KARACHI: The Misquita Bakery holds a very special place in the lives of Karachi’s Christian community, it’s hot cross buns being a staple of Easter celebrations in the city.

But on Thursday, the legendary bakery specially supplied its iconic buns for a very different kind of celebration – the launch of Hot Cross Buns: A Memoir – a poignant account of a young Christian boy growing up in Karachi in the 1980s and early 90s.

The author, Anthony J. Permal, was also no ordinary young man, rather the son of track and field star John Permal – who for a time was dubbed ‘Pakistan’s fastest man’.

The book, which is a collection of his reminiscences and memories of a bygone era, was launched at Habitt City on Thursday night amidst a gathering of friends, family members and literature lovers.

The author, who tragically passed away just days after the book was first launched in Dubai – where he lived and worked – was remembered by his mother and siblings.

Hot Cross Buns: A Memoir launched at Habitt City

They were joined on stage by journalist and broadcaster Fifi Haroon, who moderated the conversation, punctuated with memories, anecdotes, and everything in between.

The speakers spoke at length about the book’s narrative, which remained untainted by hindsight. It captures the thoughts of a young boy, and whatever that boy didn’t understand at the time is not coloured with additional context, so the reader can revel in the naivety of the questions posed by a young mind.

According to his mother Josephine, Permal was an inquisitive child who loved to ask ‘Why?’, sometimes to the consternation of the adults around him.

In one of his last interviews before the book’s release, he explained that the stories he was penning included things he heard from his father – as well as his own observations – of what Pakistan was like in the old days.

From forming long-lasting bonds with neighbours after being caught watching the TV serial Ankahi through their open window, to a community project that saw the residents of two apartment blocks come together to build a Christmas star, the book is chock full of accounts that capture the quintessence of inter-faith harmony in the metropolis.

But the book also captures the disillusionment the writer faced following incidents such as the death of Gen Ziaul Haq, or the riots in the wake of the Babri Mosque demolition. Again, while the book does not offer a political history of these events, it uses them to tell the story of how space for minorities in Pakistan, particularly Christians, began to shrink as time went on.

Although Permal primarily lived and worked in the UAE, he would regularly visit his family in Pakistan and always kept up with events. His brother, Adrian, joked that if Anthony had gotten to write a follow-up book – as he planned to do – one of the stories that could be told was of the social media following he accumulated for being fearless and outspoken.

The food and music that Permal grew up with also features prominently in the book, so it was no surprise that the launch concluded with a sing-along featuring Pakistani pop standards of the 1980s and 90s – including Ali Haider’s Purani Jeans, Vital Signs’ Dil Dil Pakistan and Aitebar, as well as Alamgir’s Dekha Na Tha – and a supper menu featuring Bun Kebabs, Dosa, Shawarma, Pakola ice cream soda, and of course, the titular hot cross buns baked specially for the occasion.

Published in Dawn, October 25th, 2024