Ask the Author | Lost in translation with Ikram Basra

A conversation in Urdu with playwright Ikram Basra reveals what brought the International Writing Program literary specialist from Pakistan to the University of Iowa.

Haya Hussain, Arts Reporter

October 3, 2024

Photo contributed by Ikram Basra

In Pakistan, Ikram Basra was known as a poet and journalist, and graduated from the University of Iowa Playwrights Workshop in 2021. Being a multidisciplinary writer and a witness to international justices have created much of the ambition that brings him to the International Writing Program this year as a literary specialist. Basra spoke with The Daily Iowan about his career and new position.

This interview has been translated from Urdu to English and has been edited for length and clarity.

Roman Urdu

The Daily Iowan: How did you find yourself navigating between journalism and poetry?

Basra: Ek ajeeb si quote maine pari thi, kain journalism literature ka illegitimate child hain. Mujhe lagta hai ke woh literature se nikla hua hai, ek esa form hain jis mein aap dunya per paale tawaju dehte hain, aur feelings pe baadmar karte hain. Literature is se thora bigger aur deeper hain. Woh aapko allow karta hain ke aap naturally cover karsako life ke human aur psychology angles. Yeh natural process hain.

Honestly, I was only doing journalism in Pakistan because I needed a salary. Meine jab start kiya tha, mein bohat emotional tha — Pakistan mein bohat issues te, inko theek karna tha. Mein us team ka hissa tha, jisne Malala ko discover karke screen.

Poetry ek aisi cheez hain jo aapko kisi bhi tarike ki writing main help karti hain. Woh ek aisi cheez thi jo naturally mere sath thi. You cannot be taught to be a poet. Aap polish kar sakte hain, study kar sakte hain. You can practice your playwriting, screenwriting, and poetry, laikan, to be a good poet, ye cheez aapke haat mein nahi hoti hain.

How did you know you wanted to be a writer, specifically a playwright?

Kuch log kehte hain ke you do not choose your favorite color — your favorite color chooses you. Isi taara writing hain, yeh aap ko chunti hain. Koi aapke esa hisa kahin paara wa hota hain, jo aapke access mein nahi hota hain, per hota aap hi ka. Jab aap uspein tawaju dehte hain, aur kehlte hain lavs ke saat, aap ki woh sides explore hona shuru ho jati hain.

What also influenced my decision is that it’s harder to make a living as a poet, than a playwright. Per jab aap choose karte hain, aapne poore dil se choose kaare. Mujhe maaza aab aana shuru howahain, us uncertainty, insecurity ko chhod ke, jo mere itne saalo ke sat thi. Yeh poets ki story hain. Mujhe security chaye thi, aur screenwriting se thodi si zaada jobs nikalti hain.

You have mentioned that there were two parts of your life in Pakistan: before and after 9/11. How are these two phases reflected in your work?

Mein 17 saal ka tha jab 9/11 hoya tha. Pakistan kabi bhi ameer mulk nahi tha, par woh us tarike mein third world mulk tha jaise dusre third world mulk the — it was struggling, but we still had some hopes, values, and some future. 81,000 log mar gaye the, aur mein journalism mein tha us waqt, tho hum log ye beht ke ginte thain. Maine kareeb se witness kiya ke kaise hamari society badal gayi. Ik lifestyle entirely change hogaya, aur jo bache 9/11 ke bad peda hoin, unko laga ke hamara mulk aisa hi tha. Pehle hota tha ke agar aap ameer bhi nahi hain, aap phir bhi achi zindagi guzar sakte hain, 9/11 ke baad ye baat chali gayi. Mein responsible feel karta hoon ke is cheez pain baat honi chahiye.

Sab se udaas baat ye hain ke, jitne bhi gareeb mulk hain, jaa pain bombs bhi ghire hain, jaang bhi ladi hain, unse mulk ko sympathy hain. Pakistan ke saat esa nahi hain, jaab ke udar bhi log hain jo in cheezo ke victim baane.

What does your position as the Literary Specialist entail?

Mein manuscripts pein feedback dehta hoon, aur editorial process mein bohat involved hoon. Humara main goal cross-cultural literary exchange ko facilitate karna hain, aur public ko literary programs ka access dehna. Ek show banraha hain, jis mein IWP ke writers aapna kam theater department se realize kare gain.

What brought you to the International Writing Program?

Maine se kuch saal pehle ek poem likhi thi, jab mujhe nahi patha tha ke mein IWP mein kaam karun ga kisi din. Us mein ek line thi ke, “Chris Merrill brings spring every fall in Iowa City.”

Mein bohat strongly believe karta hoon inke mission mein. Jab maine pehli bar border cross kia tha India mein, by foot, meine dekha ke mere aapne jaise hi log dekhne ko mil rahe the, jab ke hum ko history aur social studies mein sikhaya jata tha ke India hamara enemy tha. Kya zulm kar sakte the hum in log ko? Abhi se struggle kar rahe hain, hamari thara.

IWP is cheez ko bohat baare level pein dekhte hain. Taqreeban 180 countries se log aa gaye hain, aur unko ek sath baithne ka moqa mil tha hain. Abhi bhi jangin chal rahi hain. IWP esi jaga hain ja pein ye jung pen se lari ja thi hain.

Jang se cheezin nahi solve hothi hain. Abhi hamare mulq jo bhi acha hain, jo civilization hain, woh dialogue se hain, cultural exchange se hain, literature se hain.

English

The Daily Iowan: How did you find yourself navigating between journalism and poetry?

I once read a weird quote, saying that journalism is literature’s illegitimate child. This made me feel like journalism is apart from literature, it’s a form in which you give your attention to the world first, and then concern yourself with the emotions after. Literature is broader and deeper than this. It allows you, through a natural process, to cover the human and psychological angles of life.

Honestly, I was only doing Journalism in Pakistan because I needed a salary. When I started, I was very emotional — Pakistan had so many issues, and they needed fixing. I was even part of the team that discovered Malala and brought her to the screen.

Poetry is one of those things that can help you in any kind of writing. It was one of those things that I thought was naturally with me. You cannot be taught to be a poet. You can polish skills you already have, or study poetry. You can practice your playwriting, screenwriting, and poetry, but being a good poet — that’s something out of your own hands.

How did you know you wanted to be a writer, specifically a playwright?

Some people say that you do not choose your favorite color — your favorite color chooses you. In this same way, writing chooses you. There are parts of you that you cannot currently access, but they are still yours. When you start giving your attention to them, and you start playing with words, these sides of yours begin to become explored.

What also influenced my decision is that it’s harder to make a living as a poet than a playwright. But when you choose to assume your role as a writer, you must choose with your entire heart. It took me time to finally enjoy and come to terms with the uncertainty and insecurity that I spent so many years with. That’s the story of poets. I wanted security, and more jobs came out of screenwriting.

You have mentioned that there were two parts of your life in Pakistan: before and after 9/11. How are these two phases reflected in your work?

I was 17 when 9/11 happened. Pakistan was never a rich nation, but it was a third-world country in the way that all third-countries were — it was struggling, but we still had some hopes, values, and some future. 81,000 people died in 9/11, and I was in journalism at that time, so we used to recount these numbers over and over again. I closely witnessed how our society uprooted itself. Our lifestyle entirely changed, and the kids that were born after 9/11 only knew Pakistan as what it became after this historical event. Before that, even if you weren’t rich, you could still lead a good life, but this was lost after 9/11. I feel responsible that there should be more literary discussion about this.

The saddest thing is that, with all the impoverished nations in the world, where bombs are dropped and wars are fought, there is sympathy being received from the world. This is not present with Pakistan, even though there are people there who are victim to the same thing.

What does your position as the Literary Specialist entail?

I give feedback on writers’ manuscripts, making me an integral part of their editorial process. Our main goal, as well as mine, is to facilitate cross-cultural literary exchange and to give the public access to literary programs. There is a show being produced and performed, with the written work of IWP writers and the theatrical skills of the University of Iowa’s theater department.

What brought you to the International Writing Program?

Quite a few years ago, when I didn’t know that I’d be working at the IWP one day, I wrote a poem with the line, “Chris Merrill brings spring every fall in Iowa City.”

I strongly believe in the program’s mission. When I first crossed the border into India, by foot, I saw that the people there looked just like me, even though we were taught in history and social studies that India was not our ally. What oppression and hate could I foster towards people like this? They were already struggling, just like us.

The IWP takes this to a much greater level. There are people coming from approximately 180 countries, and they get to sit with each other and exchange ideas. Wars are still being fought today. The University of Iowa’s International Writing Program fights this war with a pen.

War does not solve things. Everything that is good in our world, all the civilization in it, is from dialogue, from cultural exchange, from literature.