Barricaded Self

by Musa Javed Chohan

Barricaded Self is a collection of poems by the poet and diplomat Musa Javed Chohan. Much of this body of work was penned during the period that Chohan served as Pakistan's ambassador to France, UNESCO, and Canada. The collection spans various themes of social consequence and personal reflection, and are infused with the experiences of Ambassador Chohan as his life and career took him across several continents over a career of more than three decades.

Paperback

First published August 1, 2007

About the author

Musa Javed Chohan, a poet and writer, is an Ambassador of Pakistan, having joined the Foreign Service of Pakistan through the competitive civil service examination in 1971. He has devoted nearly four decades to the service of his country, living in six continents, and having served in France, U.K., Guinea, Iran, Malaysia, Canada and New York at the United Nations. Musa started his schooling in Lahore and finished his university education there. He started his diplomatic career from that city. He holds four Masters’ degrees in English Literature; History; International Relations and Diplomacy; and Strategic Studies.

Musa has lived in every continent and presently resides in Canberra where his wife is Pakistan’s High Commissioner to Australia. To him, diplomacy is not
only about promoting peace, security and progress but also about identifying and promoting the essential humanity in people, irrespective of their race, faith,
culture or language. From this variegated perspective he has sought that human essence - of love - the driving force of individuals, which he has endeavoured to capture in his novel “Ghungroo”.

He is also the father of author Usman W. Chohan.