Q: What books are you reading currently?
A: I do not get to read much because I am concentrating on my writing. I have written 27 volumes of poetry and four plays and my new book just came out. My work has been performed in 35 countries and translated in many languages. That said, I went to Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar and my subject was English Literature, so over the years, I have read quite a lot, all kinds of literature. My favourite book is Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights. I identify with the main character, Heathcliff. He is almost like me, particularly his total love for the woman he loved. This was the most important aspect. And then the way he faced various problems that came his way and were [created for him], which can be taken as a symbol for the problems which society sometimes creates for you.
These are people whom you expect to be on your side and you find that they are not. In Pakistan you are oppressed for many reasons, for example the poor and middle class are being neglected and our society is being totally destroyed, which affects you as a poet. Heathcliff represents a character that stood against his oppressors.
Q: Are there any books you return to again and again?
A: Another book I liked very much was The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas and again, I relate to the central character as he engages in the quest for justice and rights at all costs. This is also part of my character. Sometimes, you identify with the characters in the books you read.
Q: Which authors do you think could have an impact on Pakistani society?
A: To start with, these two books, if they were available in all libraries, they could affect a lot of people. Many plays by American and British writers can have a profound effect on society. For example, Edward Albee’s Who is Afraid of Virginia Woolf or A Man for All Seasons by Robert Bolt.
Similarly, our society and students can benefit from the works of Persian and Sufi poets with their message of peace, love, understanding and unity.
All three genres of literature have a great impact on society whether it is in novel form, prose or drama, that is plays, depending on the individual. But I think poetry has the greatest impact, because poetry stirs something deep in you.
Published in Dawn, January 18th, 2017
