Srinagar, Jun 29: Abdullah Bin Zubair, a 12-year-old student, who wrote his first book, ‘No Place for Good,’ a collection of poems, which was released by the valley’s prominent publishing house Jay Kay Books, earlier this month has earned praises and appreciation from all walks of life in the valley.
Abdullah now holds the title of Kashmir’s youngest English poet. The foreword of the book was written by Ranjit Hoskote, a renowned poet and art critic of India, and the cover illustration was contributed by Ranbir Kaleka, a Delhi-based eminent multimedia artist. The blurb was written by Mushtaque B Barq, a renowned poet and writer from Kashmir.
Abdullah while speaking with news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) said that he began his creative journey at the age of six by reading stories by Mayal Khairabadi, Aesop, Hans Christian Anderson, and Ruskin Bond.
Abdullah said he began writing poems when he was eight years old in 2016, soon after, he began reading the works of authors such as Leo Tolstoy, Mitch Albom, Franz Kafka, and Paulo Coelho.
Some of his poems have also appeared in the online literary magazine indianculutralforum.com.
Abdullah, who also enjoys filmmaking, won first place in a filmmaking competition at his school in 2020 for his short film ‘Lockdown Phir Se.’ At a book launch event attended by many prominent people, Vijay Dhar (Pro Vice Chairman DPS, Srinagar) wrote, “The publication of Abdullah bin Zubair’s book of poems is a source of great pride for DPS Srinagar. Blessings to you.”
“I was taken aback to hear the thrum of violence even in poems that dwell on perfectly everyday moments: you speak of how truth vanishes, even as a printed word, leaving only ‘ruth’ behind on the page; as a reader, I am reminded by this word of ‘ruthless,’ a word that defines the atrocities we suffer,” writes Ranjit Hoskote in the book’s forward.
Zareef Ahmad Zareef in his remarks stated, “that our future generations must read and learn in order to have a better future.”
He said, “emphasising the power of the pen, that the pen is the actual power.”
“Children should look up to Abdullah for inspiration when it comes to writing at such a young age,” Zareef said. He also emphasised the significance of the Kashmiri language—(KNO)
