Akif Rashid's book Encounters launched at Alhamra

The English Literary Society, in association with the Progressive Writers Association, held the launch of a fiction book, Encounters, by Akif Rashid at Alhamra Adbi Baithak on Saturday.

The event was presided over by Dr Amra Raza.

The chief guests were Amjad Tufail, Asim Butt, Syed Noor and Shahzad Rafique. The writers who spoke on the occasion included Prof Anwarul Haq, Rubia Jilani, Raza Naeem, Atoofa Najeeb, Javaid Aftab and Tahir Bin Shahzad.

The speakers lauded the presentation of self-expression in the book written in narrative style, terming it adventurous and experimental. Commending the book, they said, very few stories revealed internal conflicts, extraordinary complicated sentences and writer’s unfulfilled desires and aspirations.

They said the writer overthrew long standing traditions of expression and brought about a change in presenting life-like situations, keeping pace with modern literary trends.

They said the stories exposed tender emotions, making the people realise to put their life to good purpose for benefit of the humanity.

Published in Dawn, July 1st, 2019