Muhammad Mujahid Syed
Saudi Gazette
JEDDAH – ”Jeddah is very hospitable city for the poets, artists and literary personalities. This gathering bears testimony to this fact,” said Salman Basit a poet and intellectual while addressing a gathering that was hosted in the honor of Pakistani poets living in Yanbu in Salt and Pepper Restaurant.
“This city (Jeddah) has become a cradle of Urdu literature. Many amazing poets and writers from the Indian subcontinent are enriching the literary environment of Jeddah. In general Ghazal is still ruling the realm of poetry.
“Munir Niyazi, Jaun Elia, Ahmad Faraz have made their mark on this genre. But lobbying has given some poets the place they don’t deserve. The future will decide their fate. The young generation has also sustained interest in this genre. It waspossible because this generation is hard-working and adaptable,” said Basit.
Basit talked in detail about the latest trends in Urdu poetry and the influence of English poetry on modern Urdu poetry. Basit was accompanied by his two friends, poet and travel writer Zafar Iqbal Mohsin and poet Khalid Shabbir Leghari. These three teach English at a college in Yanbu.
The guests took part in the lively discussion and thanked poets Muhammad Mukhtar Ali, Faisal Tufail, Anwar Hussain, Mujahid Syed and humor writer Nadir Sargiroh for their consideration.
