KARACHI, March 16: Speakers lauded the services of poetess Shabnam Shakeel, who passed away on March 2, to the world of literature at a literary reference organised by the Academy of Letters, Sindh, and Tehzeeb Foundation at a hotel on Saturday.

The event was presided over by poetess Zehra Nigah while Chairman of the Academy of Letters Pakistan Abdul Hameed, who had flown in from Islamabad to take part in the programme, was the chief guest.

Prof Sahar Ansari said the chapter that Shabnam Shakeel had introduced in the world of Urdu literature through her poetry could not be erased. After the likes of Ada Jaffery and Zehra Nigha she managed to carry on with the tradition of the kind of poetry that’s associated with women writers. She maintained a certain standard that was requisite for quality poetry by fusing tradition and contemporary trends. As a result, today we’re seeing the third wave of feminist poetry. Since her father Abid Ali Abid himself was a scholar of high merit, it was no surprise that Shabnam Shakeel grew up to be a poetess.

Prof Ansari said Shabnam Shakeel published eight books of poetry and prose, and her book ‘Awaz to Dekho’ was a testimony to her fondness for, and knowledge of, music. It contained sketches of some remarkable musicians some of whom people had forgotten (such as Amirbai Karnaktaki). When she penned the sketch of Malika Pukhraj she kept the very important element of the singer’s self-esteem in her mind. Shabnam could do that because she herself was an amiable and balanced person, he added.

Dr Pirzada Qasim acknowledged the environment of grief (malaal) that had taken over the programme as Shabnam Shakeel died only a couple of weeks back. He said this environment would remain in our hearts because she was an endearing personality. He however took issue with earlier speakers and claimed that the poetess should not be placed into a bracket. She was not a feminist poet, but was more than that.

Dr Fatima Hasan said she had known Shabnam Shakeel since the early 1980s when she and the poetess were invited to a mushaira in Quetta and ever since their friendship became stronger and stronger. Shabnama Shakeel treated her private life, job and creative pursuits with dignity. In her poetry, feminist consciousness could easily be felt. In that regard she quoted from her poem ‘Banjhpun Ki Baddua’.

Shabnam Shakeel’s daughter Malahat Awan came to the podium with a lump in her throat. She delivered a brief, moving speech with tears in her eyes. She said she often spoke to her mother about creative people (writers, poets) and inferred that if such individuals were not around, ordinary people would find it very difficult to give tongue to their thoughts. She told the gathering that whenever her mother wrote a ghazal she would phone her (Malahat) up and recite the ghazal. She shared two of the last ghazals that the poetess had read out to her daughter. One of the couplets was:

Tum se rukhsat talab hai mil jao Koee ab jaan balab hai mil jao (Seeking your permission to leave Someone is about to breathe her last)

Between the speeches a documentary on the life and works of Shabnam Shakeel made by PTV World was also shown. The film had bits of the poetess’ interview. Literary stalwarts like Iftikhar Arif, Kishwar Naheed and Yasmeen Hameed, among many others, shared their views on the poetess in the documentary.

Agha Noor Mohammad Pathan conducted the event.