Shamsur Rahman Faruqi (1935-2020): Why this death leaves a permanent patch of darkness in literature

The scholar, poet, novelist and translator, who wrote in Urdu and English, died on December 25, 2020 at the age of 85.

Maaz Bin Bilal

· Dec 26, 2020 · 08:30 am

Writing in the times of Covid-19: Can guilt and confessions really atone for not acting when needed?

‘Does the writer who feels bad for his inaction also feel shame or guilt?’

Maaz Bin Bilal

· May 23, 2020 · 07:00 am

Remembering beloved movie stars: Be kind and rewind, but be open-eyed too

Perhaps one should be able to speak of the ills or even just the shortcomings along with the good and the superlatives.

Maaz Bin Bilal

· May 09, 2020 · 10:00 am

The Art of Resistance: In a new poem, Maaz Bin Bilal declares his refusal to accept unjust laws

‘The mighty and many rule the weak and few.’

Maaz Bin Bilal

· Jan 01, 2020 · 02:30 pm

I’m an Indian Muslim and refuse to be certified as a citizen by this RSS-backed government

Like my forefathers protested against the British, this is my act of civil disobedience against a draconian law.

Maaz Bin Bilal

· Dec 22, 2019 · 06:30 am

Annie Zaidi’s novel paints a searing picture of how communal disharmony affects each of us

‘Prelude to a Riot’ graphically describes a situation where communal mobilisation in full swing in a south Indian town.

Maaz Bin Bilal

· Dec 21, 2019 · 07:30 am

History, myth, scholarship: This qissa-as-novel by Musharraf Ali Farooqi looks power in the eye

Farooqi’s qissa in English gives us the rich tapestry of a West Asian world with its flourishing knowledge systems that are often forgotten today.

Maaz Bin Bilal

· Nov 17, 2019 · 05:30 pm

The ghazal meets politics and contemporary India in Maaz Bin Bilal’s new book of poetry

Four poems of love, law, and racism, and one poem in translation.

Maaz Bin Bilal

· Jul 30, 2019 · 05:30 pm

How do you select and translate Urdu ghazals by 65 poets written over 500 years? Ask Anisur Rahman

The writer and translator explains how he selected the ghazals for his comprehensive collection, ‘Hazaaron Khwahishein Aisi’ and how the form has evolved.

Maaz Bin Bilal

· Mar 31, 2019 · 12:30 pm

Not just the last Mughal: Three ghazals by Bahadur Shah Zafar, the poet king

On his 154th death anniversary, these three translations of Zafar’s Urdu ghazals reflect his awareness of a lack of power in the matters of state.

Bahadur Shah Zafar

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Maaz Bin Bilal

· Nov 07, 2018 · 08:30 am

This children’s book starring a dragon doesn’t shy away from showing the inequalities of India

Hansda Sowendra Shekhar’s ‘Jwala Kumar and the Gift of Fire’ is far from being the usual fantasy for children.

Maaz Bin Bilal

· Oct 07, 2018 · 08:30 am

‘What lies beyond the fog?’ A variety never seen before in a collection of Urdu stories

‘The Greatest Urdu Stories Ever Told’ is an extraordinary collection, translated by a master.

Maaz Bin Bilal

· Nov 25, 2017 · 08:30 am