Online International Urdu Mushaira
Conveners: Imre Bangha, Sowaibah Shahbaz and Rukhsana Bibi
Speakers: Dr Shaista Nuzhat; Prof. Dr Saima Iram; Dr Tariq Hashmi; Dr Mohammad Afzal Butt; Dr. Ambreen Ashar; Zahid Mayo; Hamza Sahi; Sowaibah Shahbaz
Dr Shaista Nuzhat
اتنی نہ بے رخی کی سزا دیجیے مجھے
ایسا نہ ہو کہیں کہ گنوا دیجیے مجھے
Dr. Shaista Nuzhat is a Punjabi linguistic and cultural expert, and the Founding Director of the Punjab Institute of Language, Art and Culture. She is a poet in Punjabi and Urdu, a columnist, and a writer. As well as a broadcaster on radio and live TV talk shows. She is a civil servant with the Government of Pakistan, working with various ministries. The topic of her basic research work is Sufism. For this purpose, she has visited various countries for delivering lectures on the topic of “Sufism – A Road to Peace.” She has,15 books and Around 50 published short stories in different magazines.
Prof. Dr Saima Iram
اپنی تخلیق ہی سامان بقا تھی اپنا
ورنہ ہم ایسے ہی گمنام بھی ہو سکتے تھے
Dr Saima Iram is a professor of Urdu language and literature, currently working as the first Female Head of the Department at Government College University Lahore, established in 1864. She attended University of Oxford for her post-doctoral studies. She has two books and numerous research articles on her credit. She actively advocates for women rights and also does her part for the betterment of LGBTQ community. As a fiction writer, some of her short stories were translated into Hindi, Gurmukhi and English and one of them was recently selected for a class work course at University of Chicago.
Dr Tariq Hashmi
ابھی تفتیش غم باقی تھی طارق
یہ دل زیر حراست مارا گیا ہے
Dr Tariq Hashmi is a associate professor of urdu language and literature of the Government College Women’s UniversityFaisalabad. He is an well known poet, writer, critic, editor and researcher of Urdu. He has 10 books and 50 research articles on his credit. He has represented his institution on various national and international platforms for development of Urdu language and literature.
Dr Mohammad Afzal Butt
آگیا مجھے بھی ہنر منافقوں سے لڑنے کا
اب انھی کے تیر سے ان کا شکار کرتا ہوں
Dr Mohammad Afzal Butt is a well known Urdu writer, poet, translator, critic and researcher.He is currently working as the head of the department of Government College Women's University in Sialkot, Pakistan. In 2017, he received a grant of Rs. 4 million for thematic research assistance from the Higher Education Commission, Pakistan. He has one book and 33 research articles on his credit. As chairman of the Department of Urdu, his practical efforts to promote research and criticism are commendable. In addition to teaching work, he organizes seminars, discussions and other literary forums.
Dr Ambreen Ashar
رگ حیات میں پیوستہ یہ نشہ ہے عجب
میں کار خیر کی، پیاروں کی بات کرتی ھوں
Dr Ambreen Ashar is a nano-chemist and has done her doctorate in Chemistry. She is a writer of four( 4) books of urdu poetry and two (2) scientific books. Three (3) Mphil thesis have been written on her poetry. She is patent holder of nano-medicines. She has been awarded the Fatima Jinnah Gold medal. In 2019 she was declared Lady of Layalpur. She was recently awarded by AAUW post doc fellowship.
Zahid Mayo
میں آدم زاد بت اک مٹی دا
میری ڈوہنگی ہستی
Zahid Mayo is a Lahore based visual artist and Punjabi poet. He moved to Lahore from rural Punjab in 2005, where he studied art at National College of Arts. His work is centered around issues of time (زمانہ), space, and people. Many of his paintings are part of public and private collections. He has also created public art works in Lahore, Islamabad, Karachi and Hunza, while others are scattered around his motherland Punjab.
Hamza Sahi
نماز ادا نہ ہوئی وضو روز کیا
اور دوں ثبوت کیا سائبا تیری خدا بندی کا
Hamza sahi is an Urdu poet, writer and painter. He writes short stories to inform about domestic issues, providing insight on the life of the oppressed. Along with exhibiting his artwork to spread awareness on the growing quandaries of Pakistan.
Sowaibah Shahbaz
دل رنجش ميں مچلتا رہا کسی نے کبھی دستک نہ دی
يوں اندھيروں ميں بھٹکتا رہا
چاند شرم و حيا بھلا کے دور سے بےبس کو پرکھتا رہا
موسی نہ عیسی اس درد بھری کہانی کا نبی کون؟
سہاروں کی دبی خواھشوں ميں مومن سر رکھتا ہوا رگڑتا ہوا۔
Sowaibah Shahbaz is an English and Urdu poetess, sketch artist and curator for Ehsas Outdoor Gallery in NYC. She comes from a background in public policy primarily an expert in the bill and law making process of the U.S federal and New York State government. Currently she’s completing her MSc in Modern South Asian Studies at University of Oxford. She co-organized this event along with Rukhsana Bibi.
To book please email: rukhsana.bibi@orinst.ox.ac.uk
