KARACHI, July 28: Noted short-story writer Ms Umme Ammara has dispelled the impression that literature was on the decline. She said fiction was as much alive as life itself. She was speaking at a reception held in her honour by two literary organizations — Darrak and Nasri Diera. Dr Hanif Fauq, a former professor at Dhaka University, presided over the proceedings which turned into a literary discussion session after formal talks.

Umme Ammara, then a student, recalled the fine academic atmosphere of the University and spoke highly about Dr Fauq. Born in Patna, she came over to Dhaka after partition, did her MA in Urdu and started writing stories during her college years. She spoke about the editor Fanoon, Ahmad Nadim Qasmi, with reverence and admiration who had published her first story in that journal.

Her stories were also carried by a montly Dilruba in 1952, Mah-i-Nau in 1955 and Afkar’s special number in 1956. Her novel which she had written decades back was published late in 1990. It was titled “Roshni Ki Qaid Mein”.

Ms Ammara, after coming over to Pakistan in 1972, stayed in Lahore for some time and later got a teaching job at a college in Abbotabad where she served for 20 years.

She was intensely in love with the former East Pakistan but was destined to leave the place, such was the compulsion of history. Among those who spoke at the occasion included Salman Siddiqui, Rauf Niazi, Shafiq Ahmad Shafiq Ahmad Zainuddin, Noorul Huda Syed, Ahmad Saeed Faizabadi and others.

Ammara’s other stories based on socialist realism were always popular among Urdu fiction readers. Dr Hanif Fauq admired her subtle style in wearing stories.—HA