Advance publication of Bazm-e-Akram's Adab-o-Kutub Khana 9

By Abdul Qadir Qureshi
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The ninth edition of Adab-o-Kutub Khana, the flagship publication of Bazm-e-Akram, a literary forum of the library scientists, named after the legendary Prof Dr Ghani-ul-Akram Sabzwari, has come out well before the start of the coming year. 

The advance publication of Adab-o-Kutub Khana-9, which was due to be published in 2017, is considered a testimonial of the laborious efforts of its editorial team, headed by Prof Dr Nasim Fatima, the Chief Editor. 

It’s quite remarkable and praiseworthy that the Bazm-e-Akram has succeeded in bringing out Adab-o-Kutub Khana every year regularly since its revival in 2011.

More importantly they have added more pages to it with each new edition, providing more reading pleasure to its members.

The Adab-o-Kutub Khana-9 has many of the ingredients to keep the readers absorbed. As usual it’s rich in content and neat in presentation.

The cover has a picture of a library while the back cover has the portrait of Prof Dr Ghani-ul-Akram Sabzwari on top and there is a collage of the previous six titles, all in different colours. 

Prof Dr Nasim Fatima, a former Chairperson of the Department of Library and Information Science at the University of Karachi, has been credited to have energized the Bazm-e-Akram by ensuring the regular publication of Adab-o-Kutub Khana. 

Like the previous edition, the Chief Editor has been assisted by the trio of Dr Nasreen Shagufta, Dr Amna Khatoon and Zainuddin Siddiqui in bringing out the annual issue. 

The Adab-o-Kutub Khana-9 is spread over 260 pages and it contains contributions from some of the eminent library professionals. It has been priced Rs 500 in Pakistan with US$15 being its published international price. 

In the preface, the Chief Editor, Prof Dr Nasim Fatima, has noted that greater interest is being generated in the annual journal of late and it was on the road to progress. 

“It has been our endeavour not to compromise on the standard of Adab-o-Kutub Khana and at the same we are encouraging new contributors to come on board as well as urging the established intellectuals to try their hands on new subjects,” she wrote. 

“We have added drama, humour and short stories in Adab-o-Kutub Khana-9 in order to make it more interesting and more tasteful. The idea is to improve and expand without compromising on the quality of work,” she stated. 

She has made a special mention of Abdul Wahab Khan Saleem, Farid Sabzwari, Nadeem Sabzwari, Fahim Sabzwari, Azra Qureshi, Shakil Ahmed Khalil and Shamim Ahmed Farooqui for having supported the publication.