Masud's travel stories in tradition of Insha

Source: Dawn News

 

ISLAMABAD, Feb 9: It is a good omen for the capital’s cultural scene that one evening sees several literary events, each drawing sizable gathering.That sentiment surfaced at the launching ceremony of Masud Alam’s Urdu travelogue Chalo held under the Civic Café programme of the Strengthening Participatory Organization (SPO) on Tuesday evening.

Poet, writer and social activist Harris Khalique said on the occasion that Masud Alam, being proficient in English language, deserved special praise for writing in Urdu, knowing well that writing in English brings more recognition and money.

He stressed the need for writing prose in the national languages including Sindhi, Balochi, Pashto, Seraiki, Hindku, besides Urdu, to reach out to the common people.

Mr Khalique said Masud Alam’s collection of travel stories is in the tradition of Ibne Insha, who wrote simple, witty and absorbing prose.

Earlier Zafar Zeeshan, head of programme, SPO, in his introductory remarks described Masud Alam as a unique writer, who has used his journalistic eye to come up with creative prose. He said that this combination is not very common.

Picking up the thread from this point scholar Ashfaq Salim Mirza also praised the writer, who is son of Air Commodore (retired) Mahmud Alam. Like his father, Masud too joined Pakistan Air Force but paid adieu to it and moved on to journalism and filmmaking.

Masud Alam, who is currently working with BBC, read a story of a travel in a fictitious airline where you get neither snacks nor newspapers free. He talked in his humorous way about small airlines that have taken over the crowding airlines.

Masud’s travelogue has also earned kudos from Mohammed Hanif, author of A Case of Exploding Mangoes.

Press Release