One of the boldest voices of our time, author Fatima Bhutto, in her latest novel, examines the changing Muslim identity. She shares with activist-writer Gurmehar Kaur her influences and the need to be political and vocal in today’s increasingly violent world.
It was a couple of months after announcing to the world that I would be publishing a memoir, about my late father, when I was gifted a copy of Fatima Bhutto’s memoir, The Song Of Blood And Sword (Penguin, 2010). I was told it would comfort me as I was still dealing with the media ruckus I was embroiled in after I expressed my opinion on our freedom of expression on university campuses, and on wanting peace between India and Pakistan. I remember reading her book, cover to cover, in a single sitting, occasionally tearing up. This was a heartbreaking memoir of another daughter who had lost her father way too young and was left to grieve, even as an entire country talked and commented on her most personal tragedy. Her story was a warm hug when I needed it the most, and ever since I’ve imagined many conversations with her.
Bhutto is easy to relate to—not just because of our shared experience but because she is a strong feminist voice who takes on religion, gender, politics and race through her words. She never shies away from saying it as it is, surprising her readers with every publication. At the age of 15 she published her first book, Whispers Of The Desert (OUP, 1997), a collection of poetry. Her second was a work of reportage, 8.50am 8 October 2005, which records real-life accounts from the 2005 Kashmir earthquake. Her memoir followed, creating an uproar—she is, after all, a member of one of Pakistan’s most turbulent political dynasties. And in 2013, she published her first novel, The Shadow Of The Crescent Moon (Penguin, 2013), longlisted for the Baileys Women’s Prize For Fiction. After five years, she’s back with her latest work. The Runaways (Penguin Random House), which releases next month, is a sparkling novel that in its nuance and tale boldly questions the modern Muslim identity in contemporary times.
Esta historia es de la edición September 2018 de VOGUE India.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición September 2018 de VOGUE India.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
Breathe In, Breathe Out
A powerful tool to help you master your nervous system or another biohacking buzzword? SIMONE DHONDY explores the inhalations and exhalations of breathwork
Red Pill, Blue Pill
India's nutraceutical industry is booming thanks to advanced technology, distrust of the medical system and rising vanity. With multivitamins becoming purer and more effective, NIDHI GUPTA finds out if supplements have become the new serum
Sign of the times
No longer do you need to have an answer to, \"What is the significance of this?\" when people point to your new tattoo. ARMAN KHAN discovers that everything is on the table when you get inked temporarily
Return to form
Watching the world's most elite athletes deliver the best performances of their careers rekindled SONAKSHI SHARMA's own love for sports
Dimple, All Day
YOU MAY HAVE WATCHED HER ON THE BIG SCREEN FOR OVER FIVE DECADES, BUT DON'T MAKE THE MISTAKE OF ASSUMING THAT YOU KNOW DIMPLE KAPADIA.
MUSIC, TAKE CONTROL
As someone who had always sought safety in numbers, ALIZA FATMA often wondered what her own company would feel like. The answer arrived unexpectedly when she attended her first-ever music festival, one of the largest in the world, all alone
Let it grow
When we think of hardworking farmers toiling in India's scorching heat, we often think of men, the sweat on their brow, the sinews in their arms. JYOTI KUMARI speaks to four women who are championing the invisible female labour that keeps these fields running
YOU'LL NEVER WALK ALONE
When armless archer Sheetal Devi set her sights on the Paralympic Games this year, she knew she had a tough journey ahead of her. Luckily, her mother was with her every step of the way.
Beauty and the feast
The appeal of Indian weddings has always been in a sprawling spread. For additional bragging rights, Aditi Dugar recommends going beyond designer tablecloths and monogrammed napkins.
Sweet serendipity
From a scavenger hunt-inspired proposal to a Moroccan-themed baraat, Malvika Raj and Armaan Rai's love story prioritised playfulness throughout their blended celebrations.