Dear friends, sharing my literary journey of India.
Lucknow Literature festival, held at the fantastic Scientific Convention Centre. I had two sessions yesterday, and one was a panel on the topic of Gender and Education. I thoroughly enjoyed the discussion and interaction with my fellow panellists — women of high calibre — all bringing with them a wealth of knowledge and expertise. I talked about gender issues in my novels and, of course, my involvement in educating and the empowerment of women for over two decades through my lifelong learning work.
In my second solo session, In conversation with Qaisra Shahraz, the moderator Ayaz, a well-known celebrity, was excellent. We discussed reading habits, poets of the subcontinents of India, the process of writing in modern times, and themes of my work. I also read a quote from the Faiz Ahmad Faiz‘s poem featured in my novel Typhoon. As a touching goodbye gesture, we were given gifts resembling the writer’s pen — beautiful reminder of a wonderful time.