Books vs eBooks: A Literary Debate

March 9, 2018 by Yousuf Bawany

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Lined up in rows upon the shelf
With tales as old as time itself
Of battles lost and monsters slain
And wizards fighting with an elf

That heady scent of volumes bound
Lingers within the air around
Augments my soul with every breath
Such sense of calm is rarely found

Eager to tour the worlds within
A sea of words to dive right in
With fingers running down her spine
I take one with a childish grin

Our first contact shakes up the air
I’m sure you sense the love we share
Our chemistry is physical
Something no other can compare

All this smart tech is really cool
Exciting us, it makes us drool
But when it comes to books, my friend
My preference is a bit old-school

The peace of paper I enjoy
As I read through the villain’s ploy
These taps and swipes feel virtual
These shiny toys are slyly cloy

Owning the latest is a dream
Distractions are a constant theme
Connections disconnecting us
A side-effect, unwitting scheme

My every wish, these books do serve
My full attention they deserve
Respect the author’s diligence
Nothing should let my focus swerve

A friend in need, a book stays true
No batteries to die on you
It’s always there within your reach
To partner with your favourite brew

~ Yousuf Bawany – March 2018 ~

Weekly Photo Challenge: Solitude

February 3, 2017 by Yousuf Bawany

When you have two kids under the age of six, solitude is a precious commodity. You spend the entire day being a friend, an enemy, a teacher, a doctor and more often than not, a referee; raising kids is no easy job, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

When the day is finally over and I have tucked my children in for the night, I find nothing more comforting than the pages of a book. Here’s a picture I took tonight to personify my love for the written word. Enjoy!

Adventures of The Wishing Chair

May 31, 2016 by Yousuf Bawany

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I wish I had a wishing chair
That flew me right up in the air
I’d let it take me anywhere
Leave in plain sight, let people stare
Shrug off the aura of despair
Cast off my woes, for all I care

Caressing winds through silken hair
Look down upon the village square
A shining eye, a sun-lit flare
Feeling the clouds with hands all bare
Birds flirting by, fresh love affair
Just breathing in the care-free air

The past be a forgone nightmare
Explore new worlds, senses aware
Without having a day to spare
Won’t let anyone taint my flair
I’d go just about everywhere
Oh how I’d love a wishing chair!

– Yousuf Bawany, May 2016

Note: Enid Blyton was one of the first authors I fell in love with, and am still to this day. This poem is an homage to this great lady who has given us all such wonderful childhood memories filled with morals and ethics stitched within the fabric of fantasy and joy.

An Illustrated Harry Potter!

May 9, 2016 by Yousuf Bawany

A Literary Feast For A Literary Beast

May 1, 2016 by Yousuf Bawany

Reading is something I started doing quite late in life, but my transformation into the literary beast, which I still proudly am, was fairly quick. It was ‘mystery’ that hooked me in, starting me off with some innocent Enid Blyton (of the Hardy Boys fame); it wasn’t long before I was injecting regular doses of Agatha Christie (remember Hercule Poirot?). My metamorphosis was complete; there was no going back. I started tasting other genres including horror, sci-fi and fantasy, and to this day, nothing gets my heart beating faster than speculative fiction.

I moved to Dubai in 2014 and it was then that I heard of the Emirates Airlines Festival of Literature (EAFOL). The EAFOL is the highlight of Dubai’s event calendar and is organized every March by the hard-working people at the Emirates Literature Foundation. I was lucky enough to be part of the EAFOL volunteering team in 2015 and decided to (happily) render my services in 2016 as well; this time as a photographer. The event served to be a thousand KVA jolt of much-needed motivation/inspiration and I finally started my journey as an aspiring novelist.

This year, EAFOL had a stellar lineup of authors, poets, illustrators, chefs, scientists, astronauts and journalists from across the globe. I was fortunate enough to interact with quite a few of them; they were more than eager to share priceless insights into the mysterious world of writing and publishing. Every single one of these individuals (whose photos I’m about to share with you) is an amazing human being with the power of transforming lives through the pen. Hats off to you all – keep calm and write on!

Adel Khozam