Five MUST read books on Lahore
With the city full of history, culture and individual stories, what better way other than books to portray all that in one place!
Source: Herald Magazine
Here is a list of five books about Lahore that you must read while exploring the city itself.
These books made into the list on the opinion of people who literally breathe books!
Lahore: A Sentimental Journey by Pran Neville
A personal favorite, this book takes us to pre-partition Lahore where the Muslims, Sikhs and Hindus, all lived in harmony. The author indulges the readers in enjoyable recollection of his childhood memories.
He has also added photographs that make the sentimental journey more exciting and relatable.
2. Amritsar to Lahore: A Journey across the India-Pakistan border by Stephen Alter
This is one of the most detailed book regarding the events of Partition, as it includes candid talks with people who experienced that life-changing event.
Stephen Alter crossed the border to enter Pakistan in 1997 and interviewed the Hindu, Muslim and Sikh generation of that time in Lahore. The book is one emotional journey hence making it to the list.
3. Lahore: Portrait of a Lost City by Som Anand
The author in this touching memoir recalls the peaceful and harmonious Lahore. Anand lived in a consorted community, free from religious intolerance. His family decided to stay in Model Town after partition, hence exposing them to witness communal changes in the same city he grew up in.
The book takes us through stories of pre and post Partition making it a MUST read for everyone.
4. City of Sina and Splendour: Writings on Lahore by Bapsi Sidhwa
This book has it all. You will find interesting aspects of Lahore from the perspective of a variety of famous writers, hence fulfilling that wee bit of curiosity about the diversity in the city.
It includes spiritual poems of Bulleh Shah and Madho Lal Hussain as well as Iqbal's poetry Faiz's lament; Pran Neville's interesting sketch of Heera Mandi and Irfan Hussain's delicious take on Lahori food.
Trust me this is not all! The book also has contributions from Aijazuddin, Maclagan, Emma Duncan, Khalid Hassan, Shahnaz Kureshy, Khaled Ahmed, Ved Mehta, to name a few.
So get your hands on this remarkable book to experience the fascinating memories!
5. Lahore Recollected: An album by F. S. Aijazuddin
This book is sure to touch your emotional chord as you visually experience the changes Lahore has gone through over the years.
Aijazuddin, in this pictorial journey, shows the developmental phase of Lahore during the first half of the 20th century till 1947.
This moving recollection is a MUST addition to the book shelf!
Want to see how much Lahore has changed with time? Don't miss out: Lahore: A journey through time