A Passion for Reading

Xeneb, fara am all 4 it. Let start n modify along the way.
Awaiting 4 xeneb`s return.
Fara in the meantime we can compare notes.

Naeem

ofcourse i think starting an online book club is a fantastic idea....gimme a week or two and ill try and come up with something and send everyone a link....
thank you for enjoying my article so much thats exactly what i was looking for...for people to feel stirred up enough to want to do something!

Zainab, I liked your article.

I think, one way to set this right is to inculcate reading habits in children - children are our generation next. Once imbibed, it will just catch on:-) We give children`s books as presents to our neices and nephews along with toys and dresses!

I agree with you, temporal, i love buying books from the roadside vendors. To me it is a book someone had already invested in - like an inheritance to be treasured. I prefer these old and rare books to the ones` i get in a proper shop. In Bangalore, we have this second-hand, rare and collectible books` shop - Select Bookshop. In fact, the last weekend, I got myself from Select - The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck and Lorna Doones by Blackmore. From a disciplinary front, it is not good to hoard - because i still have so much to catch up on, but believe me some day i am gonna read all of these!

And yes, we should start discussions on books we read and share our thoughts.

I agree with #12, Cipram`s quite right about Pakistan`s condition. But, I believ that book clubs must be established in schools atleast! To encourage reading and learning. The regular pakistani doesn`t like reading, they`d rather go out to McDonald`s with friends and gossip..Its a terrible thing Pakistanis have to go through..prerhaps only the young generation can do something about it. But are they? By the looks of it, most dont` even like reading.

fara/xeneb/ikonoclast

(for link to work you have to sign in on chowk first)

Huma Mir opened this thread:

I was just reading a vey well written front page article by Zainab Mahmood about the lack of reading habits and facilities in Pakistan.

It got me thinking that not just in Pakistan, but right here in US, the well educated Pakistanis rarely indulge in book reading. Favorite past time is typically movie watching and inviting or getting invited to feasts.

So, to practice what we preach, I was wondering if there are any chowkies here who would be interested in forming a ``Book Club`` sort of thing. Someone can suggest a book, on a topic of wide comprehension, and then a month later we can start a thread here and discuss it. I think one month is plenty time to read a book.

…perhaps one of you can open a thread on books, movies, music and take things from there?

rgds,

t

zainab, ikonoclast:

am hoping it will not be too difficult to find people interested in such a concept. planning is needed to initiate such a concept, true. but really, nothing very thorough initially. the idea, initially is to have a group that meets regularly for discussion, introduction, analysis, etc. of books. eventually, when and if we have enough books on the list, discussion of modalities on how to go on from there will follow.

honestly im simply talking off hand here...but i think the first step would be to float the idea around us and get a few people interested. i think we all have a few ideas, which we can jot down and write to each other about it.

galleries that i speak of are certainly not gulgees, i refer to the several art galleries opened anywhere and everyhwre in clifton defence area in karachi and liberty and fortress in lahore.
there are a few on zamzama, general art galleries and theres one in karachi near the nimco area which i quite liked.
even art galleries are playgrounds for rich people as i see it, no one can really afford to buy them but atleast theres places where you can go and see art exhibitions just for the sake of art appreciation and education.
that was my point.

this is a reply to iconklast fara and cipram.

ive had the idea of starting a book club several times but i wanted to discuss the feasibility with like-minded individuals which wanted to start sucha group for the sake of getting togetehr and enjying books and reading and discussing such things...
i just fear that it will turn into something else, but then suppose you cant tightly control everything you start. we can initiate this, in local restaraunts and cafes and hope for the best , even thru schools/universities or bookshops like li9berty and paramount.
let me return to pakistan ina month maybe ill have a pretty viable proposal by then.

#xeneb
I totally agree with you that we must provide libraries to our young generation. This is an indicator of the state of a society. In lahore, we only no publib library, which is so sad. There is a good library named Quaid-eAzam libaray, but i am not sure if we can call it a public library. One cannot enter without a library card, and one has to be a professional student to get the card. Trust me, it is not easy to make a card of that library. Is not it an irony that purpose of library is to provide an access of books to public, and it does the exact opposite.
Once, i went to check out some books from my department library at punjab university. The librarian told me that you will get these new books when you will get to Msc Program. On the top of that, books were locked in the cabinet. He usually do a little investigation before he allow you to get a book. Your article remindem me these sad old events.
I almost got into fight with the front desk guy at Quaid-e-Azam Library, becuase he did not allow me to get inside the library.
I am sorry if i sound too negative. Certainly, there were times i was too angry upon all these treatments, and stupidity behind it. I believe that simply complaining does not help the situation. We must take steps that will such situation to the best of our abilities. A small practical step can change the whole world, but my millions complain would not change the world a bit.
In short, i totally share the pain that we dont have enough public libraries for our pople.

Best wishes & regards.

Fara
Am all for it, if you read my views/ comments on Zainab`s article, you will find that our views are identical. We must gather like-minded people. You can contact me at my email address, if you or others are interested to pursue this idea further.

zainab:

you have very rightly pointed out an important issue. how about if a reading / book club of sorts could be started up. nothing very elaborate initially. a pool of investors could be collected for the initial start up. there would be membeship fee of the club. it would be more of a society. the project could be taken up at a small scale in one particular city, say lahore.

we could have weekly / periodic meetings, have book reviews and discussions. anyone interested in circulating their own write-ups are most welcome to do so. and once there are enough people interested. we could start contributing in terms of books and have a small scale library...

sugestions anyone?

xeneb # 6 - you write ``you have to admit povert, civic amenities, basic education, human rights, health are priorities before anything else. ``

I hate Oprah Winfrey.

Now that I have gotten that out of the way, she needs to be commended for taking on the cause of creating `reading awareness` among the black americans. Aside from poor reading habits, blacks also happen to have the highest incarceration rate, the highest crime rate, the highest poverty rate, and the highest high school drop-out rate of any other ethnicity in US.

Your question suggests that perhaps Oprah should first concentrate on tackling other more urgent social issues of blacks, before launching them into the ``luxurious`` persuit of intellectual curiosity through reading books. But I beg to differ. Reading creates depth in ideas. It helps you see the issues of daily life from a wider perspective. Our thoughts are formulated by the words we chose to think those thoughts. Whereas a well read person may draw on inspiration from the heroes of past, a `reading illiterate` person will have a very narrow perspective. Human rights, respect for civil order, health etc are not disconnected issues.

Aside from that, Oprah also has her ``Oprah Book Club``. Market analysis indicates that a book`s sales increase by 25% if it comes on her list. A few years back, she did something very interesting. She proposed that ALL of the Chicago city read a particular book in one month (i forgot the name of that book). These are the kinds of things that promote interests in books.

Also, Pakistanis are not too poor to eat paratha and paaye for breakfast. Or to pay for high electricity bills as a result of watching a 5 day cricket test match. They can certainly afford a book. But then, it all boils downs to awareness and priorities.

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Sorry to say this Zainab, you assumptions on all accounts are, well, assumptions. What gallaries are you talking about and more for whom are they really for? Don`t you dare say, Gulgee, puleez!

(warning: long post)

Zainab

…thnks…

books in pakistan are sold cheaper than food. hundreds of times i have bought fantastically rare books, amazing reads and autobiographies, memoirs, travel books, superb fiction, exceptional books which are hard enough to find in the west or even thru amazon..

…true even of Karachi where book fairs are held regularly and one can spot a good buy from roadside thelays and tented book markets and fairs…but this only gives pleasure to a select few…the die hard collector or reader……the main thrust that people do not read or books are not easily available continues to haunt us…

…libraries and parks will come when there is a demand for it…when the public wakes up and demands them…and if and when we wake up…

…more response in the interact below…

Malik99

One measure of the passion for books is the quantity of the first edition of a new book. In US, a typical first edition of a book has 500,000 copies. In Pakistan, a typical first edition of a book has 5000 copies.

…try 500-1000 for measure!

…in a july 20 ilog I wrote about a chance meeting with dr. enver sajjad

..and on sept 13 I reproduced tobateksingh’s response on the subject

…this subject is amazingly full of ironies…

…and the irony, yes! the irony is that we profess to be the people of the book!...many of us continue to read passages from the book several times a day…without understanding the words…or at best a vague notion of what those words might mean… (heheh forget about that saying of the prophet (saw) imploring a visit to china for seeking wisdom)

…it is tough…real hard to rationalize the drop in nationwide readership…chicken and egg you say?

…what is it?...is it the fatalism thrust upon the individual psyche by vested pseudo aalims?( am choosing my words carefully – am not blaming the genuine aalims)…a fatalism that makes us a believer out of inaction…or a believer by default…drowned in a sea of don’ts rather than swim in a sea of dos?....(remember am discussing the majority of us Pakistanis)..

…zainab talks of books and readership…even here in the diaspora…I know so many homes where our people don’t read or own books…(save the few holy ones in a foreign language)

…the books in Pakistan are expensive, I admit…ironically I have bought many urdu Indian reprints of Pakistani author’s books in Pakistan cheaper than the original…but I do not buy the cost argument…that urge to read, to learn is missing…fortified by fatalism and by exposing to rattafication …(rote) since early school years…that kills the pleasure of learning, intuition and inquisitiveness…

…and I do not mean to rub this in…but my impression from travels over India is that even in regional languages the first print exceeds 5-10 thousands…

…wish there was an easy way out of this morass…right now I can only think of the long haul…not easy…but if we as individuals continue to inculcate the reading habit in those around us…and then hope the momentum builds up…will take years…but a drop in the bucket…

rgds,

t

books in pakistan are sold cheaper than food. hundreds of times i have bought fantastically rare books, amazing reads and autobiographies, memoirs, travel books, superb fiction, exceptional books which are hard enough to find in the west or even thru amazon..
the best is those pathan tents that come up, every now and then, there was one near my house for a few months, thsoe pathans sold the books accroding to weight they had no interest and no idea about the REAL value of the books....i picked up dozens and dozens of great books from there. original classics, books of letters, poetry compilations. i would almost cry when i saw that tent thinking my god i must be in heaven.
honestly this is what i love about my country, the hidden tucked away bookshops in saddar, in cliftom, in liberty market and fortress lahore and randon shops in pindi, selling vintage books. truly vintage.
you gotta love it.

for iconoklast.

thats exactly my point, im not even saying that the west is more intellectual than us (which they probably are simply by ratio of numbers, a much larger proprtion of people in developed countries is educated and literate), but atleast for those of us who have been blessed with an education in pakistan, dont we have a right to exercise our mental faculties, reach higher? further? have interesting discussions and book readings and panel discussions? we dont have such a culture because we dont have a conducive environment, and we dont have the environment because we dont have such a culture.
we have to start somewhere and then the trend will pick up and spread..

for malik99

the problem is, for a country like yours, you have to admit povert, civic amenities, basic education, human rights, health are priorities before anything else. when the funcing the initiative and the motivation is severely alcking in these fields, how can we even imagine a project to be taken up wich helps or facilitates the intellectual pursuits of a few?
but my idea of libraries is not merely for those who goto private schools and give O levels. the habit of reading can be inculcated in any kind of environment...reading encourages literacy, literacy encourages reading.
even our state school students have a right to read urdu and english literature, they sould atleast have the OPTION..and when the option is there, well stocked libraries in schools and colleges and communities students will develop an interest.
college school libraries need to hold seminars, they need to hold open meetings, discussions, talks and invite speakers and invite writers and well known or worthwhile individuals to develop interests amongst students. talk about politics, sports, anythign and everything. automatically the students will want to read more!

for garam chai
dekho i understand fully where you are comign from. lekin i have made it very clear that i personally beleive that if we are trying to invest money and funding in schools and basic education across pakistan we need to inculcate a READING habit...and for that u need equipped libraries in schools and communities. you dont need to read galileo and karen armstrong to be cosndiered a reader.
you can read according to your own level, its just a matter of gaining knowledge, beyond and above what is tuaght in text books. have a look at Omar R Quraishis article about the state of textbooks and syllabi in state schools in pakistan. i myself have first hand experience at teaching english in a state school. what a sad condition the books are in and what pathetic standards of stories and poems and essays.
the girls...wanted to learn they wanted to be challenged and they wanted to stretch thier faculties and thier imagination, but theyve never had the chance to, theyve never needed to, they get by with ratta and cheating in exams because they havr to, they have no choice. the worst is the attitude of the uncaring teachers who arent really there to impart an education they just come and sit around and take their givt salary cheques at the end of month, sadly they themselves are not traiend or educatied enough to teach, so phir? kya haal ho ga, aisee education ka?

Zainab
You have brought out a pertinent issue, which needs to be addressed expeditiously. As an ardent book lover and a voracious readers, I inderstand your frustration regarding lack of libraries and bookshops. Contrast this with Borders bookstores and others in the US and elsewhere; where you could spend the whole day browsing books and drinking Startbucks coffee! Or the bookshops offering a discounted book club facilities at a nominal fee. And the best part is that you could buy the latest books and exchange them after reading, if you return it in a sellable condition; no questions asked!
Now I have a proposal: Why cant we the book-lovers take a lead and start a library ? We could start one at Lahore and if the experience is successful, we could expand to other locations.
Any takerrs?
Well if any one is interested, I could be contacted at: ottoman2020@yahoo.com

Aahhhhh Karacchi..........


.. ... seems have lost All.....

In lahore or else where......Even if one is not a member of any Liabrary...can still

Find books... on the road side Book Fares ...which are a so fashionable these

Days.. ( Allama iqbal town, Libberty, shadman, Faisal Town etc..etc....) ..they Just

Dump the Books.... on the Stalls...you browse around...and choose your pick...

the price is reasonable...and you can bargain... because actually the Book seller ...

got this Lot... from the Importers of Discarded Books from abroad...so they actually

do not know the real value and normally....consider the wieght of a Book as its

Price criteria.... LOL ....

Now for the Ironic Part..... All these secod hand books Imprters are situated

in KARACI.... they Just... Get the container....of these second hand books...

and send them Up country.... where they sell like Hot cakes...on these Road side

book fares...


The Only any such Book fare in Karachi ...was One which USED to be held...in

Frere Gardens....Now closed for secutiry reasons.....and a few....here and there...

Sunday stunt on the One hard to Find Back Lane in Saddar....

The One in Gulshan or the Once in a while stunt at Haidry...is Too Pricy...

Normally they charge thrice the amount of the same book which you can get

at 1/3 the price on a similiar stall in Lahore...Probably.....From the same reseller....

Zainab - I understand your frustration at the lack of libraries in Pakistan. I am not sure how to answer this chicken or egg question - does a nation develop reading habits before it sets up libraries, or is it the other way around? I am always appalled by the fact how little Pakistanis read. Growing up in Islamabad, I remember that outside of school, there were really only two libraries - The British Council and the American Center. There wasn`t any Pakistani funded library.

In US, I am amazed at how many people spend so much time in the bookstores. I have seen miles long lines of the parents and kids to get Harry Potters new book the very night it is released. I see people reading in subways, buses, and on park benches.

One measure of the passion for books is the quantity of the first edition of a new book. In US, a typical first edition of a book has 500,000 copies. In Pakistan, a typical first edition of a book has 5000 copies.

I once attended a leadership seminar. One of the speaker mentioned that to enhance your mental faculties and to creat depth in your thinking, you should read at least 1 book per month. That translates into 12 books per year. I am willing to bet that of the literate adults in Pakistan, perhaps 90% have not read more than 3 or 4 books in their LIFE!

Libraries are the archives of a nation. In US, whenever a president ends his term in his office, one project that is high on his immediate agenda is to set up a presidential library. I have lately seen a bit of a trend among Pakistan`s celebrities of working for causes. I suppose Imran Khan needs to be credited for this trend. I hear that Abrar ul-Haq is setting up a hospital from the proceeds of his albums. Shehzad Roy is setting up some schools in villages too. Perhaps, setting up of libraries might be the next trend.

Zainab Gee
I could really feel the romance of library and parks. But when i go back to my native city of lahore, it all disappears. There are other harsh realities that take over on this romance. Such romances exist only in developed countries, or perhaps the elite class of pakistan. An average person is spending his most of energy in making living.

Take care & regards.