We are thrilled to announce the official release of the Fifth Issue of The Literary Fulcrum (2025), featuring a Preface by Muneeza Shamsie.
This milestone edition continues our mission to serve as a vital space for Pakistani English literature, bringing together a symphony of voices—from seasoned academics to aspiring student writers—across the landscape of liberal arts.
Inside This Issue: A World of Questions and Dreams
In welcome note, Editor-in-Chief Prof. Dr. Nadia Anwar invites readers into a world built from "bits and pieces of moments lived by others". This issue explores the intricate dance between time and memory, featuring writers who grapple with the "what ifs" of existence and the beautiful uncertainty of being human.
Managing Editor Dr. Muhammad Numan highlights the diversity of this collection, noting that these works treat literature not as a static archive, but as a living intersection of history, identity, and everyday experience.
Issue Highlights
As noted in the preface by the distinguished Muneeza Shamsie, the 2025 issue reflects a growing trend in global Anglophone literature by seamlessly blending traditional genres with new forms of expression.
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Poetry: 14 evocative poems ranging from Nadia Anwar’s exploration of life’s intensities to Shaheen Tahir’s powerful feminist protest, and Zara Fatima’s poignant reflections on the catastrophe in Palestine.
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Fiction: Features "Neither Beauty Nor Beast" by Yasra Sani, a riveting reimagining of gender roles and class dynamics in contemporary Pakistan.
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Memoir & Prose: Deeply personal accounts of love, loss, and the spoken versus the unspoken, including works by Faham Zeeshan and Khadija Qurban.
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Translation & Art: A curated section featuring "Hola" by Fatimah Osman (translated by Raza Naeem) and striking visual commentaries by Sarah Muhammed and Amina Ahsan.
"The Literary Fulcrum 2025 is a thought-provoking and interesting collection and has much to offer both academia and a readership beyond." > — Muneeza Shamsie, Karachi.
In addition to the works highlighted in the preface, the fifth issue of The Literary Fulcrum features compelling contributions from a wide array of emerging and established writers:
Featured Poets and Their Themes
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Rabiya Aamir: Her poems, "New York" and "How pliant is my Mephistopheles," reflect on the deafening "uproar" of modern life and the "mounds of affluence" found in a metropolis.
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Eisha Sheikh: In "Hope in Despair" and "Hand in Hand," she captures the struggle of the heart surrendering to "storms" while seeking "overwhelming delight" and companionship.
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Minahil Afzal: Her poem "I Often Ask Myself this Question: What is Love?" explores love as a "divine essence" and "artistic creativity" that connects the cosmos.
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Hina Riaz: "The Erosion of Being" utilizes imagery of sand and "melting clocks" to meditate on the "vicious loop of mortals' decay".
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Areej Aslam: In "To Love or To be Loved," she contrasts the "misery of Amir and later Hassan" with the "sufferings of Sita," ultimately asking whether happiness comes from conquering or being worshipped.
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Mahreen Abdul Samad: "Fractured Beauty" paints a vivid picture of a "dead soul in a living body," using the mirror as a tool to explore internal battles and scars.
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Eesha Izhar: Her poem "Wildfire" uses the metaphor of an untamed flame to describe the "catastrophe" of anger.
Short Stories, Memoirs, and Prose
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Siddiqua Iftikhar contributes a striking prose titled "Lovely Narcotics". This piece delves into the complexities of addiction and the "holistic approach to recovery". Through her prose, she explores the importance of healthy routines, mindfulness, and the creation of a "loving support system" consisting of friends and family to build resilience and empower individuals to lead fulfilling lives free from substance dependence.
Usman Afzal Butt: His story, "Unwanted Precious Friendship," tells the poignant tale of Arslan, a boy who "can’t see well" and struggles with the "rich kids’ world" of his school while searching for "sincere and genuine friends" .
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Mahpara: The concluding prose piece, "Pakistan-Turkey Relations: A Timeless Bond," offers a deep "diachronic analysis" of the relationship between the two nations, arguing that their partnership is built on a "pre-national imagination" that outlasts political cycles.
Explore the Issue
We invite you to pause, reflect, and embrace the questions. Whether you are seeking scholarly insight or creative inspiration, the fifth issue of TLF offers a platform for meaningful exchange.
[Click Here to Read the Full Issue]