Though categorisation of writers on the basis of gender is unseemly and contrary to the acceptable norms of literary criticism, there still is need for a comprehensive study of works by women writers and poets who helped to enrich Urdu literature despite the odds stacked against them.

And who else but Dr Farman Fatehpuri would have undertaken the task of making a meaningful move in that direction.

The book under review deals with the lives and writings of some women writers and poets whose contributions can no longer be ignored.

Farman Sahib has himself admitted that this is not a great research work, but the mere fact that he has collected and assembled selected pieces from the lives of 33 women poets and consequently shed light on their poetic talent is in itself a great achievement.

Beginning with Ada Jafri, who was earlier known as Ada Badayuni, the author has chosen to make observations on several young poets like Shahida Hasan, Sabiha Saba, Gulnar Afreen, Bina Hasan and others. Here again one may not fully agree with the writer`s choice of selection. For instance, how could he choose to ignore poets like Parveen Shakir who set the path and pattern for a new generation of poets?

Of course Ada Jafri headed the list of women poets who for the first time reflected in chiselled words the hopes and disappointments of a woman who falls in love and later regrets it all her life. This repentance is unique to a woman and can hardly be shared by a man.

The author may have his own reasons for choosing these particular poets; nevertheless, it can be said without any fear of contradiction that Farman Sahib has been very judicious in commenting on their poetic abilities.

He has also endeavoured to include some of the poet`s selected verses thereby making it convenient for the reader to fully understand the poet. He has also shunned the practice of appreciating or deprecating a poet on the basis of a purely personal assessment.

Giving a background of the emergence of women poets, he states that these talented women remained deprived of their rightful place in the assembly of poets. Perhaps he is right when he says that this was a result of the predominance of the patriarchal system all over the world. This discriminatory attitude prevailed till the end of the 19th century.

It was only in the middle of the 20th century that a powerful, though undefined, movement began when women began to assert themselves in all spheres of life. According to Farman Sahib, Zey-Khey-Sheen (Zahida Khatoon Sherwani) was the first woman poet to appear on Urdu`s literary horizon. She was closely followed by Ada Jafri and others.

It is no accident that Sapho`s name appears in history long before the birth of Christ. Similar is the case of Nigar Binte Usman, an eminent Turkish poet whose collection of verses and several books in prose are even available today. The author also recalls Raabia Binte Kaab who was the first to use Persian as her mode of expression.

What makes this book so precious is the inclusion of some old documents about woman poets such as Baharistan-i-Naaz by Hakeem Mohammad Fasihuddin Ranj from Meerut and Chaman Andaaz by Durga Prasad Nadir Khatri Dehlavi.

The book has been aptly dedicated to Sapho, the legendary poet whose passion for poetry is acclaimed all over the world.

Although the work is a valuable document, proper attention has not been paid to its editing and proofing.  At many places the incorrect printing of verses taxes the reader`s patience and may even cause offence. It is hoped that a later edition of the book will rectify such errors.

Sirf Shairaat
By Dr Farman Fatehpuri
Al-Wiqar Publications, Lahore
184pp. Rs395