Pearls and Shards

Iftikhar Malik’s Pearls and Shards seeks to redefine the genre by bringing together multiple campuses from various continents. Malik’s novel is not about financial constraints; he weaves together characters that belong to diverse backgrounds and are brought together by the campus which is as material as it is symbolic. Saleem Awan, the protagonist, moves around various campus worlds which are multicultural and multi-dimensional. He is a child of local and historical cultures, and his independent mind does not allow him to settle down in one place and [form a lasting] relationship because his universal personality would not afford him a single identity. After watching various actions on campuses across the continents, the reader realises that there may not be a line of demarcation between the campus and the world ‘out there’. A relationship is perhaps the greatest asset one can possess, at the same time, it is a delicate balance that can come apart unless cherished and protected. Pearls and Shards is a unique work in its ambition and scope. It certainly has set new standards in the genre.” Abbas Zaidi, Sydney, Academic at the University of New South Wales; author of ‘The Infidels of Mecca’.