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Titled “In Other Words”
Sharjah, UAE, 5 November 2016: Poetry enthusiasts in Sharjah dedicated their Thursday evening to the Indian poet, lyricist and screenwriter, Javed Akhtar, at the 35th Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF). The ballroom full at the book fair was beaming with eager spectators who have read and followed his works for years, and were thrilled to see and hear the great man himself.
In a discussion with moderator, Palak Mody Akhtar delved into the nuances of good poetry. “Equal part craft and equal part fantasy”, he said, while explaining how good verses are produced. Talking about how in our fast-paced existences in this day and there is a stinging absence of literature, he highlighted that the role of art is far more crucial than we may think.
He explained that art teaches us in very subtle ways how to appreciate everything that is beautiful about the world. From empathy, to love, peace, justice and solidarity – art and the sense of aesthetic beauty it defines it, teaches communities are appreciative of the arts, all qualities humans requires to progress in a just way.
He launched his book, In Other Words, a collection of thought provoking poetry written by him in Urdu and Devanagari scripts. English translations of the poems are also contained with the book.
The second half of the session was spent by listening to poetry from this collection being recited by Akhtar himself.
Akhtar, a recipient of the Padma Shri (1999), Padma Bhushan (2007) the Sahitya Akademi Award belongs to a family lineage that can be traced back to seven generations of writers.
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