Azra Mufti is one of Kashmir’s best selling authors with her two releases ‘Tearful pages’ And ‘Shattered Dreams’ touching sensitive subjects and appreciated by bibliophiles and her peers.
She began writing at fairly early age and under inauspicious circumstances. She remembers first writing a letter to God as her father was confined to the bed due to a prolapsed disc. This is where her journey began and is still going strong.
Aspiring to be a journalist she ended up as Assistant Professor at a young age. Azra kept writing, looking to highlight issues that often go unnoticed in the society.
Her first book ‘Tearful Pages’ focused on gender violence. In the book she narrates how a woman deals with abuse that hampers her progress in life.
‘Shattered Dreams’ Azra’s second book raised the issue of mental health and how our society perceives it. It dealt with how mental health is viewed in and around us.
The author has emphasized the need for understanding mental issues and domestic violence in and around us. She has very intricately put her thoughts on how these sensitive issues are perceived in our society and how can one go about dealing them.
Azra believes to be a good writer one needs to be a good reader first and draw from experience. She puts emphasis on adding realism to writing as it makes the work easy and one is never cornered for ideas. Reading more and more books is her recipe for being a good writer.
She suggests many young authors who rush into publication should first read a lot and then after reaching a certain number think about publishing, so that there work is valued and has a certain polished look.
She also believes that certain young writers who are capable and show interest can be enrolled in creative writing and other such programs and help them hone their skill set.
Azra Mufti also thinks many publishing houses in Kashmir should also adhere to strict conduct and have rigorous process before selecting books for publishing.
Her work mirrors her thinking with sensitive issues being touched upon. Subtly she tries to express how such issues affect our day to day life and how are we still not concerned by what happens around us. Such issues are the focal points of Azra’s writing.
One the key points when it comes to writing is the poetic license and the creative freedom that comes with it. For Azra it is important to utilize such an effective tool in the best possible way.
Living in a sensitive society she says, one has to be careful with the freedom as a writer as it is important to convey a social message but also see to it that the sentiments of the masses are not hurt. This she says is important to be a successful author.
Besides being an author, she is also an advocate for tackling mental health issues. She also writes for dailies in Kashmir
Azra holds the belief that ongoing conflict in Kashmir has affected people mentally and that is something that needs to be understood. Through her writing she is trying to bring a change in how people think about these issues.
Besides her work as an author Azra is working with the Indian Institiue of Managemnet (Jammu) on Mahatma Gandhi National Fellowship, a Pan India project. In this project she is working closely with district administrations for the skill development of people.
With a new book in the offing focusing on conflict both personal and in Kashmir as a society Azra Mufti has a treat in store for her readers as well.
A culture is defined by its literary work and Azra Mufti’s contribution to Kashmir’s literature is invaluable. It will be a standard bearer for others who have aspirations of contributing to literature in the valley.