KARACHI: It is astounding how in the last decade or so individuals who can express themselves and usually come from well-heeled backgrounds have discovered their love of Karachi’s history. It’s a healthy sign, indeed, despite the fact that the city has a ‘documented’ history (it can surely be traced further back) of less than 200 years, after the British conquered Sindh.

Another good omen is the emergence of young fictionists, writing in English who take pride in being Karachiites and put the city at the heart of the subject they choose to write on.

One can give several examples in support of the argument but the ones that immediately spring to mind is Kamila Shamsie’s In the City by the Sea that came out in 1998. In recent times, Our Lady of Alice Bhatti by Mohammed Hanif, The Scatter Here is Too Great by Bilal Tanweer and Karachi You’re Killing Me by Saba Imitaz have been favourably discussed in literary circles.

What is it that has made the Sindh capital a veritable locale and worthy subject matter for those who dabble in fiction in English?

‘Cities of history have always provided the backdrop for great stories’

Answering the question, critic Muneeza Shamsie said: “As a city Karachi really is unique in Pakistan — as the country’s commercial hub, with a constant migration from different parts of Pakistan, other than from India in 1947. This has led to an interaction and intermingling of communities, which also leads to a spirit of independence, of questioning the given mores of traditional communities. This is as much a part of the city’s daily life, as does the struggle for space expressed through ethnic and religious violence. All this, in turn, provides a rich and fertile ground for a vital and significant cultural production, including Anglophone English literature.”

Journalist Ghazi Salahuddin, who is a member of the jury at a literature festival that celebrates books of fiction, said: “Cities of history have always provided the backdrop for great stories. Then, we have modern cities that portray the spectacle of change and social upheaval. Think of the great literature that came out of the bowels of cities like London, Paris and New York. Karachi is unique in terms of the historical experience that it projects and deserves the attention of novelists from anywhere in the world.

“It would be natural for Pakistani writers, particularly those who have lived in Karachi, to find their stories in this reservoir of human encounters of an exceptional kind. As to why Karachi has become the subject of novels written in English, as compared to Urdu and other Pakistani languages, one reason would be that the writers who write in English are likely to be better acquainted with modern literature and how it is anchored in actual places that nurture high emotions,” he added.

Poet and columnist Salman Tarik Kureshi pointed out another important factor: identity. “The spate of books with Karachi as its setting says that this megacity has emerged as a distinctive consciousness and identity of its own, an identity unrelated to old hat ethnic stereotyping. Or is there a ‘Karachi Chic’ that seeks to counter the longer established ‘Lahore Chic’? As one who voluntarily chose a southern identity over my northern upbringing, I am happy to see my chosen city gaining a long-deserved prominence.”

Publisher Hoori Noorani said: “Many of these writers are Karachiites, such as Bilal Tanweer, Saba Imtiaz, Omar Shahid Hamid and Fatima Bhutto. Karachi is rich in subject, too, and with the changing political landscape of the city, many topics that were [once deemed] taboo can now be put out in the open.

“Karachi has so many stories to tell. It’s a city with a huge migrant population — old and new — diverse cultures existing in one great melting pot of conflicts, violence and dreams unfulfilled.”

In this extremely difficult period when the coronavirus pandemic has changed the world like never before, and when writers, like the rest of the citizens, are not encouraged to step out of their homes, it’s expected that a new body of work will soon emerge from Karachi, taking the literary world by storm.

Published in Dawn, June 7th, 2020