‘Urdu Kitab Mela’ brings the language of poetry closer to masses

‘Urdu Kitab Mela’ brings the language of poetry closer to masses

Hyderabad is hosting a ‘Urdu Kitab Mela’ at the Abul Kalam Azad Oriental Research Institute, Public Gardens, from February 18 till 22.

Inaugurated by Amir Ali Khan, News Editor of The Siasat Daily, the fair will remain on display till February 22, between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m.

The inauguration ceremony, chaired by Ashraf Rafi, president of the institute, was attended by former director of Urdu Academy S.A. Shukoor, members of the institute - Aziz Ahmed, Sardar Sajjan Singh, Khwaja Moizuddin, Mustafa Ali Sarwari and others.

Organisers say that unlike other large-scale book fairs organised with external funding or sponsorships, the Kitab Mela is a grassroots initiative where authors, thinkers, academics, activists, retired professors, government officials, and readers have come together to revive an oft-forgotten way of engaging with literature in the age of the digital boom - book fairs.

“The focus of the festival is to revive and cultivate Urdu as a language for those who are deeply invested in its study, as well as the youth who are deprived of the true essence of Urdu literature,” said Jaweed Kamal, director of the institute, who conceptualised and organised the event,pointing to a group of college students browsing through the ‘humour’ section of the fair. It is also an attempt to provide space to struggling Urdu writers and platforming works which are unlikely to be sold in mainstream shops and even online, he said.

The fair features books, magazines, and newspapers, cutting across genres of history, art, culture, comedy, religion, poetry and more; certain English translations are also available. The material, donated by the authors themselves, friends of the institute, and the management, is sold at highly discounted rates for the benefit of readers.

“This is a completely non-profit initiative, the money collected from the sale of the books is returned to those who contributed them. We are doing this solely to empower Urdu writers and readers,” said Mr. Kamal, who is also the founder of the Urdu quarterly, Reqta Naama.