
Published 19 Apr, 2026 11:54am
FICTION: TALES OF THE CITY

FICTION: TALES OF THE CITY

A gripping collection of Urdu short stories feature Karachi as a vibrant metropolis in which individuals from diverse communities
Published 12 Apr, 2026 06:08am
NON-FICTION: TRAPPED BY HISTORY?

NON-FICTION: TRAPPED BY HISTORY?

A recent book attempts to decode the patterns of power and politics in Pakistan by connecting these dynamics with examples from
Published 12 Apr, 2026 06:08am
NON-FICTION: LOVE, LOSS AND MEMORY

NON-FICTION: LOVE, LOSS AND MEMORY

In his latest memoir, British author Ziauddin Sardar reflects on love, loss and language as he remembers three women who
Published 12 Apr, 2026 06:08am
FICTION: TRAITOR OR SURVIVOR?

FICTION: TRAITOR OR SURVIVOR?

Philippa Gregory revisits the Tudor court through Jane Boleyn, a woman who survived longer than most in King Henry VIII’s...
Published 05 Apr, 2026 09:23am
POETRY: DOWN MEMORY LANE

POETRY: DOWN MEMORY LANE

Adrian H. Husain’s latest collection of sonnets explore memory, time and the fragmented nature of recollection
Published 05 Apr, 2026 09:18am
NON-FICTION: A SOLDIER’S NATION

NON-FICTION: A SOLDIER’S NATION

Lt Gen (retd) Talat Masood’s memoirs are a military man’s recollections about his own idealism and professional
Published 29 Mar, 2026 07:18am
FICTION: FRIENDS AND DOUBTS

FICTION: FRIENDS AND DOUBTS

A debut novel tells the tale of a complex friendship between two young women while also exploring themes such as narcissism
Published 29 Mar, 2026 07:18am
COLUMN: PRUFROCK IN PAKISTAN

COLUMN: PRUFROCK IN PAKISTAN

The poem The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock was written by T.S. Eliot in 1915. Despite the poet’s young age — ...
Published 29 Mar, 2026 07:16am
LITBUZZ: ‘TELL US YOUR TRUTH’

LITBUZZ: ‘TELL US YOUR TRUTH’

The Zeenat Haroon Rashid Writing Prize for Women calls for women writers to submit for its 2026 competition. The...
Published 29 Mar, 2026 07:15am
COLUMN: MENTORS ON THE AIRWAVES

COLUMN: MENTORS ON THE AIRWAVES

Arif Waqar was my true teacher at the BBC. Besides teaching me how not to fluff up on the microphone and what should
Published 19 Mar, 2026 07:06am
COLUMN: THE FIRST NOVEL — II

COLUMN: THE FIRST NOVEL — II

Every Sunday, he would sit with the matrimonial advertisements in daily Jang, and mark potential candidates
Published 15 Mar, 2026 07:17am
NON-FICTION: FREEDOM IN ISLAM

NON-FICTION: FREEDOM IN ISLAM

A timely collection of essays by prominent Islamic scholars argues that arguments for religious freedom
Published 15 Mar, 2026 07:17am
NON-FICTION: FAME AND SURVIVAL

NON-FICTION: FAME AND SURVIVAL

Actor Charlie Sheen may not have become the superstar many expected, but he remains part of a strong Hollywood lineage
Published 15 Mar, 2026 07:17am
FICTION: WHEN RUMOUR REFUSES BURIAL

FICTION: WHEN RUMOUR REFUSES BURIAL

Mohammed Hanif’s deeply satirical new novel, set in the days following former prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s
Published 15 Mar, 2026 07:17am
NON-FICTION: FORMIDABLE AND FRAGILE

NON-FICTION: FORMIDABLE AND FRAGILE

Farhatullah Babar’s reflective, insider account of Benazir Bhutto’s life and politics corrects the twin caricatures that dominate
Published 08 Mar, 2026 10:41am
COLUMN: PHOBIA OF THE ABSTRACT

COLUMN: PHOBIA OF THE ABSTRACT

In one of his most complex and deceptively crafted verses, Mirza Ghalib says that the poet’s pen vibrates with the frequency of...
Published 08 Mar, 2026 10:14am
FICTION: IMAGINARY HOMELANDS

FICTION: IMAGINARY HOMELANDS

The winner of the Dylan Thomas Prize 2025 is a debut novel by a Palestinian author about the complexities that lie at the heart of
Published 01 Mar, 2026 09:24am
ESSAY: JAUN ELIA BEYOND THE ICON

ESSAY: JAUN ELIA BEYOND THE ICON

The popularity of Jaun Elia’s deceptively simple verse, which has become all the rage with the youth, often obscures the depth...
Published 01 Mar, 2026 09:21am
FICTION: SETTING THE STAGE

FICTION: SETTING THE STAGE

An elegantly structured novel, told through through the eyes of a young lad, is the first part of four interconnected novels...
Published 22 Feb, 2026 06:45am
NON-FICTION: BLAME IT ON BASHIR

NON-FICTION: BLAME IT ON BASHIR

A former journalist’s book on Princess Diana’s infamous 1995 Panorama interview with Martin Bashir expects readers to consider...
Published 22 Feb, 2026 06:45am
COLUMN: THE GHAZAL: ARROW, HEART, LIVER

COLUMN: THE GHAZAL: ARROW, HEART, LIVER

I grew up with Urdu poetry, learning to recite verses from ghazals as soon as I could talk. Words held only visual meanings for me
Published 22 Feb, 2026 06:45am
NON-FICTION: PAKISTAN’S AID TRAP

NON-FICTION: PAKISTAN’S AID TRAP

A book by a former chief economist at the State Bank of Pakistan critiques international aid and its deleterious impact on...
Published 15 Feb, 2026 07:41am