Tehmina Durrani, best-selling author and activist, will launch her fourth book, Happy Things in Sorrow Times, at the Pakistan National Council of Arts in Islamabad on Saturday (today). Ms Durrani's latest thought-provoking book, published and distributed nation-wide by Ferozsons, is the story of Afghanistan's long war experience.
Set against the backdrop of the ongoing war, Happy Things in Sorrow Times is a delicately-wrought tale-told from the hopeful heart of an Afghan child-of love, hardship, separation, loss and fear. The book is a treatise against war and it emphasises the importance of caring for Afghanistan's damaged young citizens long after US-led forces leave the country next year.
The highly anticipated Happy Things in Sorrow Times is Ms Durrani's first book in 15 years. She has illustrated it herself, with 30 watercolour paintings based on her personal visits to refugee camps in both Afghanistan and Pakistan. These pictures will also be exhibited at the book launch in Islamabad. Happy Things in Sorrow Times has been hailed by award-winning author Khaled Ahmed, who has likened it to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, the Lewis Carroll classic.
Ms Durrani's book launch in Islamabad will be moderated by Rashed Rahman, editor of Daily Times. Ahmed Rashid, the globally-renowned authority on Afghanistan and publisher Zaheer Salamat of Ferozsons are also scheduled to speak at this exclusive event.
Ms Durrani's previous works include My Feudal Lord (1991); A Mirror to the Blind, the authorised biography of iconic social reformer Abdul Sattar Edhi published in 1995; and the novel Blasphemy, which was released in 1998. Her first book has been translated in 39 languages and sold in 72 countries.
Ms Durrani is a renowned writer, advocate of women's rights, and a role model of courage and resilience for women across the globe.
Through her works Ms Durrani campaigned for women's equality as it is guaranteed by Islam, exposed the hypocritical lives of feudal overlords and political clerics, critiqued the failure of the state to improve the lot of its citizens and mobilised funds and awareness about horrific crimes against women. Ms Durrani faced resistance and death threats after she fought for Fakhra Yunus, a woman disfigured by an acid attack in 2000 and who committed suicide 12 years later.-PR
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