KARACHI: Zahida Khatoon Sherwani was a remarkable woman about whom very few people know today. Much ahead of her times in thought and wisdom, this poetess has been brought back to life in the literary circles by Fatima Hasan, a poet and short story writer who chose to do her doctoral thesis on Sherwani’s life and works which has now been printed in book form.

The book, “Zay Khay Sheen: research and critical review of her life and poetry”, launched by the Arts Council on Monday, was attended by a galaxy of literary luminaries such as Intizar Husain, Jamiluddin Aali, Pirzada Qasim, Dr Aslam Farrukhi, Sahar Ansari, Mushtaq Yousufi and Raghib Muradabadi.

Z.K. Sheen was born in an enlightened Nawab family at the end of the 19th century, and though she was a sickly child she was a leader among the huge brood of cousins of her extended family due to her intelligence and innovative ideas. At ten she was a poet and at the age of 12 she had organized an association of cousins named Anjuman Moin-i-Niswan.

This was a period when girls were educated at home; it was also a period when change was taking place in the sub-continent, and Zahida Khatoon was aware of women and social issues.

These changes are reflected in her poetry which was printed in magazines and journals of her time under her initials Zay Khay Sheen. This accomplished writer died at the young age of 27.

The programme was conducted by Shahida Hasan who read a poem by Z.K. Sheen.

Professor Sahar Ansari said he had read the poetess 50 years back and added that her work had made an impact on literary people during her time.

He pointed out the similarity between Z.K. Sheen and Elizabeth Barret Browning who was not allowed to write by her family and could do so only when she married Robert Browning.

Dr Pirzada Qasim, commenting on the literary gathering at the Arts Council, said it was easy to talk about literature amongst such people.

He congratulated Fatima Hasan on choosing such a great poetess for her thesis and that she was lucky to have Aslam Farrukhi as her thesis supervisor.

“Her book is informative and has brought out Z.K. Sheen’s strong feelings on women’s issues and the social problems of the times.” He added that the book having been printed by Anjuman-i-Tarraqi-i-Urdu and the introduction of the book being writer by Jamiluddin Aali, had lent it further authenticity.

The next speaker, Dr Aslam Farrukhi, shed light on how Fatima Hasan chose her topic. She was not happy with her previous thesis topic and having met a lady from India who told her about Z.K. Sheen and the letters written by her to a friend which were in India, she decided to do her doctorate on her. The letters were procured and work was begun on the thesis.

Jamiluddin Aali in his speech said that Z.K. Sheen was an outstanding woman who has been neglected as a poetess and whose thoughts resemble those of Iqbal and Shibli.

He further said that history remembers a woman as a mother and a daughter mostly and ignores the other big roles she plays.

Fatima Hasan read out a poem by Z.A. Sheen, Mosul ka tail, which is about the fight over oil between countries and was written in 1920. She said the poetess was extremely aware of the problems of her period.

The chief guest, Intizar Husain, said our times have been taken over by women and mullahs. “Feminism is on the rise here. When someone in India asked me why we did not have a movement in Urdu Literature, I replied we have a women’s movement in literature.”

At the end of his speech he said that Fatima Hasan’s book was an important part of Urdu literature.