Culture and Identity

This book is the first compilation of the English writings of Faiz Ahmed Faiz, Pakistan’s premier poet and author. Apart from many volumes of poetry, Faiz wrote literary criticism and articles on culture in both Urdu and English. Some of his articles in this volume spell out the writer’s well-known predilection for the progressive canons of literature. Articles on Amir Khusrau, Ghalib, Tolstoy, Iqbal, and Sadequain figure prominently in the collection as ‘applied criticism’. This volume is not only invaluable for shedding light on the literary proclivities of Faiz but also stands on its own as a very candid and original exposition of Pakistani culture and thought.