Some years ago Oxford University Press embarked on an exciting venture to reprint classics of Urdu literature in highly readable, carefully edited/researched & aesthetically produced texts. Under @microMAF’s driven/inspiring watch many lovely vols came out including 3 vols 1/ 
of Tilism-e-Hoshruba, 4 of Ratan Nath Sarshar’s Alif Laila, & Ghalib Lakhnavi’s brilliant condensed version of Dastan-e-Amir Hamza. For the 1st time these texts being made available in readable scripts, professionally edited versions with great cover art by Michelle Farooqi 2/
Then tragically project was abandoned with 21 vols of Tilism, 1 of Alif Laila, other books in the works left undone. Not only that all those already printed out of print for some time. This was potentially a great literary contribution. I fail to see how it wasn’t sustainable 3/
There’s still strong demand. There were always going to be recurrent institutional buyers, collectors & new readers. In any event there are some books that publishers publish as they bring them prestige, honor, respect. These are of far greater social & literary value than the 4/
autobiographies of generals & judges that #OUP diligently publishes. Though also largely works of fiction these autobiographies not 1/100th as valuable, insightful, even entertaining as the classics tragically abandoned. One can’t expect to be taken seriously as a people if 5/
one doesn’t value one’s own culture, literary heritage & civilizational achievements. We also face a linguistic crisis & could do well to cultivate ourselves deeper in all our indigenous languages. These books provide tremendous insights into a rich culture that still teaches 6/
much. They are our contributions to global literature but first we need to own them. So many other indigenous classics also remain unexcavated, out of print, unloved. Nevertheless, question now is what can be done to complete these printing projects which were being undertaken 7/
under the astute eye of someone as illustrious as Shams ur Rehman Farooqi? Crowd funding, a more visionary publisher, an angel investor, something else? I feel that incrementally these projects can be finished & these books kept in print. If all true lovers of literature could 8/
contribute the books could be rejuvenated. My own life has been much enriched by them, my sense of identity bolstered, my waking hours full of entertainment & my imagination galvanised. I am ensuring my children gain from them. All our children should. No books no future. It 9/
would be a truly dreary tomorrow if all they find themselves surrounded by are mechanical textbooks to find jobs, cheap reprints of 2nd & 3rd rate writing, & biographies of generals and judges. We speak of mental slavery but also love our shackles #urduliterature #classics 10/
@threadreaderapp “unroll”
