‘Today has been one of the best days of my time at Foundation University. It was a real honour to host Qaisra Shahraz for a wonderful talk, and an even better workshop.’
These were the words of Ubaidullah Abid Qazi. In fact it was a delightful experience for me too ― to visit this university for the first time.
What an amazing organisation (a true team effort), and such marvellous publicity ― tall banners could be seen everywhere advertising the session.
It was wonderful that other departments attended, including some engineering students. We joked that they had a harder time studying than those reading novels for their degrees, and the other departments joined in the banter.
Two short films were screened by students from the English and Media departments. One was made about my first novel, The Holy Woman, and it was weird and wonderful to see this adaptation, which was well done. I called out three female students behind the production and writing to congratulate them on the stage. The other film was a well-polished production by the Media & Communications department, focusing on the trauma of a young pupil who had survived the massacre in his Peshwar school. It was tremendous.
I enjoyed my interaction at the tea and dinner table in between my two sessions. The heads of different departments, as well as the Dean joined us, and it was then that we had our selfie!