Tea, Jane Austen, and Contemporary Pakistan
By Perveen Ali,
Photos by Annie Athar
Who would have imagined that there is a Jane Austen Society in Pakistan withchapters in Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi? Not only that, but that there would be ananthology inspired by Austen’s writings and settings written by women who in manyways have far more in common with Jane’s world than modern Western readers.
Setin contemporary Pakistan, Austenistan is a recently published collection of sevenstories - romantic, uplifting, witty and sometimes heartbreaking - which payhomage to one of the world’s most favorite authors in their own uniquely local way.
On Sunday March 4th, 2018 the Pakistan Arts Council of USC Pacific Asia Museum,celebrating the legacy of Jane Austen, held a high tea and a conversation with NidaElley, author of “Begum Saira Returns”, one of the short stories in Austenistan. Nidais a college teacher, writing coach and a freelance writer, who teaches Rhetoric andComposition at St Edwards’s University in Austin, Texas.
The afternoon started out with Samira Saleh, the President of the Pakistan ArtsCouncil, welcoming the guests. DrShehlaMemon, wife of the Consul General ofPakistan, was the guest of honor, and also attending was DrAmnaQazi,Commissioner Human Relations for the City of Los Angeles.
Nida began with a couple of video clips; one was coverage by BBC Newsintroducing the Jane Austen Society of Pakistan and the second video gave thebackground on the thoughts behind Austenistan. Her talk covered why and how theshort stories were written. How the obsession with marriage and the courtshiprituals of Regency England are all alive in Pakistani society today according to themembers of the Jane Austen Society.
“Even today, no matter how progressive we think we’ve become, Pakistanis stillspend much of their focus on desiring and ensuring good matches for their sons anddaughters,” says Nida. “A good match for a daughter might ensure financial gain,improvement in social standing, and a sense of pride for her family, much as was thecase in ‘Pride and Prejudice’ when Lizzie married Darcy.”
The stories in “Austenistan” have been written by female authors with backgroundsin journalism, law, microbiology, and academia. In “The Mughal Empire” by SaniyyaGauhar, heiress and society doyenne Kamila Mughal is humiliated when herbrother’s best friend snubs her to marry a social climbing nobody from Islamabad. In“The Fabulous Banker Boys” by Mahlia Lone, JameelaBaig’s cold, unenterprisinghusband hasn’t planned for the future and all she can think about is how to findsuitable husbands for her daughters. The editor of the anthology, LaaleenSukhera,wrote “On the Verge” about Roya, who discovers that her fiancé has been cheatingon her and ends up on a blind date in Surrey on her wedding day. Nida’s story,entitled, “Begum Saira Returns,” is about beautiful young widow Saira who mournsher late husband but feels she may finally be ready to start following her owndesires. In “Emaan Ever After” by MishaylNaek, Emaan navigates post-divorcesinglehood in cosmopolitan Karachi, while in “Only the Deepest Love” by SonyaRehman, Samina confronts her inner demons in metropolitan Lahore. Finally,Gayathri Warnasuriya writes, in “The Autumn Ball” about Maya, who fears hermarriage to her Darcy-esque English husband has gone cold.
A highlight of the afternoon was DurainazFarooqui, who in the spirit of the occasiondressed in a Jane Austen period costume, read/enacted a couple of conversationsfrom “Pride and Prejudice”. Durainaz, a physician by profession, has trained at UK’sPrestigious Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts.
Our heartfelt gratitude to Nida Elley without whom this event would not have beenpossible. Special thanks to Bethany Wearden of USC PAM, USC Pacific AsianMuseum and the board of the Pakistan Arts Council for their team work in organizingthe sumptuous spread and décor reminiscent of an English high tea. For moreupcoming events, make sure to follow and like the Facebook page of the Pakistan Arts Council of the USC Pacific Asia Museum.
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