Multilingual poet Lily Swarn Saba’s first book of Urdu ghazals titled Yeh Na Thi Hamari Qismat was released this week in Chandigarh. An ardent appreciator of Urdu ghazals and shayari, Saba says while in college she participated in many Urdu poem writing and recitation competitions, which developed her love for the language. “I had a chance to meet eminent poet and author Faiz Ahmad Faiz, who left an indelible impact on me. It was Sufi scholar Syed Zia Alvi who played an instrumental role in encouraging me to write Urdu ghazals. Earlier my experience was limited to writing nazms, but it was only because of his constant motivation and appreciation that I decided to write Urdu ghazals, and ever since then, there has been no turning back.” The title of my book, Yeh Na Thi Hamari Qismat, is inspired from one of the most celebrated ghazals of Mirza Ghalib, who has been my source of inspiration for all this while,” says Saba, who has written six books.
A magical journey
Joyna Sehgal, a 12-year-old budding author from Chandigarh, released her first book, The Shadow in the Chasm, this week. It is a play about a magical land that kindles one’s imagination. It takes you from an enchanted pond in the backyard of a house to a mysterious land of witches and wizards. The adventure and magic take you on a journey with two 15-year-old girls. A student of St Xavier’s Senior Secondary School, Chandigarh, Joyna says her parents and teachers have been very supportive and she hopes to continue writing and inspiring other students.
