Urdu Academy Launches Parvin Shere’s Book Bekaranian
By Abdus Sattar Ghazali
Well-known artist, musician and poetess Parvin Shere’s book ‘Bekaranian’ (Boundless) was launched by the Urdu Academy of North America on June 16, 2019.
The book-launching event was held at the Silicon Valley’s popular ornate Chandni Restaurant in Newark/Fremont. Parvin Shere flew from New York to attend the inaugural ceremony.
This reminds me of the launching of Parvin Shere’s book ‘Nihaal-e-Dil Par Sahaab Jesey’ (Raindrops on Parched Land) by the Urdu Academy in 2010. At that launching, Parvin flew with her husband Prof. Waris Shere, from Canada where she was living at that time. Since her husband left this temporary abode she has moved to New York.
Arshad Rashid, poet and senior member of the Urdu Academy, was MC of the literary event.
The program included recitation of Parvin Shere’s poetry by Abdus Sattar Ghazali, Hatem Rani, Mehboob Alam and Tasadduq Hussain Attari.
Parvin Shere mesmerized the audience with her presentations.
Jazib Qureshi, poet and literary critic, read an extensive maqala on the creative genius of Parvin Shere.
Here I will include a few comments from prominent Urdu literary personalities about Parvin Shere’s latest creative work, Bekaranian:
Pro. Gopichand Narang, Literary Critic, former President of National Academy of Letters, India, says: I irresistibly kept on reading these poems and was enchanted by them. I was stunned to know that Parvin Shere is such a genuine and authentic poet. A melancholic voice drenched in the agonies of hear and absolute creativity... I was spellbound.
Prof. Ateequllah, Literary Critic, Poet and Dramatist, says: Parveen Shere has seen life's glimpses of the truth smeared with lies and same lies smeared with truth, pursuit, an incessant pursuit of which is the routine of her poetry.
Ray Dirks, Artist, Curator/Director - MHC Gallery, Winnipeg, Canada, says: Shere's paintings are not just the literal, realistically rendered scenes. They are about crying out loudly or triumphantly, emotion-longing, wonder, thought, hurt, nothingness and hope.
Prof. Shamim Hanfi, Literary Critic, Playwright and Poet, says: Individual experiments and different modes of expressions emerged from the depths of romanticism. Parrvin Shere's peculiar poetic style is filled with romanticism. Her poetry is that of soothing and serene ragas. There is an unquestionable ambiance of disposition, a strange mist that keeps on deepening gradually.
Parvin Shere has published four coffee table books, including three collections of poetry and one travelogue. Her coffee table books are all bilingual, written in Urdu and English.
‘Bekaranian’ (Boundless) is her fourth collection of poetry and paintings that depicts life’s challenges and one’s journey throughout eternity.
Her second book, “Pearls from the Ocean” was published in 2014. This is a travelogue about Parvin’s journeys throughout South Africa, Peru and Swaziland. It was a best-seller at McNally Robinson Booksellers in Winnipeg, Canada.
“Raindrops on Parched Land” was her second book published in 2010. This is a first of its kind award-winning bilingual book of poems and paintings on the theme of motherhood. As I mentioned earlier, the Urdu Academy launched this book in December 2010.
“Fragments” is her first published book in 2005. It is an award-winning coffee table book of poems and paintings, the first of its kind in Urdu literature. A second edition was published in 2008.
Artist’s Statement
On her personal blog, parvinshere.com she gives us an insight about her perception of the world around her:
“The outer world creates an inner world within. This inner world provides me with vision and creates an ocean of feelings. Our restless, whirling planet Earth and the thousands of stars in the lap of endless space entangle my mind with millions of questions. It makes me wonder about the secrets of life and beyond, connection and disconnection, direct and indirect interactions with nature, and the diversity and dualistic nature of life.
“On the face of our planet, there are some black spots and some bright shines. All these trigger a need to share my thoughts with my readers. My pen and my brush pour out drops of feelings from the ocean of my heart. They provide me with self-purification and the promotion of my values. When I write and paint, I collect pearly shells from the oceans of both my outer and inner worlds. This helps me make sure that my audience hears the unsaid, sees the unseen, feels the unfelt, connects the disconnected and realizes the unrealized. The purpose of art is to foreshadow a greater reality.
“After extensive travel, my subject choices have moved in new directions, shifting from personal to universal ideas. Inequality, diversity, human relationships, and natural beauty have a profound effect on my work. I believe that art and life have a strong connection.”
Parvin Shere’s visual art has been shown extensively in Canada, USA, England, France and India. Her work is displayed in many prominent public and private collections internationally. She was one of five nominees honored at the "28th Annual Women of Distinction Awards" in Winnipeg, Manitoba, for her contribution to art, culture and heritage.
She has composed and produced her own musical work for UNICEF to help raise funds for underprivileged children globally. She plays multiple instruments, including the sitar, banjo and organ.
She formally developed her talent of paintings at the University of Manitoba, Canada, Fine Arts Program. Her extensive travel throughout the world, particularly in developing countries, perhaps triggered in her a need to enlighten her audience about the dualistic nature of this world. The oppressed has apparently had a profound effect on her work.
