Pran Nevile

Lahore, first published in 1993, is Pran Nevile’s tribute to the land of his birth. Grounded in memory and redolent with nostalgia, Nevile’s reminiscences transport the reader into the heart of Lahore as it was in the 1930s and 40s—a city bustling with activity where people coexisted harmoniously, unfettered by considerations of religion, region or caste. From the riotous seasonal festivities of kite-flying to clandestine love- affairs upon rooftops, from matinee shows at the cinema to twilight hours spent amongst the bejewelled dancing girls of Hira Mandi, Lahore emerges as a city of mesmerizing contradictions and chaotic splendour. The author underscores the contrast between pre- and post-Partition Lahore, and the sense of pain, loss and longing for one’s homeland experienced by the displaced millions in India and Pakistan is palpable. Evocative and informative, Lahore is at once social commentary, historical documentation and memoir.