The Essential Reader: Stories from Pakistan

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The struggle between the traditional and the contemporary, the reflection of socio-political changes, and the spectrum of emotions felt and expressed by individuals are some of the themes which come across in this selection of writings by Pakistani authors. This collection, especially compiled for O level and higher secondary students, introduces them to contemporary creative writing in English as well as translations from Urdu and Sindhi into English. The students will find a rich variety of styles ranging from the irreverence evoked by folk humour to the subtleties of writings from the Pakistani diaspora. The selection falls into two separate sections dictated by the choice of language; yet interestingly, common themes of nostalgia, archetypal journeys and severance from one’s roots recur with a regularity that cannot be put down to mere coincidence.