An epic unwritten

by Muhammad Umar Memon (Translator)

A collection of some of the most memorable Urdu stories about the Partition and its aftermath in this valuable addition to the growing body of literature on the Partition, Muhammad Umar Memon brings together works by the finest Urdu writers of this century. Manto's haunting story ‘Sahae’ is about a pimp who meets with a tragic end while trying to save the belongings of one of his girls during the communal riots in Bombay. Rajinder Singh Bedi’s ‘Lajwanti’ poignantly describes the anguish of Sundar Lal, whose wife has been abducted by the ‘other side’. Ismat Chughtai’s ‘Roots’ is a heart-rending tale of an old matriarch, abandoned by her family, who prefers to lose her life to marauding mobs rather than migrate to an alien land. In addition to these are more recent stories, such as Muhammad Ashraf's ‘The Rogue’ and Illyas Ahmad Gaddi’s ‘A Land Without Sky’, that powerfully evoke the atmosphere of distrust and paranoia among Hindus and Muslims following the resurgence of Hindu nationalism in post-independence India. This volume also includes works by, among others, Ashfaq Ahamad, Altaf Fatima, Intizar Hussain, Salam Bin Razzack and Upender Nath Ashk. Skillfully translated, the stories portray with great realism and sensitivity the human tragedy that follows the collapse of mutual trust in keeping a multi-religious society together.

370 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

About the author

Muhammad Umar Memon is a critic, short story writer, renowned Urdu translator and editor of The Annual of Urdu Studies from Pakistan. He is Professor Emeritus of Urdu Literature and Islamic Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Dr. Memon was born in Aligarh, India in 1939. In 1954, his family moved to Karachi, Pakistan where he earned his bachelors and masters degrees. After his graduation, he taught at Sachal Sarmast College and Sind University. In 1964 he won a Fulbright scholarship to the United States. This move enabled him to earn a masters degree from Harvard University and eventually a doctorate in Islamic Studies from UCLA. Dr. Memon joined the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1970 and retired from there after 38 years of service. He has remained active as a scholar: besides working on translation of Urdu works into English he serves on the editorial board of Pakistaniaat: A Journal of Pakistan Studies and is also an advisor to the Urdu Project.