Tuesday, July 28, 2009

‘International Sufism & Peace Conference’

By TNI Correspondent, *PAL prepares for award ceremony* - The News International - Karachi, Pakistan
Friday, July 17, 2009

Islamabad: Peter Curman, renowned Swedish poet, nominated for the ‘International Quaid-e-Azam Award’ and Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Shaheed nominated for the ‘International Quaid-e-Awam Award’ will be honoured in an upcoming award ceremony.

The ceremony will held at the Conference Hall of Pakistan Academy of Letters (PAL) some time between August 10-20. A request in this regard has been submitted to Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani to grace the ceremony and give away the awards. This was stated by Fakhar Zaman, Chairman PAL, at a press briefing held here Thursday.

Giving further details, he said Peter Curman will come from Sweden to receive the ‘Quaid-e-Azam Award’ for Literature, while Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has been requested to come and receive the ‘Quaid-e-Awam Award’ for democracy on behalf of Benazir Bhutto.

Fakhar Zaman said in addition to the translations of Peter Curman’s works, an introduction about his life and works would also be published on the occasion, adding that PAL has already published three books on Benazir as Urdu Poetry, Urdu Prose and English Articles, Impressions and a book of English poems that were published throughout the world.

He also deliberated on the arrangements being finalised for the ‘International Sufism & Peace Conference’, in which more than 100 delegates from 70 different countries will participate along with Pakistani writers from all the country’s four provinces. He said all arrangements in this regard are completed and Prime Minister Gilani is expected to preside the inaugural session of the four-day conference to be held from October 4-7.

The PAL chairman also said that the Academy has planned to produce a number of publications to mark the Sufism Conference that includes ‘Mystic Poets of Pakistan’ (in Urdu, English, Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, Spanish and Persian); ‘A selection of Resistance Literature (1999-2007)’; a special issue of ‘Adbiyaat’ on world literature; a selection of writings from different Pakistani languages published from 1947 to 2008 (English translation); special issue of ‘Pakistani Literature’ on Pakistani women’s writings from Pakistan; International Conference 1995; ‘Quest of Peace in the Twilight’; and ‘The Cultural Policy of Pakistan’.

He said these books are published and would be inaugurated at the Conference.

Fakhar Zaman said that PAL would initiate to work as a publisher to publish quality books at minimum cost, offering an incentive to writers who can’t afford to publish their books due to economic constraints, and also books of new emerging writers. Under this project, a modern press would be established in the present building of the Academy.

He also announced that PAL is initiating a plan under which the quota of plots for writers would be specified in the schemes of development authorities of the federal capital as well as in the provinces.The chairman briefed the media persons that as Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto was the founder of PAL and it was decided in a meeting with Prime Minister Gilani that PAL would publish a book on the personality and writings of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto as a writer and intellectual.

PAL would also reprint ‘Bhutto’s Trial’ in two volumes, comprising of documents and reports regarding the leader’s trial, and is working to produce a selection of writings by anonymous writers, relating to the legendary personality of ZAB, that are a part of folk literature both in Punjabi and Urdu.

Another book titled ‘Khushboo ki Shahadat’, including poems published after ZAB’s murder, are in the process of being published soon. About PAL’s exchange programmes, he said the Academy has a cultural agreement with China for the exchange of writers’ delegations from both the countries and efforts are being made to have similar agreements with other countries as well. In this regard, contacts have been made with some European, Central Asian, and Arab countries.

During his recent visit to European countries, the chairman also visited the Swedish, Italian and Austrian Academies, and progress has been made with regard to initiating a Writers’ Exchange Programme and mutual translation of literature with these countries.

PAL is planning to publish Urdu translations of modern American poets while English translations of Pakistani poets would be produced in America, he added.PAL has also announced the ‘Pas-e-Zindaan Award’ for best writings that appeared during the last four martial law periods, written in prison.

Based on the memories of such torments and tortures, many memoirs, historical documents and research material were published. PAL will give awards to the best among such writings.

Decision regarding the awards will be made by a national committee consisting of 13 prominent writers and judges. The award is worth Rs100,000 each.

PAL is also planning to publish books that will be awarded the ‘Pas-e-Zindaan Award’, as most of such books are not available in the market.

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Tuesday, July 28, 2009

‘International Sufism & Peace Conference’
By TNI Correspondent, *PAL prepares for award ceremony* - The News International - Karachi, Pakistan
Friday, July 17, 2009

Islamabad: Peter Curman, renowned Swedish poet, nominated for the ‘International Quaid-e-Azam Award’ and Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Shaheed nominated for the ‘International Quaid-e-Awam Award’ will be honoured in an upcoming award ceremony.

The ceremony will held at the Conference Hall of Pakistan Academy of Letters (PAL) some time between August 10-20. A request in this regard has been submitted to Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani to grace the ceremony and give away the awards. This was stated by Fakhar Zaman, Chairman PAL, at a press briefing held here Thursday.

Giving further details, he said Peter Curman will come from Sweden to receive the ‘Quaid-e-Azam Award’ for Literature, while Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has been requested to come and receive the ‘Quaid-e-Awam Award’ for democracy on behalf of Benazir Bhutto.

Fakhar Zaman said in addition to the translations of Peter Curman’s works, an introduction about his life and works would also be published on the occasion, adding that PAL has already published three books on Benazir as Urdu Poetry, Urdu Prose and English Articles, Impressions and a book of English poems that were published throughout the world.

He also deliberated on the arrangements being finalised for the ‘International Sufism & Peace Conference’, in which more than 100 delegates from 70 different countries will participate along with Pakistani writers from all the country’s four provinces. He said all arrangements in this regard are completed and Prime Minister Gilani is expected to preside the inaugural session of the four-day conference to be held from October 4-7.

The PAL chairman also said that the Academy has planned to produce a number of publications to mark the Sufism Conference that includes ‘Mystic Poets of Pakistan’ (in Urdu, English, Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, Spanish and Persian); ‘A selection of Resistance Literature (1999-2007)’; a special issue of ‘Adbiyaat’ on world literature; a selection of writings from different Pakistani languages published from 1947 to 2008 (English translation); special issue of ‘Pakistani Literature’ on Pakistani women’s writings from Pakistan; International Conference 1995; ‘Quest of Peace in the Twilight’; and ‘The Cultural Policy of Pakistan’.

He said these books are published and would be inaugurated at the Conference.

Fakhar Zaman said that PAL would initiate to work as a publisher to publish quality books at minimum cost, offering an incentive to writers who can’t afford to publish their books due to economic constraints, and also books of new emerging writers. Under this project, a modern press would be established in the present building of the Academy.

He also announced that PAL is initiating a plan under which the quota of plots for writers would be specified in the schemes of development authorities of the federal capital as well as in the provinces.The chairman briefed the media persons that as Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto was the founder of PAL and it was decided in a meeting with Prime Minister Gilani that PAL would publish a book on the personality and writings of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto as a writer and intellectual.

PAL would also reprint ‘Bhutto’s Trial’ in two volumes, comprising of documents and reports regarding the leader’s trial, and is working to produce a selection of writings by anonymous writers, relating to the legendary personality of ZAB, that are a part of folk literature both in Punjabi and Urdu.

Another book titled ‘Khushboo ki Shahadat’, including poems published after ZAB’s murder, are in the process of being published soon. About PAL’s exchange programmes, he said the Academy has a cultural agreement with China for the exchange of writers’ delegations from both the countries and efforts are being made to have similar agreements with other countries as well. In this regard, contacts have been made with some European, Central Asian, and Arab countries.

During his recent visit to European countries, the chairman also visited the Swedish, Italian and Austrian Academies, and progress has been made with regard to initiating a Writers’ Exchange Programme and mutual translation of literature with these countries.

PAL is planning to publish Urdu translations of modern American poets while English translations of Pakistani poets would be produced in America, he added.PAL has also announced the ‘Pas-e-Zindaan Award’ for best writings that appeared during the last four martial law periods, written in prison.

Based on the memories of such torments and tortures, many memoirs, historical documents and research material were published. PAL will give awards to the best among such writings.

Decision regarding the awards will be made by a national committee consisting of 13 prominent writers and judges. The award is worth Rs100,000 each.

PAL is also planning to publish books that will be awarded the ‘Pas-e-Zindaan Award’, as most of such books are not available in the market.

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