Imperfectly charming

Imperfectly charming

Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney explores issues of sibling rivalry and long-held grudges in her first novel Updated 31 Jul, 2016 08:28am
When writing in Urdu

When writing in Urdu

A recent collection of stories highlights the diverse nature of storytelling in Urdu
Published 24 Jul, 2016 07:39am
No country for the poor

No country for the poor

Amartya Sen meditates on the multi-faceted, multi-layered problems facing India, offering simple and home-grown solution
Published 24 Jul, 2016 07:32am
Litbuzz: Enid Blyton for adults

Litbuzz: Enid Blyton for adults

Or as the millennials say, “childhood ruined”. The new books will see the Famous Five grappling with parenthood,...
Published 24 Jul, 2016 07:26am
Books in brief

Books in brief

Spirited and daring, there is not much young Basanti worries she cannot take on. Time and again she deals with the blows
Published 24 Jul, 2016 07:26am
Media and its outreach

Media and its outreach

The book offers a comparative study of media in the world’s most populous countries — China and India
Published 24 Jul, 2016 07:26am
Muslims in the mosaic

Muslims in the mosaic

The Relevance of Islamic Identity in Canada aims to assess the rise in anti-Muslim sentiment in the country,
Updated 17 Jul, 2016 08:46am
Litbuzz

Litbuzz

For years the world has believed in the warped account of the French resistance fed by De Gaulle: while French men
Published 17 Jul, 2016 07:58am
Pearls from the past

Pearls from the past

Two recent books once again underline the poetic creativity of laypersons in the days of yore
Updated 17 Jul, 2016 08:26am
Books in brief

Books in brief

Lockwood dissects a lesser-discussed aspect of the Indian Emergency, 1975 and the much-maligned role of the Communist
Updated 17 Jul, 2016 08:12am
My journey with Ghalib’s divans

My journey with Ghalib’s divans

Farooqi recalls holding a mystery manuscript at the Ghalib Institute in New Delhi which appeared to be the 1816 divan
Updated 17 Jul, 2016 08:42am
Litbuzz

Litbuzz

Significant new evidence has been unearthed to shed light on a much speculated aspect of Shakespeare’s life – his status
Published 10 Jul, 2016 07:46am
A friendship between mystics

A friendship between mystics

How the dervish Shams-i-Tabrizi influenced the life and work of the great Sufi poet Rumi
Updated 10 Jul, 2016 08:57am
The insight of a diplomat

The insight of a diplomat

Jamsheed Marker narrates his memories of 30 years of interaction with Pakistan’s most powerful leaders
Updated 10 Jul, 2016 08:53am
Thoughts that linger

Thoughts that linger

An anthology presents some unfinished pieces of work by Attia Hosain that are no less brilliant than those published in
Updated 10 Jul, 2016 08:50am
Books in brief

Books in brief

This book takes an in-depth look at the service sector in India and the policies that are shaping it.
Updated 10 Jul, 2016 08:46am
The Faustian saga

The Faustian saga

A look at the German legend of Faust and an array of artistic and literary works it has influenced throughout history
Updated 10 Jul, 2016 08:45am
Up the IT ladder

Up the IT ladder

A Greener Valley aims to inspire those wishing to start technology businesses in Pakistan, as well as documenting
Published 03 Jul, 2016 08:33am
Books in brief

Books in brief

A pictorial montage to a most breathtaking region, this is the second photographic book by M. Rehan Khan.
Published 03 Jul, 2016 08:06am
Master of her genre

Master of her genre

Looking back at the life of novelist Lois Duncan and her books that remain popular today, decades after they first came
Published 03 Jul, 2016 07:57am
Mad, mad world

Mad, mad world

In The Making of the Zombie Wars one man’s twisted fantasies merge with his real life, predictably leaving things in
Published 03 Jul, 2016 07:42am
Race against time

Race against time

The Patriot Threat is a thriller that fails to thrill
Updated 03 Jul, 2016 07:35am
Before memories fade

Before memories fade

Omar Khan’s memoir explores the idea of home and what its loss for his parents means for his identity
Published 26 Jun, 2016 07:09am
Lawrence of the subcontinent

Lawrence of the subcontinent

Salman Bangash recounts the struggle of one man and his team to secure the Punjab and Frontier region from uprising
Published 26 Jun, 2016 07:09am
The respectable married lady

The respectable married lady

Ratika Kapur’s lead character is an unconscious commentator on the relationship between contentment and prosperity
Updated 26 Jun, 2016 08:32pm
An unusual alliance

An unusual alliance

Joyce Carol Oates’s latest novel is a story set on the cusp of scientific inquiry and personal agenda
Published 26 Jun, 2016 07:09am
Recreating yesterday

Recreating yesterday

Shahid Hameed chronicles his life growing up in pre-partition Punjab in one of the most remarkable works in Urdu to have
Published 26 Jun, 2016 07:09am
A treasure trove

A treasure trove

The Abdul Majeed Khokhar Memorial Library in Gujranwala contains an invaluable collection of historical Urdu books
Published 26 Jun, 2016 07:09am
Books in brief

Books in brief

A French historian and anthropologist, Michel Boivin has put together a dictionary which explores different facets
Published 26 Jun, 2016 07:09am
A tale as old as time

A tale as old as time

A debut writer’s notable entry into the genre of Gothic fiction
Published 19 Jun, 2016 07:52am
Books received

Books received

This book provides a representative selection of the short stories of the popular Urdu short story writer
Published 19 Jun, 2016 07:41am
The story of HONY

The story of HONY

On the immensely popular Humans of New York project as a social commentary of our times
Published 19 Jun, 2016 07:26am
A voice from a lost generation

A voice from a lost generation

Malik Sajad takes us on a chilling ride as he tries to grapple with Kashmir’s history
Published 19 Jun, 2016 07:15am
Poetic thoughts

Poetic thoughts

A Drop: Lost in Time contains poetry that has a simplicity to it
Published 19 Jun, 2016 07:06am
All the way upstream

All the way upstream

Zarina Bhatty recalls the course of the unconventional life she chose in From Purdah to Piccadilly
Published 19 Jun, 2016 07:06am
The people’s champion

The people’s champion

An exploration of the role of the public intellectual in society through a volume of essays compiled by Romila Thapar
Published 19 Jun, 2016 07:06am
Religion as an enterprise

Religion as an enterprise

Nile Green offers illuminating historical accounts of people advocating for their faith as entrepreneurs in the exchange
Published 12 Jun, 2016 07:46am
Linguistic migrations

Linguistic migrations

On writers who manage to escape exoticism and stereotypes while working in an idiom entirely alien to the setting,
Published 12 Jun, 2016 07:38am
Lessons in trickle-up economics

Lessons in trickle-up economics

Joseph E. Stiglitz’s latest publication is a scathing, statistically-backed indictment of modern-day capitalism, which
Published 12 Jun, 2016 07:33am
One quirk too many

One quirk too many

Despite offering witty insight into an array of topics, the many neuroses of Elizabeth McKenzie’s squirrel-obsessed
Published 12 Jun, 2016 07:27am
Litbuzz

Litbuzz

Nearly 4,000 entries from 47 countries were received for this year’s Commonwealth Short Story award, for the best...
Published 12 Jun, 2016 07:19am
The timber mafia

The timber mafia

A study of forest management and accompanying issues in Swat from 1915-1969
Published 12 Jun, 2016 07:19am
A debate that is a century old

A debate that is a century old

Through the prism of linguistics and lexicography, one can see the changed and the changing face of Urdu language
Published 12 Jun, 2016 07:19am
Litbuzz

Litbuzz

The 100-year art project is gaining momentum, as it chose its author of 2016 — David Mitchell, author of the...
Published 05 Jun, 2016 07:01am
Trouble in the city

Trouble in the city

A novel based on Partition, Tamas tells a story of dark times, yet with moments in which humanity triumphs above all
Updated 05 Jun, 2016 08:32am
Tale of an extraordinary teller

Tale of an extraordinary teller

Jem Roberts encapsulates the journey of the writer Douglas Adams and his most popular creation
Updated 05 Jun, 2016 08:30am
Through despair and darkness

Through despair and darkness

Adam Johnson’s latest collection of uneasy short stories presents characters struggling with a displaced and besieged
Updated 05 Jun, 2016 08:21am
Past into the present

Past into the present

Sophia Khan’s novel is an absorbing read which has an intricate plot — and therein lies its weakness
Updated 05 Jun, 2016 08:20am
Of flawed protagonists

Of flawed protagonists

A new female voice in Urdu writing, Saima Iram holds her own with stories that are hard-hitting and reflective of
Updated 08 Jan, 2017 08:32am
The revolutionising force of theatre

The revolutionising force of theatre

Anjum Katyal’s well-researched study gives insight into the life and work of Badal Sircar and highlights the need for
Updated 05 Jun, 2016 08:12am
A personal narrative

A personal narrative

Nadeem Farooq Paracha draws on his experiences to depict the volatile social and political landscape of the 1970s
Updated 05 Jun, 2016 08:44am
Books in brief

Books in brief

This memoir of a retired senior scientist provides a glimpse of the atomic energy development programme in Pakistan.
Published 29 May, 2016 08:11am
Deceptively simple

Deceptively simple

The beauty of the tale lies in the telling, and the narrative here is characteristic Ghulam Abbas; lucid and layered
Published 29 May, 2016 08:11am
A critical evaluation

A critical evaluation

Taking a broader look at the strengths and weaknesses of Pakistan’s taxation system
Published 29 May, 2016 08:11am
Rugby fields as battlegrounds

Rugby fields as battlegrounds

Journalist Danny Lockwood’s account of changing demographics in his hometown Dewsbury is polemic but speaks of a larger
Published 29 May, 2016 08:11am
Books in brief

Books in brief

This book is a corpus of stage, radio, and television dramas. A writer is chosen for each category, to express the
Published 22 May, 2016 07:26am
The symbol of honour

The symbol of honour

A treatise on the lives of Muslim women of the subcontinent from the 13th to 18th century
Published 22 May, 2016 07:02am
The reluctant militant mentor

The reluctant militant mentor

Despite some interesting first-hand accounts, maulana Samiul Haq reveals little about Taliban thought — whether of the
Published 15 May, 2016 08:37am
A less adventurous Alice

A less adventurous Alice

Despite somewhat dreary content, Vanessa Tait’s writing style is contemporary and refreshing in The Looking Glass House
Published 15 May, 2016 08:26am
After saying I do

After saying I do

Fates and Furies is a novel that is somewhat reminiscent of Gone Girl, at the outset at least
Published 15 May, 2016 08:21am
Books in brief

Books in brief

Written in an engaging style, Kitchen comes across as a work of fiction that belongs in our social milieu.
Published 15 May, 2016 08:15am
True to form

True to form

Kamal Ahmed Rizvi’s posthumously published book makes the art, literature and theatre scene of the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s
Published 15 May, 2016 08:11am
The quest

The quest

Nazneen Sheikh’s latest novel is about a Buddha statue that seems to carry a curse which brings death and misery to
Published 15 May, 2016 08:04am
Unity through diversity

Unity through diversity

Various factors associated with the 18th Amendment are analysed by scholars in Making Federation Work
Published 15 May, 2016 08:02am
Of faith and fratricide

Of faith and fratricide

Historian Murad Ali Baig’s first novel takes us into the world of Shah Jahan’s four sons and his daughters Jahanara
Updated 21 May, 2016 04:04pm
The birth of Muslim nationalism

The birth of Muslim nationalism

Tariq Hasan studies the Deobandi and independence movements in British India, attempting to distinguish the former from
Published 08 May, 2016 07:28am
A modern gothic tale

A modern gothic tale

Andrew Michael Hurley’s eerie novel is an impressive debut
Published 08 May, 2016 07:28am
Manto — the master storyteller

Manto — the master storyteller

Muhammad Umar Memon’s selections and commentary on Manto are a critical intervention in liberating Manto from commonly
Published 08 May, 2016 07:28am
Books in brief

Books in brief

Essentially a light read or coffee-table book, this illustrated history includes many a fascinating photograph too.
Published 08 May, 2016 07:28am
Shakespeare or Shaikh Zubair?

Shakespeare or Shaikh Zubair?

How the rich and political flavours of Shakespeare’s plays are inspired by the Muslim world of his times
Published 08 May, 2016 07:28am
Given the state that Pakistan

Given the state that Pakistan

Haroon Khalid is an educationist with an academic background in anthropology from the Lahore University of Management
Published 08 May, 2016 07:28am
Cover Story: This ancient land

Cover Story: This ancient land

Haroon Khalid’s new book is a study of religious folk practices, fertility cults, sacred trees and legends about saints…
Published 08 May, 2016 07:28am
Books in brief

Books in brief

An addition to the very few travel guides available, Islamabad Travel Guide packs in detailed information which will
Published 03 May, 2016 12:28am
Going back to nature

Going back to nature

Water in the Wilderness is a study of the biological and cultural diversity of Pakistan, and makes us understand the
Updated 03 May, 2016 12:03am
Being Faiz

Being Faiz

Ali Madeeh Hashmi’s biography covers all the facets of his grandfather’s life
Updated 03 May, 2016 12:13am
Home truths

Home truths

Yann Martel’s latest novel is no less brilliant than the preceding ones
Updated 03 May, 2016 12:54am
Remembrance and reality

Remembrance and reality

J.M. Coetzee and Arabella Kurtz attempt to bridge the distance between narrative technique and psychotherapy
Updated 02 May, 2016 11:49pm
Cover Story: A festival less literary

Cover Story: A festival less literary

Literature festivals should focus on celebrating the written and spoken word, and should bring together those with a
Published 24 Apr, 2016 08:27am
The new weapon: the media today

The new weapon: the media today

“What is the media?” This was one of the questions panellists attempted to answer at the session titled ...
Published 24 Apr, 2016 08:22am