Pakistani Women Writers

The sixth issue of Pakistani Literature is dedicated to the works of women writers and poets. It contains works of twenty-six fiction writers and forty poets, covering abroad range of styles and themes, representing various schools of thought. Though comprehensive, the selection is by no means exhaustive; limitations of time and space as well as non-availability of good translations precluded other writers.

The writings in this issue highlight feminine sensibility, depicting the intellectual and emotional landscape of Pakistani women writers. We have also endeavoured to give representation to writers from all major Pakistani languages.

The readers would find in this selection a wide range of subjects and modes of creative expression. There is the new consciousness of the post-independence generation, the contrasts and conflicts of the modern world with the traditional, shades and shadows of the struggle for independence, the hybridization of the fanciful and the real—all richly immersed in that special feminine es-sence which creates works of art out of ordinary material. I am thankful to Yasmin Hameed and Asif Aslam Farrukhi, the Guest Editors for this special issue of the journal, who have put together a remarkable selection within a short period of time. Their efforts are deeply appreciated.