IDEAS Book Talk & Book Signing
1971: A People’s History from Bangladesh, Pakistan and India (Folio Books)
IDEAS cordially invites you to attend the inaugural event in our Book Talk Series, a discussion with Anam Zakaria, author of 1971: A People’s History from Bangladesh, Pakistan and India, moderated by IDEAS Research Fellow Maryam S. Khan. The book talk will be followed by a book signing by the author. Copies of the book will be available for purchase from the exclusive book stall by Folio Books.
Please note the following details for the event:
- Date: Thursday, 24th August 2023
- Time: 4:00 – 5:30 PM
- Venue: IDEAS office, 19-A, F.C.C. Syed Maratib Ali Road, Gulberg IV, Lahore.
This is an open event, however space is limited. Please reserve your seat by registering for the event here: https://forms.gle/gdWrebSi6TZsjDix8
About the Author
Anam Zakaria is the author of 1971: A People’s History from Bangladesh, Pakistan and India, Between the Great Divide: A Journey into Pakistan-administered Kashmir and The Footprints of Partition: Narratives of Four Generations of Pakistanis and Indians which won the 2017 KLF-German Peace Prize. Anam also writes frequently on issues of conflict and peace. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, CBC, Toronto Star, Al Jazeera, The Hill Times, Scroll.in, TheWire.in and Dawn. Through her writing, Anam explores state narratives, oral histories, intergenerational memory and the politics of remembering and forgetting. She has documented narratives of genocide, war, sexual violence and displacement. Anam also studies the construction of the ‘other’ and works with young students to challenge stereotypes and prejudices. Apart from her writing, Anam has twelve years of senior leadership experience in the non-profit sector. She has worked in the fields of culture, history, education, civic engagement, volunteerism and immigration.
About 1971: A People’s History from Bangladesh, Pakistan and India
The year 1971 exists everywhere in Bangladesh-on its roads, in sculptures, in its museums and oral history projects, in its curriculum, in people’s homes and their stories, and in political discourse. It marks the birth of the nation, its liberation. More than 1000 miles away, in Pakistan too, 1971 marks a watershed moment, its memories sitting uncomfortably in public imagination. It is remembered as the ‘Fall of Dacca’, the dismemberment of Pakistan or the third Indo-Pak war. In India, 1971 represents something else-the story of humanitarian intervention, of triumph and valour that paved the way for India’s rise as a military power, the beginning of its journey to becoming a regional superpower.
Navigating the widely varied terrain that is 1971 across Pakistan, Bangladesh and India, Anam Zakaria sifts through three distinct state narratives, and studies the institutionalization of the memory of the year and its events. Through a personal journey, she juxtaposes state narratives with people’s history on the ground, bringing forth the nuanced experiences of those who lived through the war. Using intergenerational interviews, textbook analyses, visits to schools and travels to museums and sites commemorating 1971, Zakaria explores the ways in which the year is remembered and forgotten across countries, generations and communities.
For any queries, please reach out to us at communications@ideaspak.org.