Sada-e-Watan Sydney ™
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“Contemporary Pakistan Fiction and the Modern World”
High Commissioner for Pakistan Her Excellency Zehra Akbari
High Commission for Pakistan New Zealand and Victoria University of Wellington organized a Public Lecture
In
collaboration with the High Commission for Pakistan, the Victoria University of
Wellington organized a Public Lecture on “Pakistani Writers in English” on the
evening of Tuesday, 19 November 2013. It was attended by diplomats,
academicians, enthusiasts from the literary circles, members of Pakistani
community as well as students of Victoria University.
In her keynote address titled ‘The Song of the Nightingale, the Sound of the
iPhone: Contemporary Pakistani Fiction and the Modern World’, Jane Stafford
spoke about the richness of Pakistani literature which “has developed a domestic
readership, a local celebrity literary culture to international recognition”.
Associate Professor at the School of English, Film, Theater and Media Studies,
she focuses on colonial literature and the history of novel in English. She
dilated upon the subject pointing out various themes and topics discussed by
Pakistan authors writing in English.
Professor Deborah Willis, Pro Vice Chancellor and Dean of Humanities and Social
Sciences and Education and Ms. Noelle Nelson, University Librarian also spoke on
the occasion.
High Commissioner Zehra Akbari, in her brief remarks said that Pakistan and New
Zealand share some strong Commonwealth links. She noted that contemporary
literature of Pakistan is best described as a mosaic of various languages and
traditions. English language is also widely used for literary expression. While
thanking the University in organizing the lecture she said that it was relevant
and also a good way to promote commonalities and links between the two
countries.
Deputy Dean, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Professor Peter
Whiteford in his concluding remarks appreciated Jane Stafford’s lecture which
gave a broad overview of Pakistan’s contemporary English fiction and had
stimulated the audience to read the novels. He also thanked Pakistan High
Commission for the initiative.
