Islamabad
Literary awards accompanied with around PKR 850,000 are being given in recognition of the books on poetry, prose, fiction during the Parveen Shakir Urdu Literature Festival being celebrated on Tuesday, Dec 28.
This was announced by Chairperson of the Parveen Shakir Trust (PST) Parveen Qadir Agha and Secretary Raana Seerat at a press conference on Saturday.
Lifetime member and eminent short story writer of the country Mazharul Islam was also present on the occasion.
While giving details of the Urdu Literature Festival, Parveen Qadir Agha said apart from Aks-e-Khushbu Award (along with PKR 50,000 each for a book on poetry and a book on prose) which is a regular feature of the PST, seven new awards are being announced and given during the festival.
They include Husn-e-Funn Award (along with PKR 100,000 cash prize), Mian Atta Rabbani Sada Bahaar Award (along with PKR 100,000), Nayyir Adbi Award (PKR100,000), Sheikh Abdul Qadir Award (PKR 50,000), Younas Sethi Wafa Award (along with PKR 50,000), Sultan Mehmood Qazi Award (PKR50,000) and Begum Sarfaraz Iqbal Award (PKR 50,000).
In this way, PST has become Pakistan’s only trust that is presenting awards and cash prizes in recognition of the writers and poets’ wonderful works, said Parveen Qadir Agha.
PST established in memory of Parveen Shakir, noted Urdu poetess of Pakistan who lost her life in a car accident back in 1994 on Dec 26.
In the beginning, the purpose of the trust was to preserve and promote kalam (writings) of Parveen Shakir and take care of her only child’s studies who was 14.
With the passage of time, the scope of the PST widened and it started giving Aks-e-Khushbu awards to the poets and writers.
Since 1996 these awards are being given on regular basis to two young poets and writers on their books.
However, the year 2021 is unique in the sense different persons and institutes are also collaborating with the PST to distribute awards along with cash prizes in memory of their beloved ones.
According to Secretary of the PST, Raana Seerat, in the cold and dry environment of Islamabad the Urdu Literature Festival will bring warmth of life and literature as three big names Amjad Islam Amjad, Asghar Nadeem Sayyid and Mustansar Hussain Tarar are participating in the one-day event.
She said different sessions of the Urdu Literature Festival are creatively and artistically designed for interactive discussions and free and frank debates on various subjects related to Urdu fiction, poetry and prose.
For organizing the festival and for designing the awards, we are thankful to Mazharul Islam for his pains, said Raana Seerat.
One important feature and highlight of the event is arrival of Turkish scholar and writer Dr Davut Sahbaz who will be given Nayyir Adabi Award for his book on Mazharul Islam.
Besides, a number of seminars, discussions and debates on novels, future of printed word will be held and people will have the opportunity to listen to their favourite writers.
A Mushaira (Poetry Recital) is also planned with two different sessions on ‘ghazal’ and ‘nazam.’
Noted poets of the twin cities would be participating in the mushaira, she said.
