Remembering Jaun Elia
Conversations with Zehra Nigah, Pirzada Qasim, Peerzada Salman, Wusatullah Khan, Khalid Ansari, Shakeel Adilzada & Asif Farrukhi.
Moderated by Mohammad Hanif.
“It appears that a lifetime of active participation in literary and cultural life of the City has made John Elia an icon - a symbol of our literary legacy.” – Raja Asghar
Born in a family of intellectual giants like Rais Amrohvi, Syed Muhammad Taqi and Shafiq Hasan Elia, John Elia was one of the greatest poets Urdu language has ever produced. An anarchist in the truest sense of the word and a nihilist to the core, Elia mastered Arabic, Persian, Sanskrit and Hebrew. Since his death in 2002, Ellia has attracted a cult-like following and to this day captivates the imagination of literary enthusiasts.