The season of love, bitter almonds and delayed rains: selected stories and other pieces

Mazhar ul Islam, a writer and folklorist, is one of the most original literary voices to emerge in contemporary Pakistan. His short stories mark the beginning of a new tradition in Urdu prose of the subcontinent. Combining the skills of an alchemist with the brush strokes of a painter and the composition of a musician, Mazhar ul Islam's unique stories weave together themes of love, pain, ecstasy, separation and death. His technique transforms the reader's world in magical, moving ways and is imbued with a deep compassion for its characters who are searching for pure love. His works have been translated into Chinese, Japanese, German, Italian, English and several South Asian languages.