To inspire young writers

To inspire young writers

On writing in a foreign language — English — and the penchant for using quotations Published 10 Apr, 2016 06:58am
Understanding the threat

Understanding the threat

Jason Burke explores all possible dimensions of militancy in his new book, yet avoids suggesting any systemic solution
Published 03 Apr, 2016 07:15am
Power and other monsters

Power and other monsters

Julian Barnes’s latest work is an absorbing fictional biography of the composer Shostakovich
Published 03 Apr, 2016 07:15am
The language of displacement

The language of displacement

Rakhshanda Jalil’s translation of Intizar Husain’s Aagey Samandar Hai does complete justice to the original text
Published 03 Apr, 2016 07:15am
Litbuzz

Litbuzz

Aliette de Bodard has become the first writer to get both the best novel and best short story award in the same year at
Published 03 Apr, 2016 07:15am
Skin deep

Skin deep

A young French woman goes undercover on social media to investigate how IS brainwashes young Europeans into joining its
Published 27 Mar, 2016 07:20am
In the face of violence

In the face of violence

A study that aims to evaluate the impact of research in violently divided societies
Published 27 Mar, 2016 07:20am
An implausible yarn

An implausible yarn

Ernest Cline’s second science fiction novel is as far away from hitting all the right notes as it could be
Published 27 Mar, 2016 07:20am
The temperamental writer

The temperamental writer

In Andaz-i-Bayan Aur Qurratulain Hyder can be seen speaking on a range of subjects while refusing to talk about her
Published 27 Mar, 2016 07:20am
Terror in the Tilism

Terror in the Tilism

A critical reading of the dastan fiction in Urdu unveils the glorification of violence
Published 27 Mar, 2016 07:20am
Books in brief

Books in brief

This unusual novel centres on social ills and dilemmas. The storyline revolves around the fact that if society is going
Published 27 Mar, 2016 07:20am
Chronicles of the conquered

Chronicles of the conquered

Claire Chambers’s research on Muslim writers’ accounts of visits to Britain from 1780-1988 is a unique inquiry
Published 27 Mar, 2016 07:20am
Books in brief

Books in brief

The kafis selected for this anthology are some of Madho Lal Hussein’s best-loved ones. Sung and recited in public
Published 20 Mar, 2016 07:41am
Precision and passion

Precision and passion

Muhammad Ali Siddiqi’s memoirs show his immense fervour for his country and his profession
Published 20 Mar, 2016 07:41am
Thrill of the chase

Thrill of the chase

Benyamin’s latest novel has its moments, but disappoints on many scores
Published 20 Mar, 2016 07:41am
A cold fire

A cold fire

Stephen Kelman’s second novel has in its depths the search for dignity and meaning in human experience, but fails to
Published 20 Mar, 2016 07:41am
Like a new Titanic

Like a new Titanic

On the stories of Muslim refugees in Europe
Published 20 Mar, 2016 07:41am
Two nations, two armies

Two nations, two armies

Steven I. Wilkinson’s work on the Indian military and democracy presents a comprehensive view of the political
Published 20 Mar, 2016 07:41am
COVER: Following the Silk Roads

COVER: Following the Silk Roads

Peter Frankopan’s treatise on history is an ambitious work, but focus on any of the dimensions of the ancient routes
Published 13 Mar, 2016 06:39am
Surviving and thriving

Surviving and thriving

On how organisations of different kinds can prosper in an unfavourable institutional environment
Updated 13 Mar, 2016 07:27am
The trailblazer

The trailblazer

The key protagonist’s life in Sweet Caress, written as a fictional memoir, is the subtext to the greater occurrences of
Updated 13 Mar, 2016 07:25am
All creatures big and small

All creatures big and small

Tracy Stewart’s book is a light read that inspires compassion towards animals
Updated 13 Mar, 2016 07:20am
The wheels of the economy

The wheels of the economy

Hartmut Elsenhans presents a new way of looking at the right-left debate with his labour empowerment theory, which is
Updated 13 Mar, 2016 07:15am
Forgotten stories

Forgotten stories

The past, with its secrets, myths and legends, was woven into Mrs Abdul Qadir’s tales of horror and mystery
Updated 13 Mar, 2016 07:05am
We are all the same

We are all the same

Anne Tyler’s latest novel A Spool of Blue Thread is an engrossing read
Updated 07 Mar, 2016 01:08am
Rewriting Blyton

Rewriting Blyton

Many of Enid Blyton’s much-loved works have been given subtle new touches, impacting the original style
Updated 06 Mar, 2016 07:54am
Web of deceit

Web of deceit

The last novel published before his death, Umberto Eco’s Numero Zero is a must-read
Updated 07 Mar, 2016 01:04am
Ghalib’s Salgirah

Ghalib’s Salgirah

Historical documents and biographies reveal there may be a reason behind differing accounts of the poet’s birthday
Updated 06 Mar, 2016 08:20am
Alternative theories

Alternative theories

A look at the history of India from the perspective of Russian Marxist historians
Updated 07 Mar, 2016 01:01am
The modern artist

The modern artist

A graphic novel based on the life of the artist Shakir Ali presents all the nuances of his personality
Updated 12 May, 2016 02:37am
A grim tale

A grim tale

Cecilia Ekbäck’s debut mystery novel is set in 1717 in Lapland, Sweden
Updated 07 Mar, 2016 01:07am
COVER:Silver linings

COVER:Silver linings

LLF was in a tug of war with the government but the controversy didn’t take away from its interesting sessions
Updated 06 Mar, 2016 01:30pm
FESTIVAL: Political games

FESTIVAL: Political games

On the sessions that brought together myriad personalities to discuss global current affairs
Updated 28 Feb, 2016 08:30pm
COVER:Literary superhero

COVER:Literary superhero

In an exclusive interview with Books&Authors, Margaret Atwood talks about zombies, technology and storytelling
Published 21 Feb, 2016 07:11am
COLUMN: In the light of chance

COLUMN: In the light of chance

On the brilliance of Joseph Conrad and what his correspondence reveals about his literary struggles and writing process
Published 21 Feb, 2016 07:11am
REVIEW:Embers of history

REVIEW:Embers of history

Flood of Fire is not just a fictional account of the Opium Wars; it immerses the reader in a unique world
Published 21 Feb, 2016 07:11am
REVIEW:  From the inside

REVIEW: From the inside

What is it like to have Huntington’s disease? Lisa Genova takes readers on a personal journey of a patient & his family
Published 21 Feb, 2016 07:11am
REVIEW:Coming of age in Akure

REVIEW:Coming of age in Akure

Chigozie Obioma’s debut novel marks the author as one of the promising new voices from Africa
Published 21 Feb, 2016 07:11am
COVER: The man that he was

COVER: The man that he was

Inevitable though it is, death carries layers of symbolic significance when it takes away a man like Intizar Husain
Published 07 Feb, 2016 12:05pm
REVIEW: Never a dull moment

REVIEW: Never a dull moment

Feminist and political activist Anis Haroon’s memoirs encapsulate her extraordinary tale
Published 07 Feb, 2016 12:05pm
REVIEW:Internet’s diva

REVIEW:Internet’s diva

Social media-savvy singer Amanda Palmer memoirs is about her rise to stardom and a guide to asking for help
Updated 12 Feb, 2016 03:58pm
COVER: Mapping Karachi

COVER: Mapping Karachi

An innovative book on contested spaces and geographies of the metropolitan city presents an alternative narrative
Published 31 Jan, 2016 06:48am
REVIEW:Literature of resistance

REVIEW:Literature of resistance

Tariq Rahman’s analysis of the history of Pakistani English literature details the changing trends from the 1940s-1980s
Published 31 Jan, 2016 06:48am
REVIEW: The twist in her tale

REVIEW: The twist in her tale

Hajra Masroor must have had her reasons but Urdu fiction lost one of its finest voices when she decided to stop writing
Published 31 Jan, 2016 06:48am
REVIEW:Politics of extremism

REVIEW:Politics of extremism

Activist and researcher Ram Puniyani provides an alternative viewpoint on terrorism’s root causes
Updated 24 Jan, 2016 07:35pm
REVIEW: When walls begin to crumble

REVIEW: When walls begin to crumble

Daisy Rockwell captures the nuances and details of the original in her translation of Upendranath Ashk’s magnum opus
Published 17 Jan, 2016 06:42am
REVIEW: Answers to the absurd

REVIEW: Answers to the absurd

Randall Munroe dissects seemingly nonsensical impossibilities by applying scientific principles
Published 17 Jan, 2016 06:42am
REVIEW: Winner takes it all

REVIEW: Winner takes it all

In Sky Key, the second novel in the Endgame series, the Players are competing for the purpose of surviving
Published 17 Jan, 2016 06:42am
Litbuzz: Awarded, again

Litbuzz: Awarded, again

Kate Atkinson has become the first writer to receive the Costa novel prize thrice. This year, 2016, marks her third...
Published 10 Jan, 2016 07:25am
The world begins to break

The world begins to break

The Fifth Season is a dystopian novel that is chillingly reminiscent of the shackles of imperialism in its subtle...
Updated 14 Jan, 2016 05:50pm
Books in brief

Books in brief

A Lok Virsa publication, The Bazaar of the Storytellers tells the tales of the Qissa Khwani Bazaar Peshawar.
Published 10 Jan, 2016 07:25am
Retracing Pakistan’s left

Retracing Pakistan’s left

A history of the Communist Party of Pakistan, the Progressive Writers Association, and the labour movement is presented
Published 10 Jan, 2016 07:25am
The disputed valley

The disputed valley

Christopher Snedden’s new title, Understanding Kashmir and Kashmiris, describes the region and its history going back to
Published 03 Jan, 2016 08:08am
A journey of hope

A journey of hope

Relevant to these times, Nadia Hashimi’s latest novel is written from a refugee’s perspective
Published 03 Jan, 2016 07:59am
Reflections of a life well-lived

Reflections of a life well-lived

Syed Munir Husain’s memoirs take us through some of the political upheavals he was witness to during his years
Published 03 Jan, 2016 07:43am
Bon Appétit

Bon Appétit

J. Ryan Stradal’s Kitchens of the Great Midwest is a delicious novel, to be enjoyed by those who like good food, as well
Published 03 Jan, 2016 07:35am