Samina Mushtaq Khan – the brilliant writing talent from Jammu and Kashmir, India

Samina Mushtaq Khan, hailing from downtown area of Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, has been brought up in a middle class family. Although coming from a conservative society she never gave up on her dreams. She is a library Science Graduate and has been fond of books. Library in her opinion is a place of solace and would recommend every confusing soul to visit once, as it has been quoted, ‘if in chaos visit the library, you will definitely come up with the answer/solution to your problems. Currently she is working in banking sector. While quoting her place of birth as paradise on the universe, she added that this place has beauty spreading all over, and it mesmerizes the eyes that see it. So, for her, this place has something, a spark, that keeps on pushing her to write more and more. The dusk and dawns are so soothing to the eyes that nobody can resist to pen down about his/her emotions. Samina considers herself an open book anyone can read but to understand, she said a reader need to dive in those words of hers, which for are more like twining galaxies.

For her poetry is an emotion that you can express on a paper. She had started writing after graduating from university and had started compiling some manuscripts but wasn’t sure about getting published.

Then it was from 2014 onwards which sparked in her the zest for writing as she quoted ‘I started writing with desperation and in return words started healing me’. ‘I start making friends with paper and pen and in these two alleys of mine I found my escape’. She said she had never craving of being recognized, all she wanted is to transform my apathy and emotions in words that could resonate with each and every broken soul, and could heal him up somehow.  For her, writing a poem is a soul soother a balm that relaxes the scars of her heart.

Adding she said, ‘the society we are living in is more oriented towards writing rather than reading, so at some point I thought of giving up on my writing interest but then my close alleys compelled and convinced me to write and continue with my passion because they know it well what writing out my emotions meant for me.

Samina finds write to find an escape. She said, she doesn’t have friends to share feelings with. Besides she believes people never notice about your well-being. You often find yourself getting overheard. So for her writing is a place where she find tranquillity. It’s a place of magical bliss, an eternity where longing is cut short and emotions dance to the tune of her pen. Where paper never complaint of her irony and always pays a compassionate ear. She said she write to rest her heart in a peaceful slumber. She is has authored a book entitled Obsessed with the dawns and co-authored three books as well. She while discussing about her book said,’ I start of publishing it I was not sure whether it will be accepted by the people over there, but thanks to Almighty I was admired by each and every reader of mine. My book got a good response from the audience and was accepted at every platform wherever I walked after getting published.’ Her book is about eternity divine love longing, feminism and many more different themes. It’s basically a kind of anthology and she said she is feeling blessed that her readers started connected to her words somehow. As per her, main theme of her book is pain so she holds up a belief that people are more connected to the pain rather than anything else. Her poetic work holds a belief that the beauty of a sunrise can only be cherished only after a dark spell.

For her positive criticism is must for an artist to groom up and it helps them to make their work better. She considers her readers a family. Her book has received a good acclaim from all sects of the society and was ushered with so much of love. Recently her book has been nominated for CLA and Aaghaaz 2020 awards. She winded up with a note of thanks to each and every one of them who made her work recognized. For her belief, all critical acclaims that tend to modify and groom me up and her work is much appreciated and will be highly considered and respected. Her advice for young and upcoming artists is to be consistent with work and try to be honest without faking it out. Don’t ruin your work just to get false applauds just be a master in your field and own your art.