KARACHI: Sidra Iqbal, in conversation with lawyer, poet and novelist Safinah Danish Elahi at the launch of her second novel The Idle Stance of the Tippler Pigeon at the British Council library here on Saturday, brought up class differences and divides.

“The subject is close to my heart,” said Safinah while discussing the main theme of her book, which was first published in the United Kingdom by Neem Tress Press and now published in Pakistan by Liberty Books.

“I want my readers to interpret my stories and think. When a parent is reading my book, I want him or her to think about class differences and become sensitive about it. Because how else will you do anything about something when you know no better?” she asked.

The book tells the story of three friends, two of them a well-to-do brother and sister, and the third their domestic servant’s daughter. Of course, the servant’s daughter is not treated the way they are. And she feels it. Wearing a rich kid’s hand-me-downs and eating in the kitchen is not the same as wearing new clothes and having your meals in the dining room. And that becomes a burden on their friendship.

Safinah Danish Elahi’s second novel launched

Safinah’s first novel Eye on the Prize, which was translated to Urdu and made into a television serial Daurrh, also carried insights into the elite society of Pakistan and competition among friends. That, too, was a story about three children who have more to them than meets the eye. And that brings us to the title of Safinah’s new book.

“Tippler pigeon is a race bird, so it’s an active bird. But it can be quite deceiving when sitting idle. I used to see these pigeons resting on electric wires along roads and I realised that just watching it not move didn’t mean that I should underestimate its capabilities,” she explained, adding that initially it was a working title, which her publishers also liked and kept.

When asked about her characters’ moral dilemmas, Safinah said that she tries to make her characters three-dimensional. “Because no one is all good or all bad. In turbulent times, we need to empathise through such characters and their stories,” she said.

“When writing a character, I have to think about the smallest and slightest of things such as what kind of tea or coffee they like, what kind of shoes they wear. And when writing about a troubled character, I need to be realistic,” she said, adding that when starting to write a book, she doesn’t know in what direction her characters will go.

When asked if she wrote specifically for Pakistani readers, Safinah said that she wrote for the curious readers. “I like to stir up trouble in my books,” she said. “People don’t want to stir the pot. They accept things the way they are. But fiction makes you ask questions,” she said, while pointing out that stories should be powerful agents of change that people can read and get inspired by.

Published in Dawn, October 29th, 2023