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A Brief Survey Of Pakistani Novels In EnglishKumar Manoj
English was introduced in the subcontinent by the British colonial power in the early 19th century to strengthen their rule. With the spread British Power, local elite adopted it as a means to show their proximity to Colonial Rulers and to make them distinguished from lesser beings.
Later English spread and became a choice medium for literary and intellectual expression for the most of those writers who were educated in England or in Elite institutions. Many writers chose to write in English because of their upbringing in Elite ambience and also because of desire to have a wider audience at global level.
After departure of British in 1947, English has donned a new avatar. English has now come out of its colonial hangover and has started to spread its root in the former colonized territory and adapt itself to local environment. It also helpfully connects Subcontinent with rest of the world.
In Pakistan, the tradition of English creative writings trace back its origin to English Literature produced during the colonial period. The traditions have proud patrons in the names of Raja Rao, Mulk Raj Anand, R K Narayan and Kamala Markandeya.
After independence the tradition continued in both countries across the border. If, in India, they have such literary luminaries like Khushwant Singh, Dom Moraes, Balachandra Rajan, Arundhity Roy, Amitav Ghosh, Anita Desai. We, in Pakistan, too have Ahmed Ali, Zulfikar Ghose, Kaleem Omar, Bapsi Sidwa to make us proud on international scene.
English creative writings in Pakistan are growing with grace. New voices are joining in this expanding tribe. These new voices include the names of Tariq Ali, Moniza Alvi, Hanif Kureishi, Sara Suleri, Mohsin Hamid, Bina Shah, Kamila Shamsi and Mouhammad Hanif.
But before we proceed, let us tackle the question what we mean by Pakistani writer.Defining Pakistani writerIt is a bit problematic to define who can be called a Pakistani writer. Pakistan came into existence on 14th August 1947. Before this date the areas now comprising Pakistan were parts of Indian Subcontinent. Though the geography of Pakistan is well defined, the term Pakistani writer may raise some questions. For example, should we include those writers, like Khushwant Singh, who were born, brought up and educated in areas which are now in Pakistan but later migrated to what is now India? What about those writers who were born and brought up in present day India, like Ahmed Ali, but later came to Pakistan and acquired Pakistani nationality?
Can we include in our survey such writers like Zulfikar Ghose who, though born in Present day Pakistan and have cultural links here but who never lived in Pakistan after her existence? Should our survey include those writers who brought up in Pakistan but now live elsewhere, and writers who left Pakistan in very early age? Related with this is the question does someone need to live in Pakistan to be called Pakistani?
If Pakistani Diaspora can still retain their cultural links with Pakistan then what about Sindhi Diaspora who still maintains its cultural link with Sindh but maintains a separate identity? Should Tariq Ali be considered a Pakistani writer even though he has been in England so long and none of his novels is set in Pakistan? Can we include Hanif Kureshi who has never lived here and whose only link with Pakistan is his father who was Pakistani while her mother was British? The answers raise more questions.
But as far as we are concerned, for us Pakistan writers are those who still have cultural and spiritual links with present day Pakistan. Those who may have born or brought up elsewhere but they call themselves Pakistani writers. Our survey includes those writers who psychologically and socially associate with land which is now called Pakistan.
Novelists of Earlier era
The very first name, that comes close to our definition of Pakistani novelist of English is, Ahmed Ali. He can rightly be called the pioneer of English literature among the Muslims of Subcontinent.Born in Delhi in a family of religious scholars, he was educated at Muslim University Aligarh. Later, he studied English at Lucknow University where he also joined as a lecturer in 1931. After partition in 1947, he moved in Pakistan and served in the diplomatic service till 1960. He died in 1994.Though Ahmed Ali wrote poetry and also translated The Holy Quran in English, his fame rests on his novel Twilight in Delhi (1937), written nostalgically about Delhi, the Mughal capital and epitome of Muslim elite culture. The novel skillfully presents the fading away of the traditional culture of his ancestors. His second novel, Ocean of the Night(1964), is on the theme of the ruin of aristocratic feudal families through indulgence in decadent practices. Ahmed Alis last novel Rats and Diplomats (1985), is a satire on diplomatic services.
Mumtaz Shahnawaz is probably first female novelist of English. Her only novel, The Heart Divided (1959), gives a meticulous glimpse of Partition of subcontinent. She died in 1948. She left a first, and probably an incomplete, draft of novel, which was published by her family posthumously.
In 1967, Zulfikar Ghoses debutant novel The Murder of Aziz Khan appeared on literary scene. It is the first novel, in modern English, by a Pakistani expatriate writer in Britain. Ghoses family belonged to Sialkot. Later his family shifted to Bombay in 1942. Ghose was educated in England and married a Brazilian woman in 1964, and has lived Latin America. The plot of the novel revolves around a poor Punjabi farmer destroyed by a group of industrialists.
Another important novel is Sunlight on a Broken Column (1961) by Attia Hosain. Born in Lucknow in 1913 into an affluent feudal family, she was educated in a liberal English academic system. Sunlight on a Broken Column is a novel of family life. It narrates saga of three generations of men and women living in the same house.
Strengthening Roots
English Novel in English received its reorganization with the publication of The Crow Eaters by Bapsi Sidhwa. Born in Karachi in a prosperous Parsi community, she later shifted to Lahore with her parents. Sidhwas childhood was difficult as she was afflicted with Polio. She had to restrict herself to her home where she was educated till the age of fifteen. Bapsi did her graduation from Kinnaird College for Women in Lahore. Her first novel was The Bride and her second novel The Crow Eaters. After receiving many rejections, she published and distributed her second novel The Crow Eaters herself. In 1980 a British publisher decided to publish it. Since then there has been no looking back. She wrote four novels. Her fist novel The Bride (1983) is about Zaitoon and her cultural maladjustment in tribal society. Her second novel is The Crow Eater (1978) which presents the life of Faredoon Junglewalla and history of Parsi community. Her third novel Ice Candy Man (1988) deals with partition and the lives people caught in it. Her last novel The American Barat (1993) is about Feroza Ginwalla who wants to get married outside her community and anxiety of her parents.
We can also include the name of famous student leaders and leftist activist in our survey o major Pakistani novelists. Tariq Ali was born in Lahore in 1943 and was educated at Government College Lahore and at Oxford University. He got fame because of his involvement in student politics on international level and later his participation in movement against the war in Vietnam. His major novels include quartet dealing with history of Islam: Shadows of the Pomegranate Tree (1992), The Book of Saladin (1998), The Stone Woman (2000) and A Sultan in Palermo (2005).
Another major novelist with Pakistani identity is Hanif Qureshi. Born in England in 1954, he is son of a Pakistani father and an English mother. His first novel was The Buddha of Suburbia (1991) . The novel is clearly based on Kureshis own life. His second novel, The Black Album (1995) is about Muslims living in. His novella Intimacy (1998) is about a mans decision to abandon his family. Gabriels Gift (2001) tells the story of a 15-year-old schoolboy whose artistic skills enable him to survive the trauma of his parents separation.
Adam Zameenzad is another expatriate writer whose novel The Thirteenth House (1987) describes universal themes of migration and identity.
Young Voices of Fiction
A Pakistani novel in English is coming to its age. Many young novelists are giving a new and distinct identity to this genre. The most important among them is Mohsin Hamid. Born in 1971, Mohsin was educated at Lahore and later in USA. His debut novel was Moth Smoke ( 2000). The novel explorers the theme of Partition of Subcontinent in 1947 and the trauma suffered by people during the ensuing gory violence. His second novel The Reluctant Fundamentalist (2007) discusses the reaction of an American educated young Pakistani man aftermath of 9/11 incident with strong autobiographical elements.
Another young expatriate young writer is Nadeem Aslam. He was born in Pakistan and migrated to UK in his teens. He was educated at University of Manchester. But he did not complete the degree and left his studies to become a writer. His first novel, Season of the Rainbirds was published in 1993 and immediately caught the attentions of readers. The novel depicts tragedy, loss, and betrayal in exotic style. His second novel, Maps for Lost Lovers (2004), took more than decade to write. It elegantly portrays immigrant life in England. His latest novel is The Wasted Vigil, published in 2008, is about conflict in Afghanistan and lives of individuals caught in it.
Uzam Aslam Khan is a female novelist of new generation of Pakistan. Born in Lahore, she has taught English in USA, Morocco and Pakistan. Her first novel The Story of Noble Rot (2001) is about the sweetness of life and our own doom. Her second novel Trespassing (2003) is the story of two young people who venture into a freer world. It gives a glimpse of the complex social, religious and economic shades of Pakistan. Her third novel The Geometry of God (2007) is about identity crisis set during Zia rule in Pakistan.
Another major female writer is Kamila Shamsi. Born in 1973 in Karachi, she belongs to family with strong literary traditions. Her first novel In A City By The Sea (1998), set in Karachi, gives the perspective of the city by an 11-year-old boy. Salt and Saffron (2002) is a beautiful novel detailing the life and loves of a Pakistani girl living in the U.S. But it is her novel Kartography (2004) that has given Kamila her due fame. The book is an examination cultural life during the seventies and ethnic tension. Her last novel Broken Verses (2005) is the tale of persons search for the truth.
Bina Shah is another new name among young female Pakistani novelist of English. Where They Dream in Blue (2001) is her first novel which presents the search for past and future in the background mystic tradition. Her second novel 786 Cybercafe (2004) deals with theme of the religious extremism and the corruption. Shahs third novel Slum Child is appearing 2009.
But the novelist who is creating storm on the literary scene is by Mohammed Hanif whose novel, Case of Exploding Mangoes, published in 2008, is receiving rave reviews. The novel is about the mystery behind the murder of General Zia-ul-Haq who died in a plane crash of 1988. The novel was also Long-listed for the Booker Prize.
Conclusion
These are not the only novelists who are gracing the horizon of Pakistani novels in English. There are many others names as well. The writers like Aamer Hussein, Shandana Minhas, Daniyal Muinuddin, Ali Sethi, and many others are waiting to shine on literary sky. The tribe of Pakistani novelists is increasing day by day. One day these writers will make the name of our country across world with positive image of creativity.
English was introduced in the subcontinent by the British colonial power in the early 19th century to strengthen their rule. With the spread British Power, local elite adopted it as a means to show their proximity to Colonial Rulers and to make them distinguished from lesser beings.
Later English spread and became a choice medium for literary and intellectual expression for the most of those writers who were educated in England or in Elite institutions. Many writers chose to write in English because of their upbringing in Elite ambience and also because of desire to have a wider audience at global level.
After departure of British in 1947, English has donned a new avatar. English has now come out of its colonial hangover and has started to spread its root in the former colonized territory and adapt itself to local environment. It also helpfully connects Subcontinent with rest of the world.
In Pakistan, the tradition of English creative writings trace back its origin to English Literature produced during the colonial period. The traditions have proud patrons in the names of Raja Rao, Mulk Raj Anand, R K Narayan and Kamala Markandeya.
After independence the tradition continued in both countries across the border. If, in India, they have such literary luminaries like Khushwant Singh, Dom Moraes, Balachandra Rajan, Arundhity Roy, Amitav Ghosh, Anita Desai. We, in Pakistan, too have Ahmed Ali, Zulfikar Ghose, Kaleem Omar, Bapsi Sidwa to make us proud on international scene.
English creative writings in Pakistan are growing with grace. New voices are joining in this expanding tribe. These new voices include the names of Tariq Ali, Moniza Alvi, Hanif Kureishi, Sara Suleri, Mohsin Hamid, Bina Shah, Kamila Shamsi and Mouhammad Hanif.
But before we proceed, let us tackle the question what we mean by Pakistani writer.Defining Pakistani writerIt is a bit problematic to define who can be called a Pakistani writer. Pakistan came into existence on 14th August 1947. Before this date the areas now comprising Pakistan were parts of Indian Subcontinent. Though the geography of Pakistan is well defined, the term Pakistani writer may raise some questions. For example, should we include those writers, like Khushwant Singh, who were born, brought up and educated in areas which are now in Pakistan but later migrated to what is now India? What about those writers who were born and brought up in present day India, like Ahmed Ali, but later came to Pakistan and acquired Pakistani nationality?
Can we include in our survey such writers like Zulfikar Ghose who, though born in Present day Pakistan and have cultural links here but who never lived in Pakistan after her existence? Should our survey include those writers who brought up in Pakistan but now live elsewhere, and writers who left Pakistan in very early age? Related with this is the question does someone need to live in Pakistan to be called Pakistani?
If Pakistani Diaspora can still retain their cultural links with Pakistan then what about Sindhi Diaspora who still maintains its cultural link with Sindh but maintains a separate identity? Should Tariq Ali be considered a Pakistani writer even though he has been in England so long and none of his novels is set in Pakistan? Can we include Hanif Kureshi who has never lived here and whose only link with Pakistan is his father who was Pakistani while her mother was British? The answers raise more questions.
But as far as we are concerned, for us Pakistan writers are those who still have cultural and spiritual links with present day Pakistan. Those who may have born or brought up elsewhere but they call themselves Pakistani writers. Our survey includes those writers who psychologically and socially associate with land which is now called Pakistan.
Novelists of Earlier era
The very first name, that comes close to our definition of Pakistani novelist of English is, Ahmed Ali. He can rightly be called the pioneer of English literature among the Muslims of Subcontinent.Born in Delhi in a family of religious scholars, he was educated at Muslim University Aligarh. Later, he studied English at Lucknow University where he also joined as a lecturer in 1931. After partition in 1947, he moved in Pakistan and served in the diplomatic service till 1960. He died in 1994.Though Ahmed Ali wrote poetry and also translated The Holy Quran in English, his fame rests on his novel Twilight in Delhi (1937), written nostalgically about Delhi, the Mughal capital and epitome of Muslim elite culture. The novel skillfully presents the fading away of the traditional culture of his ancestors. His second novel, Ocean of the Night(1964), is on the theme of the ruin of aristocratic feudal families through indulgence in decadent practices. Ahmed Alis last novel Rats and Diplomats (1985), is a satire on diplomatic services.
Mumtaz Shahnawaz is probably first female novelist of English. Her only novel, The Heart Divided (1959), gives a meticulous glimpse of Partition of subcontinent. She died in 1948. She left a first, and probably an incomplete, draft of novel, which was published by her family posthumously.
In 1967, Zulfikar Ghoses debutant novel The Murder of Aziz Khan appeared on literary scene. It is the first novel, in modern English, by a Pakistani expatriate writer in Britain. Ghoses family belonged to Sialkot. Later his family shifted to Bombay in 1942. Ghose was educated in England and married a Brazilian woman in 1964, and has lived Latin America. The plot of the novel revolves around a poor Punjabi farmer destroyed by a group of industrialists.
Another important novel is Sunlight on a Broken Column (1961) by Attia Hosain. Born in Lucknow in 1913 into an affluent feudal family, she was educated in a liberal English academic system. Sunlight on a Broken Column is a novel of family life. It narrates saga of three generations of men and women living in the same house.
Strengthening Roots
English Novel in English received its reorganization with the publication of The Crow Eaters by Bapsi Sidhwa. Born in Karachi in a prosperous Parsi community, she later shifted to Lahore with her parents. Sidhwas childhood was difficult as she was afflicted with Polio. She had to restrict herself to her home where she was educated till the age of fifteen. Bapsi did her graduation from Kinnaird College for Women in Lahore. Her first novel was The Bride and her second novel The Crow Eaters. After receiving many rejections, she published and distributed her second novel The Crow Eaters herself. In 1980 a British publisher decided to publish it. Since then there has been no looking back. She wrote four novels. Her fist novel The Bride (1983) is about Zaitoon and her cultural maladjustment in tribal society. Her second novel is The Crow Eater (1978) which presents the life of Faredoon Junglewalla and history of Parsi community. Her third novel Ice Candy Man (1988) deals with partition and the lives people caught in it. Her last novel The American Barat (1993) is about Feroza Ginwalla who wants to get married outside her community and anxiety of her parents.
We can also include the name of famous student leaders and leftist activist in our survey o major Pakistani novelists. Tariq Ali was born in Lahore in 1943 and was educated at Government College Lahore and at Oxford University. He got fame because of his involvement in student politics on international level and later his participation in movement against the war in Vietnam. His major novels include quartet dealing with history of Islam: Shadows of the Pomegranate Tree (1992), The Book of Saladin (1998), The Stone Woman (2000) and A Sultan in Palermo (2005).
Another major novelist with Pakistani identity is Hanif Qureshi. Born in England in 1954, he is son of a Pakistani father and an English mother. His first novel was The Buddha of Suburbia (1991) . The novel is clearly based on Kureshis own life. His second novel, The Black Album (1995) is about Muslims living in. His novella Intimacy (1998) is about a mans decision to abandon his family. Gabriels Gift (2001) tells the story of a 15-year-old schoolboy whose artistic skills enable him to survive the trauma of his parents separation.
Adam Zameenzad is another expatriate writer whose novel The Thirteenth House (1987) describes universal themes of migration and identity.
Young Voices of Fiction
A Pakistani novel in English is coming to its age. Many young novelists are giving a new and distinct identity to this genre. The most important among them is Mohsin Hamid. Born in 1971, Mohsin was educated at Lahore and later in USA. His debut novel was Moth Smoke ( 2000). The novel explorers the theme of Partition of Subcontinent in 1947 and the trauma suffered by people during the ensuing gory violence. His second novel The Reluctant Fundamentalist (2007) discusses the reaction of an American educated young Pakistani man aftermath of 9/11 incident with strong autobiographical elements.
Another young expatriate young writer is Nadeem Aslam. He was born in Pakistan and migrated to UK in his teens. He was educated at University of Manchester. But he did not complete the degree and left his studies to become a writer. His first novel, Season of the Rainbirds was published in 1993 and immediately caught the attentions of readers. The novel depicts tragedy, loss, and betrayal in exotic style. His second novel, Maps for Lost Lovers (2004), took more than decade to write. It elegantly portrays immigrant life in England. His latest novel is The Wasted Vigil, published in 2008, is about conflict in Afghanistan and lives of individuals caught in it.
Uzam Aslam Khan is a female novelist of new generation of Pakistan. Born in Lahore, she has taught English in USA, Morocco and Pakistan. Her first novel The Story of Noble Rot (2001) is about the sweetness of life and our own doom. Her second novel Trespassing (2003) is the story of two young people who venture into a freer world. It gives a glimpse of the complex social, religious and economic shades of Pakistan. Her third novel The Geometry of God (2007) is about identity crisis set during Zia rule in Pakistan.
Another major female writer is Kamila Shamsi. Born in 1973 in Karachi, she belongs to family with strong literary traditions. Her first novel In A City By The Sea (1998), set in Karachi, gives the perspective of the city by an 11-year-old boy. Salt and Saffron (2002) is a beautiful novel detailing the life and loves of a Pakistani girl living in the U.S. But it is her novel Kartography (2004) that has given Kamila her due fame. The book is an examination cultural life during the seventies and ethnic tension. Her last novel Broken Verses (2005) is the tale of persons search for the truth.
Bina Shah is another new name among young female Pakistani novelist of English. Where They Dream in Blue (2001) is her first novel which presents the search for past and future in the background mystic tradition. Her second novel 786 Cybercafe (2004) deals with theme of the religious extremism and the corruption. Shahs third novel Slum Child is appearing 2009.
But the novelist who is creating storm on the literary scene is by Mohammed Hanif whose novel, Case of Exploding Mangoes, published in 2008, is receiving rave reviews. The novel is about the mystery behind the murder of General Zia-ul-Haq who died in a plane crash of 1988. The novel was also Long-listed for the Booker Prize.
Conclusion
These are not the only novelists who are gracing the horizon of Pakistani novels in English. There are many others names as well. The writers like Aamer Hussein, Shandana Minhas, Daniyal Muinuddin, Ali Sethi, and many others are waiting to shine on literary sky. The tribe of Pakistani novelists is increasing day by day. One day these writers will make the name of our country across world with positive image of creativity.
