In this presentation, Harris Khalique will trace the evolution of resistance poetry in Urdu from the times of Jaffer Zatalli to the present day. He will also look at the wider multilingual literary landscape of Pakistan and the role played by poetry to challenge oppression in the country's political history. He will explore the troubled relationship between art and power and how poets have challenged authority over centuries, giving a voice to the voiceless, the marginalized, and the invisible. He will also speak about his own understanding and personal journey as a contemporary poet within the rich tradition of verse in South Asia.

Harris Khalique is a leading Pakistani poet and author in Urdu and English with nine collections of verse, two books of non-fiction and several hundred articles and columns on international development, human rights, history, culture and literature behind him.  He is a recipient of the Presidential Pride of Performance Award and UBL Literary Excellence Award in Pakistan and a University of Iowa Honorary Fellow in Writing. His work has been translated into several languages and anthologized internationally.