Two Loves: Faiz’s Letters From Jail

Description

From Salima Hashmi,

“Two Loves” – The title of the book comes from Faiz’s famous poem “2 Ishq” which is my personal favourite. When Faiz’s centennial took place and publish the letters which were in English, written in the original English, to his wife. In 2011, the family decided that they should try from prison. The actual letters had actually been eaten by termite when he was, when they were, both living in Beirut in exile in the 70s and early 80s. They were found after Alys passed away in a very very decrepit sort of state. They were restored and we decided to publish them as they were in Faiz’s own handwriting as facsimiles and then the text next to it. We also decided to pay a visit to the cells where he was incarcerated from 1951 to 1955. And this wonderful volume is a record of his letters. It’s also filled with photographs of the spaces in which he paced during those years when he was in prison and also the garden which he laid out in what is now Sahiwal jail and which carries a tablet outside which says “Ahata e Faiz Ahmad Faiz”. So it’s a documentation of very difficult years. It has photographs that were with him, of his children, the drawings sent by his children to him, the letters, the telegrams, some of the record of the Rawalpindi conspiracy case, which is what kept him in prison. It is a very rare volume put together with great love and great care.

More about the Book:

A coffee table book compiled by Salima Hashmi (Faiz Ahmad Faiz’s daughter) and Kyla Pasha, ‘Two Loves’ is a beautifully designed collection of Faiz’s letters that he sent to his family during his time in jail. The compilation includes images of the original letters along with the text of these letters typed out for easier reading. A must have for anyone who knows & appreciates Faiz’s works and wants to know him more and what he was going through during this difficult phase of his life.

Author Biography

Salima Hashmi is a renowned Pakistani painter, activist and essayist. Daughter of the famous poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz (1911-1984).

She is a pioneering artist and arts educator, accomplished writer and fearless women’s rights activist. Salima studied at Bath Academy of Art in Corsham and the Rhode Island School of Design in the US. She has taught at the National College of Art in Lahore where she was also the Principal for several years. She was a Co-Founder and former Dean of the School of Visual Art at the Beaconhouse National University in Lahore. She is also a curator and gallery owner. She founded Rohtas Gallery in Islamabad, followed by Rohtas 2 Gallery in Lahore, where the works of emerging artists are showcased. She continues to be an inspiration to young artists and an influential force in the arts community.

Salima Hashmi, believing that “male writers have neglected the history of Pakistan’s women”, she took on a monumental task: writing and recording the life and work of female artists in Pakistan in her book Unveiling the Visible: Lives and Works of Women Artists of Pakistan. The publication includes a never before published manifesto (1983) signed by 15 women artists who denounce the lack of freedom of expression of women artists under the Zia-ul-Haq regime, the Islamisation of Pakistani society, its intolerance and anti-progress stance. A convinced pacifist, she works to bring Indo-Pakistani reconciliation by developing artistic projects that go beyond the two countries’ borders.