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The Aleph Review The Aleph Review is an anthology of contemporary creative literary and artistic expression, published annually by Broken Leg Publications

The Aleph Review is an anthology of contemporary creative literary and artistic expression. It is the first project of Broken Leg Publishing. The publication aims to feature poetry, fiction, non-fiction, interviews, translations, book reviews, and academic dissertations on contemporary writers, along with selected artwork. We welcome work from established and emerging writers and artists.

Young poet Mathew Jasper from India writes a thought-provoking poem about a simple quotidian act.
09/07/2024

Young poet Mathew Jasper from India writes a thought-provoking poem about a simple quotidian act.

The erudite and talented art critic, author and artist Aasim Akhtar puts on an exhibit at White Wall Art Gallery in Laho...
09/07/2024

The erudite and talented art critic, author and artist Aasim Akhtar puts on an exhibit at White Wall Art Gallery in Lahore, titled ‘Scarecrow’.

The talented art critic, author and artist Aasim Akhtar puts on an exhibit at White Wall Art Gallery in Lahore, titled ‘Scarecrow’.

: A nostalgic tale by Alizeh P. Hashmi from Volume 3 with artwork by Hira Mahmood.
09/07/2024

:
A nostalgic tale by Alizeh P. Hashmi from Volume 3 with artwork by Hira Mahmood.

A young girl’s fixation with her glamorous, enigmatic aunt… and her fall from grace

An eerie coming of age story that follows an unnamed narrator through the unknowns of desire and friendship.
09/07/2024

An eerie coming of age story that follows an unnamed narrator through the unknowns of desire and friendship.

An eerie coming of age story from Lucknow-based writer Andleeb Shadani, with art from Hadia Sameen.

On Shahnaz Sheikh’s exhibition held at Ocean Art Gallery, in Lahore, from May 19-25, 2024, by ad film maker, part-time l...
09/07/2024

On Shahnaz Sheikh’s exhibition held at Ocean Art Gallery, in Lahore, from May 19-25, 2024, by ad film maker, part-time lover of anything that rhymes on two feet, or more, and husband to the artist, substituting as The Aleph Review interviewer for this piece.

On Shahnaz Sheikh's 'Contrary Gardens' exhibition held at Ocean Art Gallery, Lahore.

Creation in Translation [case study 01] is one of the four projects for Curator’s Residency 2023 hosted by Vasl Artists’...
13/06/2024

Creation in Translation [case study 01] is one of the four projects for Curator’s Residency 2023 hosted by Vasl Artists’ Association in collaboration with the British Council and Gasworks, held at the Zahoor ul Akhlaque Gallery at the National College of Arts, Lahore. Sumbul Natalia reviews the show for our website.

Sumbul Natalia reviews 'Creation in Translation', a show curated by Ghazala Raees.

From The Archives: A personal essay by Hanif Kureishi published in our sixth volume.
25/05/2024

From The Archives: A personal essay by Hanif Kureishi published in our sixth volume.

: A personal essay by Hanif Kureishi published in our sixth volume.

Ismail Merchant, award-winning Indian film producer, remembered in this memorial essay for The Aleph Review by Omar Jami...
22/05/2024

Ismail Merchant, award-winning Indian film producer, remembered in this memorial essay for The Aleph Review by Omar Jamil.

A memorial essay on the film producer Ismail Merchant.

A coven of witches resist an oppressive regime in this short fiction by Mahnoor Fatima, with artwork from Laila Rahman.
20/05/2024

A coven of witches resist an oppressive regime in this short fiction by Mahnoor Fatima, with artwork from Laila Rahman.

A coven of witches resist an oppressive regime in this short fiction by Mahnoor Fatima, with artwork courtesy of Laila Rahman.

A review of 'Is this an Architectural Documentary?' (2023) — a film by Irushi Tennekoon, Sumedha Kelegama, Sumudu Athuko...
15/05/2024

A review of 'Is this an Architectural Documentary?' (2023) — a film by Irushi Tennekoon, Sumedha Kelegama, Sumudu Athukorala; an animated documentary about the first Sri Lankan woman architect, Minnette De Silva. The documentary is currently showing in Colombo and will be up till July.

Kulsum Ebrahim reviews the Sri Lankan animated documentary on Minnette De Silva and the Watapuluwa Housing Scheme.

New poetry up on the website. A poem by Samuel Posten inspired by the concept of a Panopticon.
08/05/2024

New poetry up on the website. A poem by Samuel Posten inspired by the concept of a Panopticon.

A meditative poem inspired by the concept of a Panopticon.

: Maryam Piracha's short story 'Through the Crucible' appeared in our third volume (2019). Read an excerpt on our websi...
02/05/2024

: Maryam Piracha's short story 'Through the Crucible' appeared in our third volume (2019). Read an excerpt on our website.

Excerpted from a short story that first appeared in The Aleph Review, Vol. 3 (2019).

The following poem was first published in The Aleph Review, Vol. 7 (2023). However, the epigraph of the poem was mistake...
29/04/2024

The following poem was first published in The Aleph Review, Vol. 7 (2023). However, the epigraph of the poem was mistakenly omitted. The complete poem is being published on our website by way of a corrigendum. We regret any inconvenience this may have caused. Artwork by Zara Asgher, sourced via Kaleido Kontemporary.

A found poem after Buckminster Fuller quotes by John C. Mannone, with art from Zara Asgher.

A man loves poetry but is constantly driven away from it by his sense of family—as well as one adamant member of his fam...
23/04/2024

A man loves poetry but is constantly driven away from it by his sense of family—as well as one adamant member of his family. Read 'Tamasha' by Nidhi Arora on our website; featured artwork by Jannat Farooq.

A man loves poetry but is constantly driven away from it by his sense of family—as well as one adamant member of his family.

: Excerpted from a short story by Naveed Ashraf originally published in The Aleph Review, Vol. 5 (2021); accompanying a...
23/04/2024

: Excerpted from a short story by Naveed Ashraf originally published in The Aleph Review, Vol. 5 (2021); accompanying art by Qadir Jhatial.

: Naveed Ashraf’s short fiction from Volume 5 with art by Qadir Jhatial.

A mysterious hill changes the lives of the simple villagers living in its shadow in this short fiction by Deepa Bhasthi,...
14/04/2024

A mysterious hill changes the lives of the simple villagers living in its shadow in this short fiction by Deepa Bhasthi, with artwork courtesy of Anushka Rustomji.

A mysterious hill changes the lives of the simple villagers living in its shadow. Story by Deepa Bhasthi; art by Anushka Rustomji.

Poet Zaman Hazir writes a Jawab-e-Shikwa in response to Neighbourhood Bully, a song by Bob Dylan that appeared on his 19...
13/04/2024

Poet Zaman Hazir writes a Jawab-e-Shikwa in response to Neighbourhood Bully, a song by Bob Dylan that appeared on his 1983 album Infidels and is widely considered to be an apologist piece about Israel.

Poet Zaman Hazir in response to Bob Dylan's song 'Neighbourhood Bully'.

Art critic Aasim Akhtar wrote about Laila Rahman's show 'Bagh-e-Hayat' (Khaas Contemporary) for our website. Read his pi...
13/04/2024

Art critic Aasim Akhtar wrote about Laila Rahman's show 'Bagh-e-Hayat' (Khaas Contemporary) for our website. Read his piece and view some selected artworks through the link below.

Art critic and writer Aasim Akhtar on Laila Rahman's 'Bagh-e-Hayat' show at Khaas.

: An excerpt from Annie Zaidi's short fiction 'Heartless', originally published in The Aleph Review, Vol. 4 (2020), wit...
01/04/2024

: An excerpt from Annie Zaidi's short fiction 'Heartless', originally published in The Aleph Review, Vol. 4 (2020), with artwork from Shahana Munawar.

Annie Zaidi is the author of Prelude to a Riot, Gulab, Love Stories #1 to 14 and Known Turf: Bantering with Bandits and Other True Tales, and the editor of Unbound: 2000 Years of Indian Women’s Writing.

Read more on our website.

A fabulist short story by Annie Zaidi from our archives.

On loud families, matriarchs and moving to other homes - a poem by Shalini Rana, with artwork from Khadija-tul-Kubra.
15/03/2024

On loud families, matriarchs and moving to other homes - a poem by Shalini Rana, with artwork from Khadija-tul-Kubra.

A poem by Shalini Rana with artwork from Khadija-tul-Kubra. Shalini RanaAfter Natalie Diaz1.Because we have an excess of liquid courage, most of us being wine-guzzling vegetarians.2.Our matriarchs are the ones to raise their voices. Mumma to yell random noises that startle the dog, masi to tip her h...

The weekend is here and what better than a cute, modern love story. Read 'A Very Short Love Story' by Dr Javaria Farooqu...
08/03/2024

The weekend is here and what better than a cute, modern love story. Read 'A Very Short Love Story' by Dr Javaria Farooqui on our website; artwork by Beenish Ahmed Saraz.

Dr Javaria Farooqui A modern love story, with art from Beenish Ahmed Saraz. Her cellphone’s screen lit up, and a tiny sound like a coin dropping on the floor was heard. The urge to stop listening to Abba and go check if it was his reply to her pre-tea message was so strong. Farah’s knuckles turn...

This short, reflective piece by the artist Irfan Gul Dahri was recently published on our website. In this, the author ex...
29/02/2024

This short, reflective piece by the artist Irfan Gul Dahri was recently published on our website. In this, the author explores coming to terms with a dark past.

TG: the piece contains references to child SA.

Irfan holds a Master’s degree in Visual Art from National College of Arts and was awarded with Principal’s Honors Award. He was also awarded with Charles Wallace Visiting Artist Fellowship to study in Prince’s School of Traditional Arts, London. He participated in the Karachi Biennale 2019, and the Lahore Biennale 2020 collateral event ‘It’s About Body’. He has also taken part in various residencies.

Read the full essay on our website.

: A few verses from Sidra F. Sheikh’s poem ‘No One Likes You’, published in our fifth annual print volume. Sidra F. She...
28/02/2024

: A few verses from Sidra F. Sheikh’s poem ‘No One Likes You’, published in our fifth annual print volume.

Sidra F. Sheikh is the author of The Light Blue Jumper, published in 2017 by Mongrel Books, Karachi. It continues to be on the bestseller list at Liberty Books and is available on Amazon UK and Amazon US as a Kindle version. She has recently completed a sequel to the Jumper and a new YA fantasy novel. Sidra has a BSc in economics from the London School of Economics and Political Science and is a partner at The Sheikh Partnership law firm, a solicitor of the Supreme Court of England and Wales and an advocate of the Supreme Court of Pakistan.*

*Author bios of archival pieces are reprinted as they first appeared, and may not be up to date.

: Sidra F. Sheikh's poem from our fifth volume, accompanied by artwork from Zainab Zulfiqar.
01/02/2024

: Sidra F. Sheikh's poem from our fifth volume, accompanied by artwork from Zainab Zulfiqar.

Sidra F. Sheikh The following poem was first published The Aleph Review, Vol. 5 (2021). No one likes women who think too much He said So, I gave him a piece of my mind The Beast took it, saying you are too kind But as evening fell He was back again No one likes women who talk too much He said So, I....

A personal essay by artist Irfan Gul Dahri, in which he attempts to confront a troubling time from his past.
24/01/2024

A personal essay by artist Irfan Gul Dahri, in which he attempts to confront a troubling time from his past.

Irfan Gul Dahri confronts his past in this very personal piece.

: Mohammad Nasrullah Khan's short fiction 'Death Certificate' (Vol. 3, 2019) is a dark comedy where a senior citizen na...
20/01/2024

: Mohammad Nasrullah Khan's short fiction 'Death Certificate' (Vol. 3, 2019) is a dark comedy where a senior citizen navigates bureaucratic corridors in order to obtain his late wife's death certificate. Artwork by Naheed Rafi.

A senior citizen has to navigate bureaucratic corridors and ageism to obtain a certificate.

Artist and art critic Quddus Mirza pens an essay on the spectacular body of work produced by Dr Iram Zia Raja, the Dean ...
20/01/2024

Artist and art critic Quddus Mirza pens an essay on the spectacular body of work produced by Dr Iram Zia Raja, the Dean and Professor of Design at NCA Lahore, and a textile artist.

Art critic and artist Quddus Mirza on the work and practice of textile design artist Dr Iram Zia Raja.

This will be a great opportunity for researchers. Go for it!
18/01/2024

This will be a great opportunity for researchers. Go for it!

The Aleph Review, Vols. 1-7 at Como Museum in Lahore. Go check out the art, leave with an Aleph.
13/01/2024

The Aleph Review, Vols. 1-7 at Como Museum in Lahore. Go check out the art, leave with an Aleph.

Aiman Rahman's touching poem is a letter to a Palestinian mother, with artwork from Maryam Baniasadi.
07/01/2024

Aiman Rahman's touching poem is a letter to a Palestinian mother, with artwork from Maryam Baniasadi.

A poem by Aiman Rahman for a Palestinian mother, with art by Maryam Baniasadi.

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Excerpt from Tired by Eissa Saeed
Excerpt from Tired by Eissa Saeed

Eissa Saeed brilliantly captures identity crisis and being an outsider no matter where you go in his poem "Tired" published in the second edition of The Aleph Review. Here is a spoken excerpt by the poet himself. We encourage you to pick up a copy to read the full version of the poem. Eissa currently lives in Islamabad and is a writer and media strategist whose work merges communication tactics with performance to create narrative experiences that challenge sociopolitical concepts. Storytelling remains at the core of his work in playwriting, journalism and strategic communication. In 2017, he wrote Home Sick, a play that explores Muslim aversion to sexual diversity and the anxieties to Muslim-Americanness. Eissa holds a BA in Media Studies and Public Action from Bennington College and an MA in Media & Strategic Communication from the George Washington University.

Khadija A. Malik reads from "Not Merely Skin Deep"
Khadija A. Malik reads from "Not Merely Skin Deep"

Entrepreneur and writer Khadija A. Malik reading a passage from her essay "Not Merely Skin Deep" published in the Epicurean Essays section of The Aleph Review Volume 2. Corrigendum: Khadija A. Malik's essay was erroneously published under the name of Khadija Malik-Hassan in The Aleph Review. We apologise for this error and for any inconvenience caused. A transcript of her reading is as below "In understanding the physical form of Heer, we need to understand what drove the gaze of the 16th century man. The societal structure of rural Punjab was primarily male-dominated at this time, with women occupying a position as important workers within an agricultural economy. Therefore, although women had no ownership or control over the economic relationships that were formed, they still had a contending voice—and they were also heard. Further, if women so pleased, they had the necessary leverage to play an important role in all matters, on account of their contribution towards the economy, by suitably manoeuvring the men. Nevertheless, crucial decisions were made by men—including the subject of marriage, which hinged on the formation and expansion of economic interests. Physical appearance too, then, was determined and controlled by males (whether directly or through the assimilated women), who knew that the more attractive female relative brought more promising economic opportunities."

'Breathing Under Water' by Mina Malik-Hussain
'Breathing Under Water' by Mina Malik-Hussain

For our second annual celebratory event we requested a few of our contributors to send in short videos of their work. One of our favoure poetry submissions was from Mina Malik-Hussain who recited her poem 'Breathing Under Water' that is published in The Aleph Review. Apart from being one of our biggest supporters, Mina is also a writer and teacher based in Lahore. Her poetry and prose have appeared in national and international literary magazines and journals, including Vallum Magazine, South Asian Review and Pakistani Literature. She writes a popular weekly column for The Nation, teaches literature in English and runs The Sirajuddin Foundation, a literary non-profit organization.

Cinematic Interpretation of "Two" by Natasha Salam Shields
Cinematic Interpretation of "Two" by Natasha Salam Shields

This year The Aleph Review had some of its contributors send in short videos of their featured works that were played at our launch. The writers and poets were free to interpret it the way they desired. Our favourite was the interpretion of "Two" by Natasha Salam Shields. Watch as she takes us through the streets of LA and then read her full piece in our latest issue. Natasha Shields is an avid lover of Rupi Kaur, chai tea latte, avocados, kale and fedoras - when she's not busy emulating hipsters - she is a music producer, and a writer in the city of Kim Kardashians. 'Two' is her second short story.

Rakhshan Rizwan reciting Brown Girls for The Aleph Review
Rakhshan Rizwan reciting Brown Girls for The Aleph Review

Recently nominated poetess Rakhshan Rizwan reciting "Brown Girls" - the video was played at our 2nd annual celebratory event in March. Rakhshan met up with us when she was in Lahore last summer and we had a detailed chat about poetry and its various forms. Pick up a copy of our latest issue to read her melodic work.

Dr. Fawzia Afzal-Khan for The Aleph Review
Dr. Fawzia Afzal-Khan for The Aleph Review

Dr. Fawzia Afzal-Khan reads an excerpt from her story for The Aleph Review. She is Professor of English at Montclair State University, and received the University Distinguished Scholar Award 2009-10. She was Director of the Women and Gender Studies Program from 2009-15. Her memoir, Lahore with Love: Growing Up With Girlfriends Pakistani Style, was published by Syracuse University Press in 2010.

Rayan Khan reciting his original poetry for The Aleph Review
Rayan Khan reciting his original poetry for The Aleph Review

Rayan Khan is a writer, poet, marketing strategist and editor of #DRIVEL. Based out of Montreal, he is gainfully employed as a copywriter in digital marketing and advertising and as a part-time social media consultant. He divides his private time between two book-length projects and moonlighting as an occultist.

Soniah Kamal reads from 'A Love Story, Too' for The Aleph Review
Soniah Kamal reads from 'A Love Story, Too' for The Aleph Review

Soniah Kamal is a Pushcart Prize-nominated essayist, fiction writer and literary journalist. Her debut novel, ‘An Isolated Incident’, was a finalist for the Townsend Award for Fiction, the KLF French Fiction Prize, and is an Amazon Rising Star pick. Huffington Post featured 'An Isolated Incident' in ‘Ten Books about Terrorism that Aren’t Stereotypes.’ Soniah is the recipient of a Paul Bowles Fiction Fellowship. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Guardian, Catapult, The Missing Slate, Buzzfeed, The Atlanta Journal Constitution, Huffington Post, Literary Hub, The Rumpus, The Normal School, ArtsATL, and more. Her essays and short stories are included in The Best Asian Short Stories and award winning anthologies.

Bina Shah reads 'The Nosepin' for the Aleph Review
Bina Shah reads 'The Nosepin' for the Aleph Review

Bina Shah is a writer of English fiction and journalist living in Karachi, Pakistan. She is the author of four novels and two collections of short stories. She is a regular columnist for The New York Times, Dawn, The Huffington Post and Al Jazeera, and has written for The Independent and The Guardian. Her fiction and non fiction essays have been published in Granta, Wasafiri, The Istanbul Review, Bengal Lights, Cha and Critical Muslim.

Waqas Khwaja reads 'Last Spring' for The Aleph Review
Waqas Khwaja reads 'Last Spring' for The Aleph Review

Waqas Khwaja is Professor of English and Postcolonial Literature at Agnes Scott College, where he teaches courses in Victorian Poetry and Fiction, British Romanticism, Narratives of Empire, Gothic Literature, Postcolonial World Literature, and Creative Writing. He holds a PhD in English from Emory University, and LLB from the Punjab University, Lahore, in addition to an honorary fellowship from the International Writing Program, University of Iowa. He has published three collections of original poetry, 'No One Waits for the Train', 'Six Geese from a Tomb at Medum', and 'Mariam’s Lament', in addition to 'Writers and Landscapes', a literary travelogue about his experiences with the International Writers Program, University of Iowa, and three anthologies of Pakistani literature in translation: 'Cactus', 'Mornings in the Wilderness', and 'Short Stories from Pakistan'.

The Aleph Review had its official Islamabad launch at the 5th Islamabad Literature Festival. The launch was moderated by acclaimed writer David Waterman with Mevhash Amin (Publisher and Editor-in-Chief) and Ilona Yusuf (Guest Editor) talking about the importance of such creative anthologies in Pakistan. The launch was attended by well-wishers and curious literati alike including HE Dr. Brigitta Blaha (Ambassador of Austria) and Canadian writer Blaine Marchand. The Aleph Review is available at London Book Company and Saeedbookbank in Islamabad.

Khadija Malik on The Aleph Review
Khadija Malik on The Aleph Review

Khadija Malik sends us some love! Thank You Khadija for being such a wonderful pillar of support for us.

A few snippets of the speakers from our official launch last month in Lahore. Mr. Najam Sethi was our keynote speaker while Seerat Hazir, Athar Tahir, Shaista Sirajuddin, Mina Malik-Hussain also captivated the audience with stories of Taufiq Rafat and readings from The Aleph Review. Photo Credits: Madeeha Maqbool

Our favourite superstar HSY sending us some love before the Chughtai Public Library launch tomorrow in Lahore. Thank you Hassan!

Our favourite Mina Malik-Hussain sending us some love and sharing her thoughts on The Aleph Review.

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