Souad Khalil | Libya

The Libyan writer Salem Ali Al-Abbar represents one of the prominent figures in Libya’s cultural and literary scene. He has combined narrative writing, literary criticism, and cultural media work, becoming a model of the comprehensive intellectual who did not confine his experience to a single literary genre, but rather opened himself to multiple fields of creativity and knowledge.

Al-Abbar began his literary journey in 1976, a period that witnessed significant cultural and intellectual transformations in Libya and the Arab world. His experience was therefore shaped within a dynamic context based on interaction between reality and the intellectual and aesthetic transformations taking place in writing.

He is considered one of the most important figures who contributed to shaping the features of modern Libyan narrative, particularly in the fields of short stories, cultural activity, and radio broadcasting. Born in Benghazi in 1958, Al-Abbar belongs to a literary generation that played a pivotal role in moving Libyan literature from the stage of foundation to the stage of experimentation and renewal, both in narrative form and in intellectual and aesthetic vision.

Al-Abbar studied law at the University of Benghazi; however, his literary and creative inclinations preceded his academic specialization. He developed an interest in writing at an early age, influenced by his social environment and by the cultural atmosphere that was emerging in Libya during that period. This dual formation—legal and literary—created an intellectual background that enriched his writings, characterized by precise analysis of reality and a profound humanistic dimension.

First: The Beginnings and the Formation of Narrative Awareness

Salem Al-Abbar began his literary career through the short story, a literary genre that requires linguistic intensity and a great ability to capture the human moment in its deepest dimensions. His early writings were connected to a critical awareness of reality and a clear tendency to question social and human structures through literary expression.

From the beginning, writing for him was not merely an aesthetic practice, but rather an act of knowledge that rereads reality and reshapes it through language. This approach contributed to building his distinctive narrative style, based on condensation, symbolism, and attention to details that reveal what lies beneath the surface.

Second: The Short Story Experience and Diversity of Themes

Salem Al-Abbar published a number of significant short story collections, including: Publications Against the State, Manifestations of an Arab Mare, The Game, The Shadow of the Sun, and Khadijar. These titles reveal a diversity of vision and concerns, where social questions intersect with human and symbolic dimensions.

His stories focus on human beings in moments of crisis and on the internal tensions experienced by individuals in their confrontation with society, history, and authority. His texts also reflect a clear critical sense that does not merely describe reality, but seeks to deconstruct it and recreate it narratively.

Some of his works have been translated into foreign languages such as French, English, and Kurdish, reflecting the ability of his texts to transcend the local context and open themselves to global readings.

Third: Critical Writing and Literary Awareness

Alongside his short stories, Salem Al-Abbar made an important contribution to the field of literary criticism. He published a number of critical works, including Studies in Literature, On the Margin of the Text, and Features of the Hero in the Libyan Short Story. These works represent an extension of his narrative awareness, yet they move from creative practice toward analysis and interpretation.

In his critical writings, Al-Abbar demonstrates a clear interest in the structure of the literary text, the construction of the short story character, and the relationship between form and content. He also examines the development of the Libyan short story through analytical readings that connect literary texts with the historical and social contexts that produced them.

He also contributed to the book Body Language alongside a group of Arab writers, reflecting his openness to collective intellectual work and shared critical experiences.

Fourth: Cultural and Media Work and the Role of Radio

Salem Al-Abbar is considered one of the prominent figures who contributed to the development of cultural media in Libya, particularly through radio. He presented important literary and cultural programs, among the most notable of which was the program “What Listeners Write”, which was dedicated to discovering new literary talents and encouraging young readers and writers to participate in cultural life.

He also presented other programs such as: The Literary Forum, Writers and Opinions, The Paths of the Sun, The Shadow of the Sun, Words and Meanings, and Features and Dimensions. These programs were distinguished by their ability to create a dialogue space between the text and the audience, transforming radio into an active cultural and critical platform.

His role in media was not merely the presentation of programs; rather, it was a comprehensive cultural project aimed at building literary appreciation and expanding the circle of literary reception within society.

Fifth: Journalism and Institutional Cultural Work

Alongside his literary and radio activities, Salem Al-Abbar founded the newspaper “Benghazi News”, which continued to be published for more than twenty-three consecutive years, relying on its own resources without external support. This experience represents a rare model in local journalism in terms of continuity and independence.

He also served as editor-in-chief of several cultural magazines, including Al-Fusoul Al-Arba’a (The Four Seasons), published by the Writers and Authors Association, and Arab Culture Magazine.

He was also chosen as the president of the Benghazi Writers Association. He was among the founders of its branch in 1979, alongside a group of writers, including the poet Ali Al-Fazani, Saad Nafo, Mohammed Abdullah Al-Mahjoub, and Abdulrazek Boukheit.

Sixth: Critical Recognition and Arab and International Presence

Salem Al-Abbar’s works have received wide critical attention, as they have been discussed by a number of Arab and foreign critics, including the Algerian critic Fadila Al-Farouq, the French critic Edgar Weber, the Iraqi critic Athab Al-Rukabi, and Abdulhakim Al-Maliki.

The renowned novelist Naguib Mahfouz also praised him, describing him as a distinguished Arab short story writer during an interview with Monte Carlo Radio following his receiving of the Nobel Prize for Literature.

In addition, his writings were studied by prominent critics from Morocco, Egypt, and Italy during the celebration of the translation of his short story collection The Game.

His writings were published in numerous Arab newspapers and magazines, including Al-Kifah Al-Arabi, Al-Mawqif Al-Arabi, and Al-Alam Al-Maghribi. He also participated in radio and press interviews in Iraq, Morocco, Egypt, Lebanon, Yemen, and Oman, where some of his stories were broadcast on Omani radio.

Seventh: The Cultural Dimension and Intellectual Message

Salem Al-Abbar’s experience extends beyond literary writing to become an integrated cultural project based on supporting creativity, nurturing talents, and restoring the value of writing as both a human and cultural act.

He does not view literature as an individual product alone, but rather as an interactive movement between the writer, the reader, and society.

His presence in the Libyan cultural scene is not only connected to his personal creativity, but also to his role in establishing cultural and media institutions that contributed to shaping the modern literary landscape in Benghazi and Libya as a whole.

Salem Al-Abbar’s experience represents a complete model of the intellectual who combined narrative creativity, literary criticism, media work, and institutional cultural practice. Through this diversity, he succeeded in building a lasting cultural presence based on interaction between text, thought, and society, and between writing and living cultural action.

His experience remains one of the important experiences in modern Libyan literature, not only because of the texts he produced, but also because of his contribution to forming an integrated cultural and literary awareness that transformed writing into a human and cultural project open to the future.

Eighth: The Human Dimension… When Writing Becomes an Existential Experience

Salem Al-Abbar’s experience does not stop at creativity, criticism, and cultural work; it extends into a profound human dimension, manifested in the fact that he is the father of a martyr. This personal experience left a clear existential impact on his understanding of life and death, and on the meanings of loss and immortality.

In a post he published in 2012, I was deeply moved by what he wrote. I attempted to reread and analyze his words in order to understand these expressions that emerged from the depths of pain.

He expressed this dimension through a symbolic and contemplative language, in which he views true condensation as reaching the essence of things, where the word becomes a point, and the point becomes a concentrated meaning carrying life and mortality together.

In his reflection, words such as the soul, the cell, paradise, fire, the atom, and the seed become extensions of this profound reduction that reveals the essence of existence.

In this context, “fire” acquires a special significance, not merely as an element, but as a living and captivating force that settles deep within human emotion. It intertwines with sorrow and longing, and burns within the soul when it is ignited by loss.

Al-Abbar wrote:

“Condense greatly… and you will discover that you are profound. Condense even more… and you will discover that you are greater. Contemplate the point, how it draws the sentence toward itself until it stops at the essence of meaning, and contemplate it as it breathes the spirit into the bodies of letters.

Like the point, we can present many examples of profound condensation: the soul, the cell, paradise, fire, the atom, the seed… everything that represents the origin of life and mortality.

And when we turn away from appearances to see with the eye of the inner self, we realize that what we consider differences are nothing but ornaments; the most present truth is that which metaphor cannot reach.

Fire is the most present and seductive feminine force; we stand before it astonished, uncertain of its meanings, and our wonder increases when it blazes within the depths of our being, fueled by tears.

Ah… how much water increases the flame of fire.

Within my heart burns the fire of losing my martyred son…

Those who, while still in the age of flowers, discovered the path to paradise, became the profound and meaningful condensation itself.”

Through these words and their existential resonance, shaped by the experience of loss, he was writing about his martyred son.

To conclude what I have written, if we wished to write about this great literary figure, the number of pages would never be sufficient. In brief, we can say that Salem Al-Abbar’s experience appears, at its core, as a literary and critical journey formed through many years of engagement with narrative and thought, before being touched by the most painful personal experience.

His fictional and critical production was built upon an early awareness of language and the structure of the text, as well as a continuous engagement with questions of humanity and reality. This is what granted him his distinguished position within the Libyan literary scene.

However, the human dimension that later emerged does not reinterpret this experience as much as it illuminates its horizons and grants it an additional contemplative depth. Between writing as an act of knowledge and reflection as an echo of human experience, the image of the writer becomes complete, without one dimension reducing or replacing the other.

Thus, Salem Al-Abbar’s experience remains fundamentally based on a clearly defined literary project, while the human voice within it—with all the loss and questions it carries—remains an extension of this project, not an alternative to it.

Read: Literature and the Arts: A Creative Relationship

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Souad Khalil, hailing from Benghazi Libya, is a writer, poet, and translator. She has been writing on culture, literature and other general topics.

The post Salem Al-Abbar: Voice of Modern Libyan Fiction first appeared on Sindh Courier.

• Instead of short videos on digital platforms, authors should share short stories, poetry, and articles. Establishing e-book and online public libraries can make books more accessible to people.
• Open and free libraries at our bus stops, parks, and other public places

By Abdullah Usman Morai | Sweden

Throughout human history, books have always been lighthouses of knowledge. History tells us that whenever nations have remained connected to knowledge, literature, and intellect, their civilizations have flourished. Conversely, when they have distanced themselves from books, their societies have faced decline. Books are not merely sources of information; they also give birth to thought, insight, and creativity.

In today’s digital age, technology and the digital world, mobile phones, social media, and short videos have captured people’s attention and captivated them. The glow of screens has overshadowed the light of book pages, and the habit of reading is gradually diminishing. What was once a common practice, taking time to sit down with a book and read seriously, has now become a fading and old-fashioned hobby. All over the world, especially in our society, people are moving towards brief content for entertainment and information. The notion that reading is only for education is mistaken; in reality, it is a source of spiritual and mental peace. The decline in the habit of reading is not just a social trend but a dangerous signal for our thoughts, imagination, and wisdom.

Now, a question arises: are books truly being forgotten? Or do they still have the power to give new light, inspiration, and life?

A Personal Observation: A Small Library at Krakow Airport

Very recently, I was waiting for my flight at Krakow Airport in Poland. While it’s common to see people busy on their mobile phones at airports, I was surprised to see a small library there. Books of different languages were on the shelves, and people were freely picking them up and reading. Some people were engrossed in books while waiting for their flights, and when it was time to board, they would read and then return the books to the same spot so others could benefit. This sight was amazing to me, and it made me realize again how precious books are.

At that moment, I felt that books are not just books, but friends who accompany you on any journey, during any wait, and in any difficult moment. I was left wondering if the habit of reading had really ended. If such a passion for reading exists in an airport, where everyone is in a hurry, why can’t we revive it in our own society? This one incident forced me to realize that books are not just a source of information, but a joy that everyone can experience.

Why is the Habit of Reading Decreasing in Society?

There are several reasons for the decline in the habit of reading. For example, people lose themselves in the problems of employment, education, and other issues. But the most important reason is the increasing consumption of social media and digital content. Platforms like TikTok and Reels provide quick and short-term entertainment, which reduces interest in reading longer content. Another reason is the weakness of our education system, where reading is considered just a means to pass exams, not a tool for personal growth. Finally, the problem of access to books is also a major obstacle. Libraries are either non-existent or inactive in our areas, which makes it difficult for people to get new books.

Benefits of Reading Books

There is not just one benefit of reading books; the list can be long. For example, reading broadens the mind and opens new avenues for thinking. It also generates patience, awareness, and empathy, which enhances a person’s ability to speak and write. The act of reading connects an individual to the world and its history. Psychologically, books also provide companionship and help people feel less lonely.

Suggestions to Revive the Habit of Reading

Reviving the habit of reading is a collective effort. The government and social institutions need to pay serious attention to this. The following suggestions can help achieve this goal:

1. Establish community libraries: Small and easy-to-manage libraries should be established in every village and city. These libraries should not only have books but also weekly reading programs and book discussion sessions.
2. Use digital content correctly: Instead of short videos on digital platforms, authors should be encouraged to share short stories, poetry, and articles. Establishing e-book and online public libraries can make books more accessible to people.
3. Role of parents and teachers: Parents should read storybooks to their children from an early age. The habit of reading should be made a part of the curriculum in schools, and a special period should be designated for reading every week.
4. Open and free libraries: Models like the one at Krakow Airport can be established at our bus stops, parks, and other public places. Such open book racks or cupboards will encourage people to read.

Conclusion

The purpose of this article is to say that just as seeing people engrossed in books at Krakow Airport made me realize that seekers of knowledge and literature still exist, the habit of reading is not a fading light. Rather, if society gives it importance, it can still become a new inspiration and breath of life. Reading books is not just a habit; it broadens the mind and gives wings to imagination. It connects us with different worlds and makes our thinking deeper and more conscious. If we want to bring this light back to our society, we have to work together so that books become an essential part of our lives, and we start with ourselves by carrying books and encouraging others to adopt this habit. To forget books is to forget the light within ourselves, and to keep them alive is to see human life with new eyes.

Read: Participatory Politics for Democratic Voice

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Abdullah Soomro, penname Abdullah Usman Morai, hailing from Moro town of Sindh, province of Pakistan, is based in Stockholm Sweden. Currently he is working as Groundwater Engineer in Stockholm Sweden. He did BE (Agriculture) from Sindh Agriculture University Tando Jam and MSc water systems technology from KTH Stockholm Sweden as well as MSc Management from Stockholm University. Beside this he also did masters in journalism and economics from Shah Abdul Latif University Khairpur Mirs, Sindh. He is author of a travelogue book named ‘Musafatoon’. His second book is in process. He writes articles from time to time. A frequent traveler, he also does podcast on YouTube with channel name: VASJE Podcast.

The post How to Revive the Reading Habit? first appeared on Sindh Courier.

Ghulam Yaseen Magsi

“I have always imagined that paradise will be a kind of library.”

— Jorge Luis Borges

In a world increasingly frenetic, distracted and visual, there will those that consider the simple act of reading as something rather old hat. Yet there is nothing more potent than reading to bring both revolution and enlightenment to the individual and to a society. It’s much more than just a hobby or even an academic practice, it’s an intellectual, emotional, and even a spiritual endeavor, that truly opens up the mind, and transforms the self. The joy of reading is equally in what we know and in who we become as we know. This essay is about the joy of reading and the transformative power of it in all its multiple forms—the way in which it can be intellectually stimulating, emotionally eye-opening, imaginatively inviting, critically awakening, and a shield for intellectual freedom.

Cognitive Enrichment: A Mental Gymnasium

Cognition — the ability to learn new information, the ability to process, understand and use information — thrives in the light of deep reading. Unlike more passive forms of entertainment, reading takes work. It triggers the neural systems that are the building blocks of memory, attention, inference, reason and decision making. There are numerous studies in neuroscience showing that regular reading increases brain connectivity and develops areas associated with language comprehension and emotional intelligence (Hutton et al., 2015).

Whether we’re reading a novel, an essay or a history book, we’re forced to track cause and effect, to stop and think about an abstract concept, and to understand some metaphor. This not only promotes comprehension, but also meta-cognition: thinking about thinking. As Italo Calvino written, “A classic is a book that has never finished saying what it has to say.” Every return to a great book has taught us something new, has driven the mind further towards the future.

To read, then, is not a linear act; it is recursive and syncretic. It is what makes the human mind flexible, adaptable, and able to think complex thoughts. The reader, along the lines, becomes intellectually self-reliant — a good reader can move through the complexities of the world with confidence.

Emotional Empathy and What We See with Other Eyes

Reading not only beautifies the mind, but also the heart. Fiction in general is an empathy delivery system. When a reader lives in the mind of another character — whether from a different time, place, gender, class, or culture — they are exercising an essential human capability: compassion. Because, as Martha Nussbaum claims in Poetic Justice, literature is a crucial means for moral education; allowing us to practice moral decisions and invest in the lives of others as if they were our own.

The experience of life through literature crosses cultural boundaries. When a reader in Pakistan encounters the writing of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie or Haruki Murakami, they are not only receiving ideas — they are opening access to emotional worlds across continents. This emotional literacy, by preparing readers to be more empathetic citizens, colleagues, educators, and leaders.

In a fractured, polarized world governed by identities and tribes, literature becomes a common language. As the poet Rainer Maria Rilke wrote, “The only journey is the one within,” and reading is that journey made through the conveyance of another’s voice.

Spiritual Imagination: Rousing the Mystical Fire

Reading is not just a way to comprehend what is — it is an invitation to consider what could be. Whether in the speculative imagination of science fiction or poetic truths, books are a very fertile ground for creativity. Kids who are raised on stories have an enhanced capacity for imaginative thought, problem solving, and language. This persists into adulthood: reading activates the prefrontal cortex — that is, the place in our brain we access during abstract thinking, be it about Dante or Sewers of Paris.

Plus, creativity is not just for artists. Innovative leaders in every field — from technology to social justice to the arts — frequently cite reading as the source of their inspiration. Narrative is radical, making us at the very moment it is being made.” A society that celebrates literature is a society that rewards innovation.

In this way, readers are dreamers and architects. The pleasure of fiction is its falsity — the way it allows us to visit narrative worlds we could never hope to witness and imagine futures that have not yet taken shape. The more one reads the more one develops a boldness to imagine new worlds, new systems, and new paradigms.

Reading as Resistance: Critical Thinking and the Personal Awakening

Every era has its dogmas. From colonialism to capitalism, authoritarianism to algorithmic manipulation, societies spread dominant ideas to enforce their power. Reading is then an act of rebellion for dulled minds and the unfree.

Philosopher Paulo Freire coined the phrase “reading the word and the world” in Pedagogy of the Oppressed. To Freire, literacy was decoding not just words, but life itself. To read, then, is to question, to doubt, to challenge. Readers come to understand power dynamics, historical repetitions and moral shades of gray that the uncritical mind might miss.

When students read Orwell’s 1984 or Baldwin’s The Fire Next Time, it is not only literature that they are ingesting but also something which they are negotiating — political consciousness. They discover that all stories are constructs, and all constructs are biased. They thus become active citizens in a democracy and agents of change.

Freedom of thought: A vital refuge for the unorthodox mind

Reading’s supreme gift is its conservation of freedom of mind. Bot- toms up in societies where speech is moderated or words are covered over, books usually become fraught. Libraries go up in flames, authors are censored, and readers are spied on. Why? Reading, you see, nurtures independent thought, and independent thought is dangerous to those in power.

In Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury, a society is alerted to one in which books are outlawed and conformity is encouraged. The hero, Montag, learns that to read is to wake up. The lesson is obvious: literacy is liberation.

Intellectual freedom is not a legal right; it is a mind-space. Because as long as people have books, people have dissent, people have dialogue, and people have transformation. In the words of Albert Einstein, “The reading of all good books is like a conversation with the finest minds of past centuries.” In so doing, the reader becomes student and citizen of a larger world.

Reading as a Light for Life

Reading is an exercise both intimate and universal. It is a dialogue between writer and reader, between brain and text, between self and other. The pleasure of reading is not only in receiving information but in receiving perception. It is books — from the times we are young that we become strongest in our convictions, fearless in the face of our fears, open to opening our hearts and “we begin each other,” to use the poet Frank O’Hara’s words.

To read is to travel inward and outward at the same time. The mysterious flame that illuminates the human mind, a key that opens the door to the world, a path to worlds beyond and within.

At a time when short-term attention, superficial attachment, and forgetting what it means to be human have become the pervasive norms, reading is a revolutionary act — a way in which we not only resist the fray but reassemble it into one coherent whole.

Read: The Power and Pleasure of Reading

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Ghulam Yaseen Magsi, M.Phil. Scholar (English literature), serves at Shah Abdul Latif University Shahdadkot Campus as Adjunct faculty member, besides Tutor at Allama Iqbal Open University.

The post Blog: Lighting Up the Mind first appeared on Sindh Courier.

There is usually a lot of violence and displacement in the stories of these languages becoming endangered.

The monolingual empire drains the energy from other cultures

Samantha Ellis’s book Chopping Onions on my Heart: on losing and preserving culture is out now. It will be published in the US in 2026 as Always Carry Salt. She’s also the author of How to be a Heroine and Take Courage: Anne Brontë and the Art of Life. Her plays include How to Date a Feminist. She lives in London.

Of the world’s 7000 languages, around half are expected to be extinct by the end of this century. Samantha Ellis’s mother tongue is one of them. We asked her to reflect on what we lose when we lose a way of speaking—culturally, linguistically, emotionally—and to recommend five books about endangered languages.

Interview by Cal Flyn, Deputy Editor

Thank you for recommending these five books on endangered languages. Perhaps you’d begin by telling us a little bit about why you are interested in this subject.

I grew up with an endangered language as my mother tongue. Or, at least, the language that my parents speak and spoke to me as a child. The idea of a ‘mother tongue’ is argued over by linguists—some people say it’s the first language you speak, some say it’s the language your mother speaks to you. The Moroccan author and translator Ghita el Khayat has this idea of a ‘milk language,’ that you take in along with your milk.

So I grew up listening to and trying to speak Judaeo-Iraqi Arabic, the language of my community, the Iraqi Jews. And I’ve always been drawn to learning about other endangered languages as a result.

I read a statistic that suggested that around half of the 7000 languages spoken today will be extinct by the end of this century. Why is it important to preserve these languages?

Well, many people think it isn’t. But I think it is.

A lot of the arguments made are for knowledge. For example, languages might have names for things that encode their uses. So it’s possible there could be cures for illnesses that we don’t know about because they are named in languages that have not been translated. That’s an argument a lot of people use.

Others talk about diversity in general, which I think is a huge argument. I mean, I would like to have the cures, but I also don’t like the idea of stripping languages for parts and only using what’s useful. I think that the more languages the better, the more diversity of expression the better.

It’s also, I think, really important for the speakers of those languages. There was a famous Canadian study that showed that young indigenous people who learned to speak their ancestral languages were much less likely to commit suicide. It’s really important for people to connect to the languages spoken in our families and communities, even if we might not be fluent.

I also feel negative about the flattening out of culture that happens with languages funnelling and narrowing down. There are so few that are now used in the world.

I can see how, if you are part of a minority community within a larger culture, it might be a strategic decision to teach your child to speak the more common tongue. But that must have an erosive effect, culturally speaking.

Absolutely. And with language go stories. Yes, you can translate those stories and tell them in a different language, but there is often something vibrant lost. With a language goes a sort of vibe, a style, a mode of speaking. So I do think it quite devastating that so many languages will be lost.

Shall we look at your recommended books on endangered languages? Let’s begin with Language City by Ross Perlin.

This is a wonderful book that is completely unlike all other books about endangered languages. Ross Perlin works at the Endangered Language Alliance in New York city, which is working to reclaim, revitalize and preserve languages. They are not interested in mourning or lamenting.

So many of these books are about tracking down the last speaker, and, when you finally find them, they can only say one word and no one knows what it means. But if you read Perlin’s book, it’s full of life. It’s radical. It’s exciting.

Out of those 7000 on the planet, 700 of them can be found in New York, and many of those are endangered, because this is where refugees have ended up. He describes an apartment block-which he calls ‘a vertical village’-where 100 people speak Seke, a language from Nepal. There are only 700 speakers of Seke worldwide. These 100 speakers are in New York, they’ve been transplanted, but they are keeping it alive.

He talks about Lenape, the language spoken in Manhattan before it was settled. He says that there would be a sort of magical justice if New Yorkers were all suddenly speaking Lenape.  It’s a book that’s full of humour. At one point, the wonderful woman who is trying to keep Lenape alive gets a parking ticket and she jokes that maybe she should say: It’s my ancestral land, I’m not going to pay it. I love that.

I love the whole approach to keeping it alive, speaking it, connecting through it, and just enjoying the richness of it. He describes walking down the street in the borough of Queens, and just how many languages he hears in a short walk. Someone needs to do this for London.

Your description of the apartment block makes me think of how different plant species, which might not be particularly numerous in their home environment, can spread sometimes into a new place and go wild. There’s always potential.

It’s very positive in that way. This is a book about movement and migration, transplantation and displacement. It’s an exciting, optimistic book about endangered languages.

Your second book recommendation is Poems from the Edge of Extinction, edited by Chris McCabe. It gathers together 50 poems in languages from around the world.

I just love this book. These languages have hardly any speakers, but some of them have poets—multiple poets. I think that’s an amazing testament to how much people love these languages. They might not even speak it fluently, but they are writing poetry in it.

The diversity of languages covered in this book is extraordinary, from African languages like Bubi to European languages like Basque. There’s Yiddish, Welsh, Scottish Gaelic, Scots—Jackie Kay has got a love poem. Middle Eastern languages like Assyrian. Maori. It’s just an extraordinary glimpse into the different ways people are using language in creative ways around the planet.

Again, rather than read about how sad it is that these languages could be lost, it’s exciting to read a poem in one of them, then a translation. One of them, in the South Arabian language Bathari—which is spoken in Oman—is about someone turning up in the night in search of news. At the end it says:

For we are doing perfectly well / And are in excellent health

There was something about that—that assertion of creativity and competence and boldness—that was quite exhilarating.

I was interested to read in your book of how much of Yiddish has been preserved thanks to its its very strong publishing tradition. And in my home country, Scotland, we have a number of dialects, but the Gaelic language has found recent resurgence in primary school education—many children, including my own niece and nephew, have become fluent after the language skipped several generations. It’s interesting how languages might bubble up again unexpectedly.

Absolutely. In my book I discuss how languages that have been dead for years can spring back to life. You find the Rosetta Stone, and suddenly you’re translating hieroglyphs. Suddenly we knew what ancient Egyptians were saying to each other! Similarly, with Akkadian, an Iraqi language that was silent for millennia, we suddenly had the Epic of Gilgamesh, which is a great foundational myth and an amazing story that we had lost for so long.

Ross Perlin says you can be a ‘keeper’ as well as a ‘speaker’—that you might do something that could allow future generations to speak. You might be an archivist of your own language and stories, and keep them for the next generation.

Your next book recommendation takes an interesting approach to the subject of endangered languages. Tell me about One & Everything by Sam Winston. It’s very beautiful.

Yes, it’s a picture book. It’s really more about endangered alphabets than endangered languages, but some of these alphabets are from endangered languages. One story swallows all the others, but the others can still be found within this one story. I thought that was very powerful.

English is a magpie language. We borrow from so many different languages, including Arabic and Yiddish. All these words have filtered into English. Sam Winston uses 50 scripts to illustrate his book, including cuneiform. So it’s really lovely.

I bought it to read to my son when he was about six. I wanted to explain what an endangered language was—how his grandparents speak a language that will be dead by the time he grows up. So I bought this picture book, and we found it really helpful.

Judaeo-Iraqi Arabic is an interesting example, because I believe it has been recorded via a number of different alphabets.

Yes. When my son was about two, I was talking to a French mother in a playground. She said she was bringing up her child bilingual. I said I wanted to send my son to the French nursery down the road, because it would be nice for him to be bilingual too. She said: But you’re not French! Why don’t you send him to a nursery for your language? I found myself saying that my language was dead, then I absolutely burst into tears. For years I couldn’t go back to that playground, because I really did make a bit of a scene.

After that, I started researching. Everyone originally told me that Judaeo-Iraqi Arabic is always written in Hebrew. This made no sense to me, because my grandmother, who was then in her nineties, didn’t read or speak Hebrew. So how could she be writing it?

It seems that, originally, it was written in the Hebrew alphabet but, later on, women who were writing didn’t necessarily have the religious education in Iraq, so they were writing in the alphabet they used the rest of the time—the Arabic script. Then, as people became more secular, more people wrote in Arabic.

But it wasn’t written down much; it was mainly an oral language. When Iraqi Jewish writers wrote books, they wrote it either in fusha, which is classical Arabic, or in the languages where they ended up. So there are lots of books by Iraqi Jews in French and English and Hebrew.

If you are in a small language group, you are almost by definition going to be absorbing and changing and moving. That’s what your language will do with you. It adapts to your life.

My family in Iraq were always code switching. They’d leave the house and go straight into the Muslim Arabic, the Iraqi Arabic that was more generally spoken. And then if they were writing or reading textbooks at school, they would be using Modern Standard Arabic. Then They’d come home and go straight into the Jewish dialect.

Some people call it a language, others a dialect. I think in a small language you are always absorbing words, but there’s a beautiful reason for that—which is that everyone is talking to everyone else. I think we get quite fixated on whether something is a language or a dialect. You know—the purity of a language. But actually we are always borrowing words from other languages all the time and from other people. Even in this conversation I will have heard something you say—a turn of phrase—and a few days later I will probably use it, and vice versa. That’s how language works.

Certainly, in Iraq, everyone was speaking to everyone else and all the languages borrowed from each other. The Jews came to Iraq in 597 BCE, and they were speaking Hebrew. They switched to the local language, Aramaic, but they carried over all these Hebrew constructions and words. Then, when the Arab Conquest came, everyone switched to Arabic, but again they carried over a lot of Aramaic and Hebrew constructions and kept them.

That’s interesting. The same thing is true in Scotland—most people don’t speak Gaelic in the part of the Highlands where I’m from, but you can still hear echoes of it in the way local people construct sentences in English. I didn’t realise that until I went to some beginner Gaelic lessons. Shall I move us on to Rare Tongues by Lorna Gibb?

She’s a Scottish linguist! She started writing this book in London, then the pandemic happened, and she moved back to Scotland. She describes how her accent grew stronger and she relearned words she hadn’t used for a long time because English friends and colleagues couldn’t understand them. Like: dreich, is it?

Yes, dreich, meaning dull, overcast.

Yes. And ‘chapping’ the doors instead of knocking on them. So she describes how the process of writing this book about rare tongues, these endangered languages, was enriched by her return to Scotland and her Scottish roots. I think it would be a much less powerful book if she’d written the whole thing in London.

But her book is quite wide-ranging. She’s talking about whistling languages in the Canary Islands, she’s talking about New Zealand, Sri Lanka, all over the world.

What would you say her purpose is, what’s her thesis?

She’s exploring the complexity and diversity and richness of languages. There are short chapters on all sorts of things like language ecosystems, all the different sign languages from around the world, all the different whistling and click languages. You get a sense of the amazing chatter of the world. I found it quite powerful.

Thank you so much. Your final recommendation is a novel. This is R.F. Kuang’s Babel, which is a dark academia fantasy novel in which translation is used for imperial ends. What did you take form it?

Well, I wasn’t sure this would be allowed. It’s a brilliant novel about an alt-reality Victorian England where translation has actual power. If you find these pairs of words that almost mean the same thing but not quite, you can inscribe them on silver bars, and they generate energy. These silver bars are used to power industry. So the British Empire is bringing linguists from all the colonized countries, from the most far-flung places, but then these linguists rebel.

One of the things they do in the rebel stronghold is talk about how a great extinction event began on the day Christopher Columbus set foot in the new world. Since then, languages have been dying. Diversity of languages is essential to the running of this empire, but yet it is grinding them out.

There was something so powerful in how, in this fantasy novel, in this unlikely setting, she captures something incredible about what we are losing. Obviously we are not trying to power our empire with silver bars, but we are losing a richness.

There’s an amazing scene where all the rebel linguists are in Oxford. These people speak everything and love languages—they have mad combinations of languages that no one but a linguist would have learned. And that love of real, arcane languages has brought them together, and in fact is what makes them start a revolution. It’s a deceptively fun book.

I like that—linguistic diversity as a non-renewable resource. And the monolingual empire draining the energy from other cultures.

In linguistics there has been an anxiety about borrowing too many metaphors from the natural world. The linguists Aidan Pine and Mark Turin argued that, if you start talking about endangered languages in the way we talk about endangered species, it can imply an agentless process where it’s natural that things are dying out. But things don’t just die out. People don’t wake up one day and decide to speak a dominant language. There is usually a lot of violence and displacement in the stories of these languages becoming endangered.

Do you think writing your own book on the subject has brought you to a new acceptance or understanding of this process?

Certainly. I found writing the book incredibly emotional and difficult at times because I thought I was just going to write about language, but I ended up writing a lot more about the other things we let go of, or are taken away, and the decisions we do and don’t make about the culture we hang onto. So it became a bigger book, but I found the process of learning about what has been lost and what is being lost very connecting, very healing. I found this idea that I could be a ‘keeper.’ It really helped me, this idea, because I very fixated on being a speaker, on getting the language back as an adult. But, actually, if I can talk about the language and culture, and pass that on, that might be my role. And that might be worth doing.

Read – Muted Tongues: A Timeline of Suppressed Languages

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Courtesy: Five Books (Posted on July 1, 2025) 

The post The best books on Endangered Languages first appeared on Sindh Courier.

By Tuliyeva Sarvinoz

Although the word “Mutolaa” means “reading” in Arabic, today it has a broader meaning than just reading a book. According to A. Umarov: ‘Mutolaa’ culture is a set of knowledge, norms, social phenomena and other attributes that represent a set of changes in the content and structural systems of the process, behavior and activities of social groups, associations and individuals aimed at obtaining general information.

At the same time, it is necessary to distinguish specialized information, which specifically forms the reading culture through educational systems, from general information of various directions and forms, which is acquired throughout a person’s life through various sources – books (fiction, scientific, educational, encyclopedias), mass media (newspapers, magazines, television, radio, etc.), modern information technologies (Internet, electronic newspapers, magazines, manuals, etc.), as well as individuals who directly communicate with the subject (

Professor E.I. Yoldoshev defines the concept of “Reading Culture” as follows: “Reading culture is a very broad concept, requiring interest and love for books, wider acquaintance with literature, special knowledge about books and working with them, as well as skills and qualifications that help to fully use books.”

The issue of educating the culture of information acquisition is a social, spiritual-enlightenment, nationwide problem. This is not a phenomenon limited to a certain period, but a spiritual need that a person learns throughout his life. The main place for educating the culture of information acquisition is information and library institutions. Information and library institutions, with their capabilities, not only help in the implementation of school programs and State Educational Standards, but also guide students towards independent learning. In educating the culture of information acquisition, it is important to establish school-family-library cooperation It is necessary to determine the main tasks of information and library institutions in fostering an information culture.

The school and parents have an extremely complex and responsible task in shaping children’s reading. For this, parents themselves must have high taste, be enlightened and knowledgeable. It is known that only when a child knows how to read a book, a book plays an important role in his spiritual life. For a child to be spiritually enriched, a book must direct him to spiritual, intellectual, and aesthetic growth. The initial impetus for this is the first book read to a child in the family, the second is when the child hears his father and mother reading and imagines the beauty of artistic images, and these first and second encounters with a book must be connected with all spheres of the child’s spiritual life in the later adolescence: work, play, music, children’s creativity, and must encompass all aspects of his life. Because it is difficult to imagine the life of a teenager without creative work, the world of fairy tales, fantasies, play, and music. If reading encompasses all of these, it will help him grow into a spiritually mature person, intelligent and capable of understanding the fundamental nature of life, trying to understand the contradictions of life. The means that shape such intelligence and enrich the spiritual world of a person are books and reading.

The most important thing in reading is to instill a love for books in the family, to teach them to take care of them. Not only scholars, but also many ordinary people take care of books. Our people have long said, “A book is dearer than anything else, and to kiss it on the forehead is a reward.” When parents visit the home museums of our great scholars and writers Oybek, Gafur Ghulam, Izzat Sultan, Mirzakalon Ismaili and others with their children, it becomes clear that there was nothing dearer to these people than books, that they took care of them, and that they read a lot. After all, the fact that our people cherish and respect books, store them on shelves that are not exposed to moisture, and spend their free time reading books is a testament to the great love they have for books.

The reader enriches the life he learned in the family with life events in the book, and his understanding of life, human qualities, goodness, values, and pride in the life of his descendants, love for the Motherland, loyalty to friends, respect, hard work, and patience improve. The greatest helper in this regard is fiction. In fiction, any event is expressed in artistic images, in an impressive form, so that a teenage reader can learn many qualities and become a spiritually rich person.

Read: Revival of Reading Culture: Back to Books

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Tuliyeva Sarvinoz, hailing from the Beruni district of the Republic of Karakalpakstan, graduated from the Tashkent State University of Uzbek Language and Literature named after Alisher Navoi, in 2023. She is winner of the Zulfiya State Prize (2019). She is author of the poetry books “Tinchlik qo‘shig’i”, “Haqiqat qiziman”, “Tong shu’lasi”, besides the creative collection “Nurli izlar”. About 100 creative works have been published in republican and foreign newspapers and magazines in Russia, Turkey, Germany, the USA, Kenya, and Great Britain. Currently, she is a teacher of native language and literature at the Shaykhontohur District Polytechnic of Tashkent.

The post Blog: Cultivating the Reading Culture first appeared on Sindh Courier.

Ali Lashari

Allow me to clarify the underlying principle.

Whenever you read a book or have a conversation, the experience causes physical changes in your brain. — George Johnson

My favorite pastime is reading.

I don’t even recall the exact moment when I first fell in love.

I was up in the metropolis of Karachi, where ninety-nine percent of the working-age population attended some sort of educational institution.

My dad in some way did certain methods education and became the police force in Pakistani bureaucracy. I was lucky that he used to read a lot, pretty much all the time.

His passions included studying the past and performing innovative research.  But he insisted that I read textbooks and never suggested that time I read the kinds of books he enjoyed.

Sometimes, I used to keep his books and novel to enjoy the taste of a story. Fiction has the power to take you anywhere, and if the writer is good at storytelling, you feel like you are one of the characters.

This is the second most essential reason why I enjoy reading. Yes, you are correct, my physique. When I was younger, I used to be tall and slim. I used to be tall and lean.

One may already be aware of the fact that farming in less developed countries is a physically hard occupation.  As a result, I made it a point to study during the early stages of my life; in order to study more, you need to read more.

Read: From book to brain: how reading shapes our hearts and minds

Everything else is history.  Now that I have a more flexible budget, I am able to purchase books.

To tell you the truth, because of my father, I have more books than I have ever read in my entire life.

When I was younger, I used to believe that it was a waste of time to purchase a book if I did not end up reading it.

This is something that I no longer believe; it is now that I only purchase books if I enjoy the author, the title of the book, and especially the subject matter if I am working on the subject.

You are aware that education should never expire.  Learning new things on a consistent basis is, in my opinion, the only way to advance.

That’s enough background information about how I fell in love with reading, so let’s move on.  It is time to investigate and provide an explanation for the title, which is about how reading has the ability to alter your brain.

Before we started reading, we took a look at all of the different forms and patterns that were located on the page because it is so natural.

Following that, the most posterior region of the brain is responsible for receiving these images and processing them in the same manner as any other.

A particular area of the brain known as the letterbox is responsible for the initial recognition of the black objects as letters in a word.

After the letterbox sends its message, it travels to the frontal lobe and other parts of the temporal lobe, where an expert reader figures out the word’s true meaning and how to pronounce it.

It doesn’t take more than thirty seconds total.

However, I am aware of your thoughts:

How is this even possible?

Studies have shown that the area of the brain responsible for memory—the left temporal lobe—is more active in the mornings of people who read 30 pages of a book every night.

Many people feel that reading helps them deal with their emotions and reduces their risk of dementia, according to certain research.

What this means is that you need to make it a habit to gain the full benefits. I’ve been trying to accomplish just that by completing challenges for 30 days or more; thus far, I’ve gotten a good grasp of how it works.

First things first, I’ve been starting my day off well by reading Stoic, an everyday nonfiction book, on my Kindle.

Reading just two to four pages won’t take more than ten minutes of your time, but it’s a fantastic introduction.

Since I had read something today, I figured I might as well read a bit more, right? That was my plan.  Everything seems to be going according to plan at this point.

Ever since this little experiment, I’ve been avoiding social media in favor of reading.

Even after a few weeks have passed, I find that I still need to commit all of the book’s lessons to memory, no matter how fantastic the book is.

The Kindle is really useful in this regard.

For future reference, I find it useful to highlight portions that have really stuck with me.

I made an effort to condense them into a single concept page, but I never really stuck to the plan because it required too much additional labor.

But every Sunday for thirty minutes, I set a reminder to look at the highlights from the book I was reading.

Thanks to reading, I’ve been able to establish a weekly ritual where I read a book, take notes, and then read it again on Sunday.

I am inspired to read more because of it!

At the same time, I developed the practice of placing books all around the house, particularly in close proximity to the side tables in the bedroom.  Reading before going to bed is more beneficial to me.

I’ve promised myself that I don’t need to read for hours; even a few pages will enough. The important thing is that I read anything.

In reality, it has been challenging for me to keep up with this routine when I am exhausted and unable to be bothered. As a result, I have given myself a break on certain days, but on the majority of days, I have been able to adhere to it, and it has been serving me well.

As a matter of record: Do what I do every Sunday and start small by building a library of information, reading it, and setting aside time to read.

My website, where I will be sharing my reviews of books, has just been opened.  It will also aid me in remembering the book’s key ideas so I may better convey them to my audience.

Here are seven reasons why you should make reading a habit for your brain.

*Brain strength is improved as a result of this.

*It helps you feel less stressed.

*Knowledge is increased as a result.

*Your memory will improve as a result of this.

*The effect is to enhance your concentration.

*Your ability to communicate will improve as a result.

*Your mental health will improve as a result.

If you are a new reader, I would appreciate it if you would check out my holistic health, productivity, and well-being stories. These stories reflect my reviews, observations, and more than thirty days of experiments (29 of which have been completed so far) to construct a healthy lifestyle that is sustainable.

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Ali Lashari is Assistant Director (Excavation & Exploration), Directorate of Archaeology & Antiquities Wing, Culture, Tourism, Antiquities & Archives Department, Government of Sindh.

Read: Rediscovering True Joy

The post How Reading Shapes the Brain first appeared on Sindh Courier.

By Ashwini Gangal

The Best Possible Experience: About being visible

From experiencing “low-grade immigrant anxiety” to dealing with death, Nishanth Injam’s debut book, The Best Possible Experience, a collection of 11 short stories, packs an emotional punch. Originally from Khammam, Telangana, Injam came to the U.S. around 13 years ago, at 22. After an unhappy affair with computer science, he pivoted to professional writing.  In an interview, Injam tells India Currents how his book comes from a place of longing for India, his emotional struggle to feel at home in the U.S., and how, if he got a do-over, he would probably not make the move from India to America.

Injam lives in the suburbs of Chicago with his wife and son and is working on his second novel.

Edited excerpts from the interview:

India Currents: Your book is fiction, yet it reads like non-fiction. After reading these stories, I feel like I know you fairly well because it betrays your interiority to a great extent. What is this genre? Transparent fiction?

Nishanth Injam: It is fiction. Perhaps this is true of all brown artists and writers living in the U.S. — as a brown immigrant, traditionally, you don’t have visibility, you’re almost never seen. Subconsciously, part of your work becomes about being visible, about making the space to be rendered fully human. So I think it’s inevitable that the work I do will in some fashion turn into a self-portrait.

Except for a couple of them, the stories are not directly drawn from my life. Also, it wasn’t just a desire to write stories of my life but was also about trying to capture India. For instance, there’s homophobia, Islamophobia — I was trying to say, ‘my home might have been ugly but it’s still my home.’ It came from a sense of wanting to represent home in all its beauty and ugliness.

IC: Right, caste comes up in the book too. About being invisible in America, what do you mean? Aren’t we more conspicuous because we’re brown?

NI: For instance, I have to repeat my name and elongate all the syllables at coffee shops. There’s a total loss of another language that I use. There’s mannerisms… you can’t read white people as well as you can read Indians because you don’t have that shared history and all those years of cultural jargon and knowledge… I lost my intuition.

So it feels like there’s a part of you that will forever remain hidden. Having to contend with that hidden part, having to explain yourself to people, having nobody see you for how your family and friends back home might have seen you makes you invisible. There’s no more to you than ‘Oh, you work in tech?’ — That reduction is something I felt strongly against.

IC: These stories seem to come from a place of deep pain and sadness. Now that the book is out in the world, how do you feel? Has the pain subsided?

NI: I was trying to take my feelings and keep them close to me. In my real world, my mom died, my grandfather died, my grandmother got dementia, my dad’s health is not in good shape, so I had grief. The core of grief is still there, but I’m not consumed by pain. I don’t know if catharsis is the right word but having expressed it makes it easier.

At the time, I was missing home and it seemed important to recreate home and keep it next to me. So I was writing from that — from the pain of alienation, the pain of exile.

IC: Speaking of exile, I see how the H1B visa, without ever being mentioned in the book, comes up several times. Is that what you’re alluding to when you speak about being “trapped” in America?

NI: The visa for sure was a part of it, especially when I look back to my early years here. I had a student loan and though I hated my job I couldn’t switch because the H1B restricts you and you have to find somebody else who will sponsor you and all of that. Until you get the Green Card you’re left hanging, and there are all these restrictions that make you feel like you’re not actually free.

But even more than visa categories and any of those systems, when I say exile I mean that sense of loss. I’ve always felt more connected to India, to my family in India. So it’s a sense of ‘Oh, I cannot be with them, I cannot be in my home.’

IC: That’s rough. Is immigration worth the psychological cost?

NI: At times I really think that moving here was probably the biggest mistake I made. I don’t know that I would make the same choice if I could go back. I can see how a young woman who maybe got into an arranged marriage in a traditional patriarchal setup where she might suffer would have a much higher quality of life and more freedom in the U.S. — there are definitely so many advantages to living in the U.S. — but for the kind of person I am, perhaps this came at a great cost. That’s my sense.

IC: It’s hard enough admitting that to oneself. It’s commendable that you’re admitting that openly.

NI: I’m not living my day-to-day with regret but there’s still that clarity that I made this choice hoping for something, but perhaps that was not the right choice.

IC: Ironically, you have an American accent…

NI: I think two years ago I started pronouncing things differently, so it’s easier for people to understand me. This is really funny because I code-switch; it’s hard for me to control it. It’s all crisscrossed in my head now.

My brain is confused! (Laughs)

Read – BOOK REVIEW: HISTORY OF A WOMAN-THROUGH THE AGES, MISSED VOICES AGAIN

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Ashwini Gangal is a fiction writer based in San Francisco, who has published stories and poems in literary magazines in the UK and Croatia.

Courtesy: India Currents (Posted on November 27, 2024)

The post The Best Possible Experience: The Pain of Exile first appeared on Sindh Courier.

• Children’s literature is reader-centric literature. Children’s literature has to be written considering many factors such as the age, intelligence, cognitive level, mentality, experience world of the readers

By Prof. Dr. Prithviraj Taur

I am writing this essay for the First World Forum of Children’s Literature, held in Antalya, Turkey. Thanks to President Margarita Al, World Organization of Writers (WOW) who initiated this event.

My main question is: “What exactly is the connection between children’s literature and the literary world of adults?”

I have been searching for this question for the past 25 years. Is children’s literature a literary genre (e.g: stories, poems, novels, plays) or a literary stream (e.g. dalit, rural, feminist, tribal) in the overall literary universe? Tried to get the answer to this question from books around the world. Coincidentally, in an article in Marathi language, it was noticed that this contract has been written very precisely. Well-known critic R. G. Jadhav, while delineating the distinction between children’s literature and adult literature, has envisioned separate, autonomous circles of both. He also wrote that these two separate circles intersect each other at two distinct points. He has also observed that the literary works that come around these two intersecting points are the best and the best works of art in that language. The juxtaposition between adult literature and children’s literature is explained by him through the metaphor of the universe and body. Jadhav said that if mature literature is the universe, then Children’s literature is the pinda (Body) form, it also contains the universe.

One thing that can be seen from this analysis is that it is necessary to think about Children’s literature in the same way as literature, keeping in mind the Children psyche. In fact, it is the other side in which the Children Psyche expresses itself, which is more important. The literature which is written keeping in mind the children’s mind remains the same according to the norms of children’s literature.

Children’s literature is not possible to write for self-exploration. Children’s literature is reader-centric literature. Children’s literature has to be written considering many factors such as the age, intelligence, cognitive level, mentality, experience world of the readers. Children’s literature is an obstacle course. Many obstacles have to be crossed, many sensors have to be faced, where children’s literature comes into existence.

It can be broadly said that children’s literature is written for children in the age group of one to eighteen years. Of course, this analysis is very rough. In this too, keeping in mind the educational levels like pre-primary, primary, secondary, higher secondary, there are divisions like toddlers literature, children’s literature, Youngsters literature.

The high quality human beings that we envision in the future will be created from the children of today, we all need to work together to create the happy world of our dreams.

Writing children’s literature is as difficult as writing for teenage boys. There is a dearth of books in youngsters literature that will be useful to overcome the challenges that today’s adolescent child is facing at the physical and mental level. I don’t think this is just a Marathi or Indian language issue. So this picture can be seen all over the world. Books that talk about magical things or character-strengthening matters cannot keep a teenagers bound for long.

In fact, not only the teenagers, but the age group for whom the children’s literature is written requires a great deal of attention. New writings, new secrets, new plans, new activities, new experiments, new educational system are needed for them. All governments around the world need to pay attention to this.

The fact is, this age group needs a large number of universities globally. However, apart from America, there are no visible children Universities in other countries. Happily, in India, the country I represent, the Bal Vishwavidyalay was established in 2009 at Gandhinagar Gujarat. The Children’s Research University is the epitome of the work of the eponymous university. Children’s University in Gujarat is doing very serious and basic thinking about children. I would urge the whole world to follow suit.

As the contract of children’s literature is connected with literature, it is also connected with Sanskar (Morals and Values). The establishment of world culture is done only through children’s literature. It is true that literature is thinking about the global human being across the boundaries of language, religion, country, ideology. However, children’s literature always insists on human values and artistic values. World culture comes into existence from this value formation.

As a Marathi speaker, I have been nurtured by classical Marathi folktales and saints, so I have been nurtured by Children’s literature in world literature. Tolstoy’s stories have become folklore in Marathi. How much land does a person need? Almost every Indian knows this story. Tolstoy’s writings have become synonymous with Indian soil. The same can be said about William Shakespeare. Story of Cinderella, story of Snow White, fairy tales, Christmas stories are the gifts of European literature to Indian fiction. While Khwaja Nasruddin came to India from Turkey, 1001 stories of Arabian Nights came to Indian soil from Arab country, Alibaba, Sindbad, Tarzan, He-Man, Phantom, Spiderman are all heroes known to Marathi kids. That is, Marathi children were nourished just as the stories of Panchatantra were done by the stories of Kathabrihatsagara (Ocean of Stories), the witty stories of Vetal Panchvishi, Sinhasana Battishi, Akbar-Birbal, Tenaliraman, in the same way, children’s literature from all over the world also did it. And so an Indian folktale heroine is as much a part of Indian children as Cinderella, Alice and Himgauri. His strong connection with all these is due to the moral value underlying these stories.

Children’s literature has interwoven everything. The backbone of children’s literature is basically moral and civility. It also helped the global man to become civilized.

All the literary forms and literary trends that exist in the world of adult literature are also found in children’s literature. Apart from this, children’s literature has a large predominance of puzzles, picture stories, number stories, and sports songs. Science fiction and sports fiction form a large part of youngsters’ literature. Teenagers’ heroic journey has been reflected in spy stories, wit stories, police stories, science stories, sports stories. So the dreamy world of children has been invented through wonderful stories.

Children’s literature has interwoven everything. The backbone of children’s literature is basically moral and civility. It also helped the global man to become civilized.

The name of Rabindranath Tagore is familiar to us, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. Tagore is a Bengali language writer. Bengali literary culture is characterized by the fact that unless you write for children, you don’t get official recognition as a writer, and then you realize that Sharad Chandra Chatterjee, Rabindranath Tagore, Satyajit Rai, Mahasweta Devi wrote for children with the same vigor and affection that they wrote for adults. is More or less in Indian languages we see a picture of important writers consciously writing for children. Premchand, Bhishma Sahani, Vijaydan Detha, Kusumagraja in Marathi, Vinda Karandikar, V. S. Khandekar would definitely mention writers writing in Hindi-Marathi language, however this picture is becoming rarer in recent times. Important writers in that language do not seem to be writing for children and this is a matter of regret.

Children’s literature always seems to get secondary treatment, or children’s literature is ignored. Even if we look at the amount of awards for children’s literature, we will notice a distinction made between the amounts of adult literature and children’s literature. On the contrary, producing any good children’s book takes a lot more work than an adult book.

Any great work of children’s literature is as much about the author as it is about the illustrator, publisher, printer, paper supplier and bookbinder. A children’s book is therefore a group work. The artwork that is created when many heads come together is undoubtedly beautiful.

I will specifically mention a book of 408 words and 64 pages called ‘The Giving Tree’ (Shel Silverstein). This book is a beautiful example of the fact that the way to reach children is through the care of flowers. Marathi children’s literature has been enriched by the translated stories of world authors like Munro Leaf, Sergei Mikhalkov, Brecht, Chekhov, Tatsuharu Kodama, Houda Hadadi, Janet Winter, Tsubota Joji, Awa Naoko.

Read: 17 Countries Participate in the First World Forum of Children’s Literature

I am a Marathi speaker. It is the language of twelve crore people. It is the 13th rank language in the world. This language has a history of 2500 years.  I have been inspired by reading the story of Chiu Kau in the book Lilacharitra written in the eleventh centuries AD. This is something that should be recorded as the best story in world children’s literature. The language I write, speak and think is Marathi. But I owe this language as much to other languages of the world. When I was a child, the friendship between India and Russia was strong. 40-50 years ago, Soviet literature was translated and available in large numbers in most Indian languages. Children’s coloring books published from Moscow have enriched my childhood, folktales published by the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs have given me new colors of imagination, Antoine Sanzupery’s ‘Little Prince’ is my favorite, translation of world children’s literature available at the bus stand has contributed to linguistic and literary richness. is given When we do not know the geography of the world, we do not know the history of the world, Baghdad, Damascus, Istanbul, Madrid, Egypt and the world’s oceans, forests and deserts have reached children through children’s stories.

Read: The Importance of Children’s Literature in Early Education

But reaching to the children is a tough task. Because the child is the secondary reader. He depends on his parents for books. Because the money is in the parents’ pockets. And parents choose books according to their choice and convenience. Parents buy books dealing with practical and professional mathematics. Therefore, good children’s literature does not necessarily reach children. Therefore, in the new world, there is a need to continue publishing free or low-cost books for children. There are some people in my language who try to do that, I know there is no shortage of good people in every part of the world, and I am grateful for them.

I came across an African story called ‘The Village Baby’ (Jane Cloven Fletcher), The Koku’s story was a new experience for me, it gave me a different perspective on the world. Any and all child born in the village is the responsibility of the village and every elder of the village should recognize this responsibility and deal with it, the feeling is basically noble. Lack of this feeling is visible in the developed world today. Degeneracy begins when the society and the country begin to say that your child is only yours and only your responsibility, and contemporary reality is the reality that brings such degeneration to the fore.

Read – Storytelling: A Timeless Tool for Mobilization, Learning, and Social Development

Therefore, when writers and people who think for children from different countries of the world are coming together and commenting on children’s literature, we should appeal to all the countries of the world from this platform that you should provide free books for children in your countries, establish children’s universities. An environment should be created for the children which gives scope for their all-round development.

The high quality human beings that we envision in the future will be created from the children of today, we all need to work together to create the happy world of our dreams.

The mantra ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ is given by Indian ancestors. Indian culture is a great culture that says ‘whatever you want’. As the pike of this culture, I appeal to all that today we take a step for universal brotherhood and start a new journey towards the new sun.

Prof. Dr. Prithviraj Taur is Head of Marathi Department, Swami Ramanand Teerth Marathwada University, Nanded, India

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Published under the International Cooperation Protocol with Middle East Business | Life Magazine, Abu Dhabi

The post The Connection between Children’s Literature and the Literary World of Adults first appeared on Sindh Courier.

Sharjah

The Sharjah Book Authority (SBA) is organizing the 43rd edition of the Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF 2024), scheduled to run from November 6 to 17 under the theme ‘It starts with a Book’.

The event will gather a diverse assembly of local, Arab, and international publishers alongside distinguished authors, intellectuals, and creatives from various disciplines, who will deliberate critical literary, cultural, and intellectual topics, sharing their expertise and insights with a global audience.

This year’s fair will pay tribute to the Kingdom of Morocco as the Guest of Honor, celebrating its vibrant cultural heritage through a specially curated program. The agenda will include workshops, book signings, and artistic performances that connect audiences with Moroccan literature and creativity. Attendees can also look forward to roaming shows that showcase the rich cultural diversity of Morocco alongside cultural forums designed for insightful discussions and the exchange of knowledge.

It Starts with a Book

The theme, ‘It Starts with a Book,’ embodies Sharjah’s unwavering belief in the pivotal role of reading and knowledge as the cornerstones of societal progress. It underscores that every learning journey begins with a book as a gateway to boundless knowledge. It asserts that books are essential tools for shaping the future, extending an open invitation to engage in the 43rd edition and embracing reading as a fundamental, lifelong pursuit.

A Literary Voyage with Dr. Sultan Al-Amimi 

As the Sharjah International Book Fair 2024 is going to open its doors to book lovers, artists, and culture enthusiasts from around the world, among the most anticipated guests is Dr. Sultan Al-Amimi, President of the UAE Book and Literature Association. Known for his dedication to Arabic and Emirati literature, Dr. Al-Amimi’s sessions at the fair are a celebration of language, poetry, and culture, guiding audiences through the profound beauty of Arabic literature.

Dr. Sultan Al-Amimi’s expertise shines through his engaging discussions, which seamlessly bridge classical and modern literary expressions. His work extends beyond his role at the UAE Book and Literature Association; Dr. Al-Amimi is a distinguished poet, writer, and cultural figure in the Arab world. His passion for Arabic literature is not just evident in his speech but in the way he inspires audiences to explore poetry and stories that resonate deeply with Emirati and broader Arab culture.

The Power of Emirati Poetry and Storytelling

In his sessions, Dr. Al-Amimi often highlights the importance of Emirati poetry, showcasing it as a mirror reflecting the nation’s soul and spirit. Emirati poetry has a unique cadence, capturing the experiences, dreams, and history of the UAE. Dr. Al-Amimi encourages readers to delve into Nabati poetry, a genre that has been cherished in the UAE for generations. Through his readings and explanations, he reveals how this traditional form of poetry has evolved, maintaining its resonance in contemporary culture.

Literature as a Cultural Bridge

One of the key themes of Dr. Al-Amimi’s discussions at the Sharjah Book Fair is the role of literature as a bridge connecting people and cultures. As he navigates through various genres and authors, he sheds light on how Emirati and Arabic literature have engaged with global literary currents. His talks at the fair demonstrate how stories and poems serve as powerful tools for cultural exchange, fostering empathy and understanding across diverse backgrounds.

Celebrating Arabic Literature’s Rich Legacy

Arabic literature has a storied history, from pre-Islamic poetry to contemporary novels, and Dr. Al-Amimi’s sessions explore this vast landscape with depth and insight. He often emphasizes the importance of preserving the Arabic language, its poetry, and literary styles, while also embracing new forms of storytelling. Dr. Al-Amimi’s work reminds us that Arabic literature is not only a cultural treasure but also a dynamic and evolving art form.

Sharjah International Book Fair: A Hub for Knowledge

The Sharjah International Book Fair is more than an event; it’s a cultural phenomenon, a melting pot for readers, writers, and thinkers from around the world. Dr. Sultan Al-Amimi’s participation underscores the fair’s role as a platform for promoting Arabic literature and providing a space for intellectual exchange. As the UAE emerges as a global cultural hub, the fair continues to attract renowned literary figures like Dr. Al-Amimi, who contribute to its mission of spreading knowledge and celebrating the written word.

Dr. Sultan Al-Amimi’s sessions at the Sharjah International Book Fair 2024 offer a unique and enlightening experience. His profound knowledge and love for literature inspire audiences to explore the world of Arabic and Emirati poetry, leaving a lasting impression on all who attend.

Read: Sharjah Emerges as Champion of Arab Culture

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The post 12-Day Sharjah International Book Fair Begins from Nov 6 first appeared on Sindh Courier.

Under the theme ‘It starts with a Book’, Sharjah International Book Fair will be held from Nov. 6 to 17. Agenda includes workshops, book signings, and artistic performances

Abu Dhabi

The Sharjah Book Authority (SBA) has unveiled the dates for the 43rd edition of the Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF 2024), scheduled to run from 6th – 17th November under the theme ‘It Starts with a Book’.

The event will gather a diverse assembly of local, Arab, and international publishers alongside distinguished authors, intellectuals, and creatives from various disciplines, who will deliberate critical literary, cultural, and intellectual topics, sharing their expertise and insights with a global audience.

This year’s fair will pay tribute to the Kingdom of Morocco as the Guest of Honor, celebrating its vibrant cultural heritage through a specially curated program.

The agenda will include workshops, book signings, and artistic performances that connect audiences with Moroccan literature and creativity.

Attendees can also look forward to roaming shows that showcase the rich cultural diversity of Morocco alongside cultural forums designed for insightful discussions and the exchange of knowledge.

The theme, ‘It starts with a Book’, embodies Sharjah’s unwavering belief in the pivotal role of reading and knowledge as the cornerstones of societal progress. It underscores that every learning journey begins with a book as a gateway to boundless knowledge. It asserts that books are essential tools for shaping the future, extending an open invitation to engage in the 43rd edition and embracing reading as a fundamental, lifelong pursuit.

Read: Sharjah Emerges as Champion of Arab Culture

Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairperson of SBA, said, “In an increasingly interconnected world, the role of books in bridging cultures and fostering understanding is more vital than ever. SIBF stands as a testament to this mission, uniting thousands of writers, intellectuals, and artists from around the globe in Sharjah. It serves as a powerful reminder that the foundations of every great civilization are laid with books, and the values that shape nations are deeply rooted in literature.”

She added, “Over the past four decades, SIBF has emerged as a significant force in the global knowledge and creative industries. Our emphasis extends beyond the sheer number of participating publishers and creatives to the profound impact of their collective presence, resulting in far-reaching effects and influencing both local and global economies. We encourage all participants in this year’s fair, and those in the future, to harness this platform to build partnerships, explore collaborative opportunities, and engage with the knowledge institutions at the fair.”

Ahmed bin Rakkad Al Ameri, CEO of SBA, said, “Guided by the vision of H.H. Dr. Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, the fair has become a comprehensive platform for a knowledge-based society—bringing together readers, authors, translators, and illustrators to explore the latest trends in the sector and exchange innovative ideas.

Read: Sharjah Publishing City Free Zone unveils its vision for cultivating the business

“This aligns perfectly with SBA’s mission to showcase the richness of Emirati culture under the leadership of Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi.”

The celebration of Morocco as the Guest of Honor at the 43rd SIBF offers a unique opportunity to spotlight the country’s rich cultural heritage and its contributions to the Arab and global cultural landscapes.

The Moroccan program will feature publications and historical documents reflecting its cultural legacy’s depth. Prominent Moroccan figures in the literary and intellectual spheres will lead panel discussions to foster cultural and knowledge exchange.

Additionally, artistic and musical performances will illuminate Morocco’s diverse cultural expressions.

Published under the International Cooperation Protocol with Middle East Business | Life Magazine, Abu Dhabi

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The post Sharjah International Book Fair to be held in November first appeared on Sindh Courier.