SRINAGAR: During Adbi Markaz Kamraz’s annual conference at Srinagar’s Tagore Hall, the books of Prof Naseem Shafaie and Prof Shad Ramzan were formally released. Shafaie’s book, Be Wanith Zane Kus (To Whom Should I Tell) is a poetic collection and Shad’s book Shair The Sharah is a critique of the evolution and explanation of Kashmiri poetry in a historical context.
Prior to the formal release of the books, two scholars each offered their reviews – one each in English and Kashmiri. The reviewers termed Naseem as “Habba Khatoon of contemporary Kashmir” and Shad as “Iron Man of Kashmiri literature”. Both the authors have been students of Kashmir stalwart Rehman Rahi and are contemporaries. While Shad taught at the University of Kashmir, Naseem retired as a college professor. Shad currently heads the Sahitya Academy operations in Jammu and Kashmir.
Reviewers said Shad’s book is a must for anybody who is keen to understand the evolution of Kashmir poetry and its comparative study with some of the most respected literary figures in the rest of the world. He said it took him 15 years to complete the 12 chapters that make the book.
This is Shafaie’s third poetic collection. Her first poetic collection Derche Machrith (Open Windows) was published in 1999. The second one Na Thsay Na Aks (Neither Shadow Nor Reflection) came in 2009) and won the 2011 Sahitya Akademi Award for Kashmiri making Shafaie the first Kashmiri woman to win the prize. This book bagged the Tagore Literature Award in 2009 as well. Her poetry has been translated into English, Urdu, Kannada, Tamil, Marathi and Telugu.
Shad has written 17 books so far. Two of his books bagged the Sahitya Academy Award. In 2009, his book Anhar Te Akes got the award. It is the translation of some of the best 24 short stories from different Indian languages. In 2014, his poetic collection Kore Kakud Gome Pushrith (Entrusted with Blank Slate) got the top literary honour.
