In recent years, there has been a resurgence of serious writing in English by young Kashmiri writers. For many, the idea of writing, more than just the act of storytelling, is an attempt to take control of their stories and present them in all their nuances and complexities without compromising their political context.
Story of two Kashmiri familiesThe first novel of Karan Muju, born in Srinagar in 1986, this is our heaven (Penguin, 2024), set in Kashmir in the 1980s and 1990s, follows the journey of two families as they adjust to the changing social, religious and political customs around them. The story of the first family is told from the perspective of an eight-year-old Pandit boy and the second, of a family that lives in Zogam in the Lolab Valley, far from the urban center of Srinagar. Perspective of a young Shahid.
“Both families, over the course of the book, lose their Kashmir in different ways,” says Muju, who was five years old when her family was displaced. His father, who was completing his doctorate in medicine, was transferred from the Government Medical College, Srinagar to PGI, Chandigarh. “I remember growing up with a mild sense of disorganization. Our language and culture did not match our environment. I grew up speaking Kashmiri at home, English at school and Punjabi on the playground. My parents or grandparents never talked about what happened in the 1990s. My ignorance about Kashmir was impeccable,” he recalls. In time, like all exiles, he too had to answer the call of his motherland. At first he became interested in Kashmir, then became obsessed, digging through books, newspapers, magazines and articles and watching films and documentaries about the place.
“I talked to my parents, relatives and scholars. this is our heavenSo, like most novels, it was born out of a strange alchemy of research, memory and imagination,” he says. Muju believes that the story of Kashmir is the story of many people and communities: ”Pandits as well as Muslims and other marginalized communities like Gujjars and Shaikhs (manual scavengers).” I’ve tried to ask and answer some basic questions: What makes a boy a terrorist? What forces a family to flee their home? I am well aware that this is not the story of all Kashmiris. There can be no story. This is the story of two Kashmiri families. Of their good fortune and misfortune. About people trying to find agency and order in chaos and anarchy,” he says. Muju believes that books can present more nuanced narratives. “Mainstream media and social media have become so clicky and biased, so there’s very little hope for any facts,” he says.
Exploring art and the role of the artistShabbir Ahmed Mir’s plague upon us (Hachette India, 2019) was selected for the 2021 JCB Prize for Literature. While writing his first novel, the image of a weaver trying to make a flying carpet flashed in his mind. This then became the seed for his second novel, tentatively titled, last knot (Pan Macmillan, 2025), it is based in 19th century Srinagar which was suffering from the tyranny of Dogra rule.
“It is the story of a weaver who discovers that the only way to overcome the mountains that surround him is to weave a carpet that can fly. Thus begins his quest which must go through the labyrinth of myth, legends, folklore and tradition, even as he remains away from the clutches of the royal forces who are after him,” says Mir, who hails from Pulwama district of south Kashmir. .
Set against the Shoalbaaf Movement (Shawl Weavers’ Revolt), last knot Explores the role of art and the artist in troubled times. The act of writing is extremely personal for the author. “It is first and foremost an act of understanding and communication on a personal level,” he says. “All art is an individual’s effort to reach someone, something.”
Documenting real life love storiesLol Kashmir – Love and longing in a torn land (HarperCollins, December 2024) is a collection of real-life stories of love written by filmmaker Mehak Jamal, 31, who flourished during different eras of unrest in the valley. Born and brought up in Srinagar, Jamal, who now lives in Mumbai, says she always wanted to tell stories about her motherland. Hearing about how people (and lovers) stayed in touch during the communications blockade, he started interviewing people on August 5, 2019, a year after the abrogation of Article 370. “I felt there was a wealth of stories of people living and being in Kashmir.” Work in conflict zones. These lived experiences are as important as the facts and figures of the conflict, and must be preserved,” says Jamal, who believes that the history of the present moment will depend heavily on the writings of Kashmiris.
“It is also important for Kashmiris to tell their stories because the representation of Kashmir and Kashmiris in mainstream Indian media is skewed and half-baked,” she says.
Memories and city explorationSadaf Wani, a senior communications professional working in Delhi, is authored by The City as Memory: A Short Biography of Srinagar (Aleph Book Company, 2024). “Since it’s part of Aleph’s pre-existing City series, its scope was more or less defined, which worked well for me, because one of my biggest struggles with writing is that I can’t handle a lot of things with equal intensity. I’m interested, and that can often be overwhelming,” says Sadaf, who lives between New Delhi and Kashmir. In her book which touches upon various aspects of Srinagar’s socio-cultural history and public life, she explores the memories and affectionate bonds that people share with the city. “It also examines the impact of conflict and militarization on everyday life, particularly how these forces shape people’s access to leisure and their aspirations,” she says.
Sadaf believes that there is a notable gap in the literature on Kashmir when it comes to the lived experiences of Kashmiris during the 1980s and 1990s. She says, “Although many books provide macro-level analysis of the conflict, tracing its historical trajectory and exploring both global and local factors, they often overlook how individuals, particularly “How women made sense of their changing realities.” How ordinary people changed their communities and coped with traumatic political events is rarely captured. “I have centered the lived experiences of Kashmiris, which are mediated by various social stratifications such as caste, class, economic status, and sectarian and sectarian identities,” she says. It aims to explore these aspects that have shaped the everyday reality of life in Kashmir over the past several decades.”
She thinks that outsiders and non-natives have for too long established themselves as the voices of the “voiceless” Kashmiris and that despite their apparently good intentions, a significant gap in authentic representation remains. “Personally, I am tired of non-natives trying to explain Kashmir to Kashmiris. Most literature, especially from outsiders, tends to oversimplify the complexities of the field, offering grand but reductionist solutions,” she says, adding that this lack of nuance is deeply troubling. Now, she says, a new wave of young Kashmiri writers and artists is changing this. “They are responding to the trauma of their lived realities by focusing on the more intimate aspects of life – local history, undocumented everyday experiences, life in public spaces, and cultural loss,” she says. But she emphasizes that these writers are creating literature that aims to convince outside readers of the authenticity of the Kashmiri experience. “Instead, they turn inward, cultivating dialogue within the Kashmiri community,” she says, adding that this shift is important because “consciously, we are talking to each other, reshaping our narratives.” “We are receiving, and processing, our history on our own terms, without the need to prove ourselves to outsiders.”
Dive deep into the folklore of the Dard TribeSuhail Rasool Mir, a researcher from North Kashmir’s Bandipora district who works on the Kashmir border, is the author Cultural Encyclopedia of the Dard Tribe: Travels through Gurez and LadakhHighlighting the tribe’s rich heritage, traditions and folklore, this volume presents an in-depth exploration of their culture. Mir says, “It takes the reader on an immersive journey documenting the vibrant history, traditions and folklore of this mysterious tribe.”
The result of 10 years of painstaking travel and research on the Dard-Brockpass, this book is a useful reference work for other researchers. “It is important to document our stories and memories to keep our store of knowledge alive and thriving,” says Mir, who is optimistic about the intellectual and cultural lives and achievements of the emerging generation of writers from the region.
“The young writers and scholars of Kashmir are moving forward to contribute and publish more quality works in the coming years,” he says.
Majid Maqbool is a freelance journalist based in Kashmir.
