A poetry reading session by US-based Pakistani poet Zakia R Khwaja was organised by the South Asian Free Media Association and Islamabad Cultural Forum on Thursday.
The panel included eminent writer and philosopher Ashfaq Salim Mirza, poet and writer Harris Khalique and writer Dr Amir Jafri. Khayyam Mushir moderated the session while Mirza presided over the event.
Writers Ilona Yusuf, Mushir Anwar and Arshad Mehmood were also in attendance. Khalique spoke on the current status of English poetry in the region and Mirza shared his views on the intricacies of poetic expression, especially in free verse.
Both also spoke of Khwaja’s poetic sensibilities as a representative of culture, traditions and socio-political dynamics of the Sub-continent. The speeches were followed by a reading of Khwaja’s work by Dr Jafri.
Khwaja also gave a brief speech about her engagement with poetry, before reading a selection of poems from her manuscript “Stones Hold Water”. The evening ended with a question and answer session.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 10th, 2014.
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