JEDDAH, 19 September 2005 — Trends and traditions of Urdu fiction were discussed at a seminar “Urdu Fiction Ke 50 Saal,” held at Hotel Trident on Friday. The seminar was organized as part of the ongoing India Festival.
Noted Indian authors, critics and poets participated in the seminar which attracted a large number of Indian and Pakistani fiction lovers.
What are the new trends commonly found in Urdu fiction or what are the favorite subjects discussed by young writers, were primarily the subject matter of the seminar.
Professor Muzaffar Hanafi, author of over 50 books, highlighted the style, content and limitations of Qurratul Ain Haider, Urdu’s most courageous and controversial woman writer of the 20th century.
Hanafi in his paper said that Qurratul Ain Haider carved a niche for herself along with her contemporary Urdu fiction writers like Rajinder Singh Bedi, Saadat Hasan Manto and Krishan Chander by introducing areas of experience not explored before.
Story-telling and listening to stories were always a favorite pastime of people of all ages. There was a time when the story lost its “storyness” and so also its attraction. Urdu fiction suffered badly. Thankfully, now it has regained its charm and glamour, Zuber Rizvi, noted writer, poet and mediaman, said.
Rizvi enumerated the changes which had shaped short story over the last 50 years.
An emerging name in Urdu writing Sheen Kaaf Nizam talked about the technique and vocabulary found in Urdu fiction. He compared Urdu fiction with English fiction.
Dr. Malikzada Manzoor, a noted Urdu poet and writer, presented a review of Urdu fiction from the time of Nazir Ahmad in his compering and highlighted the works of several noted writers.
An author and critic of repute, Professor Moghni Tabassum, who presided over the seminar, made a frank assessment of the papers read by all three participants.
He said some of them had deviated from the topic and dealt more with the general aspects of fiction in India and Pakistan both. The topic of discussion, however, was Urdu fiction in India only.
He also pointed out that the presence of hundreds of people in the seminar and their rapt attention was testimony that “people are interested in fiction also.”
He emphasized that a close study of day-to-day life and extensive knowledge of the classics were needed by today’s writers as well as by discerning readers.
The participants and audience lauded Hifzur Rahman, consul (press and information), for his tireless efforts to organize such a successful seminar, the first of its kind in Jeddah.
