MINGORA: Living in a pure Pakhtun society far away from Urdu literary circles, Talat Qamar has not only earned Parveen Shakir Award for her sublime poetry but she is also popular among people of Swat for educating girls.

She was born in 1960 in the house of a renowned educationist Prof Akhlaque Ahmed Khan in Saidu Sharif of the former princely Swat state.

She received her earlier education from government girls high school No.1 Saidu Sharif and passed FA from the same college where she is now working as a principal. She did her BA from Frontier College in Peshawar and Masters in Urdu literature from Peshawar University.

After doing Masters in Urdu literature she was posted lecturer in Girls College Maneri Sawabi in 1988. After teaching in Girls College Thana for some time, she was transferred to Postgraduate Girls College Saidu Sharif. She became principal of the college in December 2014.

Talat Qamar, a teacher by profession, has authored four Urdu books

According to her, her parents used to talk to their children in Urdu and English and from that time she developed affection with Urdu literature. “My father would bring children magazines and other books regularly which inclined towards Urdu literature,” she said.

Though she started writing verses earlier, yet mainly her poetry remained limited to her. She said that she only shared her poems with her mother from whom she received high appreciation and courage. “My mother was a graduate from Mianwali and had a good taste for poetry and literature. She was my mentor and listener of poetry,” she said.

However Ms Qamar showed her first poem to her teacher Nazir Tabbasum in Peshawar University when she was doing her Masters. “Being a benign teacher and a high caliber poet, Tabbasum Sahib appreciated my poem and encouraged me to continue with composing verses,” she said.

She entered the literary world by sending her poems to Dosheeza digest, published from Karachi. “There was a special section for the new poets “Nayi Awazain” in Dosheeza where I started sending my poems and that was a turning point for me when Mohsin Bhopali encouraged me to publish my work,” she said.

Her first book “Gumshuda Sur” was published in 2004 and received appreciation from literary circles.

“The book earned the prestigious Parveen Shakir Award for the year 2007. My book was selected out of over 700 poetry books,” she said.

Ms Qamar said that receiving Parveen Shakir Award was unbelievable and a moment of pride for her. She said she could not forget the moments when she received the award in a function in Islamabad.

She has authored four books including two of poetry -- “Gumshuda Sur” and “Jo Ham Udas Na Rehtey” -- and two of short stories titled “Boy-i-Yasmeen” and “Hawa Pe Dastak”.

Ms Qamar likes all classical Urdu poets but seems to be inspired by Mir Taqi Mir. “Actually, Mir’s poetry has strong pathos and melancholy which, really, I feel my own situation in life,” she said.

The three years of militancy in Swat has also left deep marks on Ms Qamar’s poetry.

Published in Dawn, August 24th, 2015

On a mobile phone? Get the Dawn Mobile App: Apple Store | Google Play