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A Case of Exploding Talent
The time when one would thirst for Pakistani literature in English is long gone. Now Dalrymple has declared that Pakistani writers are set to give their Indian counterparts a run for their money

By Aysha Raja

I was born and raised outside Pakistan, but to say I came to live in Lahore by chance is an understatement. I've had a love affair with Pakistan since a very young age and, after nearly a decade of living here, I can say with certainty that I've never once regretted my decision. Of all the places I have lived this is where I have felt most alive though, admittedly, the accompanying fear and uncertainty ensures you never take a day for granted. For the time I was living outside Pakistan, I was constantly trying to curb my insatiable hunger for information about Pakistan. I even mustered up the strength to get through My Feudal Lord and plough through most of Bapsi Sidwa's work. Thanks to a friend, I was also introduced to 'Pakistan's first independent weekly', which enjoyed some prominence back in the day.

Up until the nineties there was no denying the dearth of reading material on Pakistan and no sign that that was set to change. Fast-forward more than ten years, during which Pakistan has limped from one crisis to the next, and we find William Dalrymple declaring Pakistan's literary talent ready to give the Indians a run for their money. What happened? Difficult to say- all I know is that Pakistanis have something to say- and all of a sudden the world is eager to listen.

I first noticed the world relishing information coming out of Pakistan with the success of Ahmed Rashid's Taliban. Admittedly the subject matter was not Pakistan itself, but the author's research, proximity and an understanding of his own countries complicity made him a voice to be reckoned with. Back home people were surprised that a native had 'done good' and speculated on the fortune he might have amassed as a result. The fame and success came as a relief and proved a Pakistani writer could earn more than a death threat for investing his/her life in a book.

Ahmad Rashid's work was the first of non-fiction writing by Pakistani's that has flourished in the last 10 years. Ayesha Sidiqqa's Military Inc, and Hamid Nawaz's Crossed Swords - both analyses of Pakistan's army - have been picked up by major international publishers. These publishing credits notwithstanding, the sad fact is that the true success behind these books can only be attributed to our countries misfortune and the events that keep us in the limelight. I'm starting to think that peace and prosperity might not bode well for Pakistani writers.

However Dalrymple's comments specifically address the literary talent of Pakistan and that's where things get really exciting. I shall never tire of reminding readers that two of our country men have been nominated for the Man Booker prize in the last two years, a probability hitherto unheard of. It gives us reason to suggest that there may be more on the way.

Given my chosen profession I am privy to the literary hype preceding the release of a novel, and there are a good few Pakistani writers that international publishers are throwing their might behind. Bloomsbury, the publishing house behind the monstrously successful 'Kite Runner' considers Kamila Shamsie's new novel Burnt Shadows, which is set for publication in March 2009, as one of their major releases for next year. The novel is epic in scope, spanning three continents over six decades, and follows the fate of a Japanese woman, an American family and a Pakistani man. Rave reviews have already begun to pour in.

Bloomsbury's faith in Pakistani writing does not stop there. In April 2009, they will publish a collection of short stories titled In Other Rooms, Other Wonders by new talent Daniyal Mueenuddin, which explore the complex themes of class, culture and feudalism through a diverse array of characters. Daniyal's writing style has made him a favourite with the New Yorker, which has already published two of his stories: Nawabdin Electrician and A Spoiled Man.

Top on my wish list of books to read is a charming novel by Musharraf Ali Farooqi called The Story of a Widow published in August of this year by Knopf Canada. It was recommended to me by the brilliant Mohammad Hanif, author of the bestselling Case of Exploding Mangoes, and it sounds quite irresistible. It's a tale about a widow living in Karachi, who finds that the portrait of her late husband seems to respond disapprovingly to her attempt to reclaim her life as a new neighbour courts her. "If Jane Austen had grown up in a Karachi suburb, this is what she would have written" says Hanif.

Aside from Hanif's glowing endorsement, we owe a debt to Musharraf who dedicated 7 years of his life painstakingly translating from Urdu The Dastan-e-Amir Hamza for a new generation. William Dalrymple described the translation as "a classic of epic literature in an interpretation so fluent that it is a pleasure to sit down and lose oneself in it." The Adventures of Amir Hamza is available at your local book shop and should be compulsory reading for all Pakistanis.

Hamish Hamilton, the publishers of Mohsin Hamid's The Reluctant Fundamentalist, have a Pakistani offering of their own. The excruciatingly young Ali Sethi, son of acclaimed publishing powerhouse couple Najam and Jugnu Sethi shall this summer see his debut novel published at the tender age of twenty-four. The Wish Maker explores the innocence of childhood against the backdrop of a country in turmoil. The arrival of this manuscript on the literary scene resulted in a bidding war between publishers desperate to get their hands on the next rising star.

If what you crave is a more seasoned voice, Telegram Books shall be publishing the novella Another Gulmohar Tree in May. A beautiful account of an inter-racial marriage set in post war London and Karachi by Aamer Hussein an English Professor and Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.

For those of you who can't wait for great Pakistani writing, this month Penguin India shall be publishing the second novel Twilight by Pakistani Australian, Azhar Abidi.

There is more, a great deal more, but I will save them for another time. Now, when I think back to how I

struggled to find material on Pakistan, it's a relief to know that anybody found in the same position today will have many fresh voices to turn to. With a profusion of tales from this troubled country I wonder how much credit should be given to our constant state of turmoil and our inability to prosper. Whatever the case, I would like to be in a position to tell the difference. May we see better days and stronger writing.