Orient BlackSwan Pvt. Ltd. and Lamakaan invite you to a book reading from "When Sun Meets Moon: Gender, Eros, and Ecstasy in Urdu Poetry" by Dr Scott Kugle.

Long regarded one of the most influential writers of her time, 18th Century poet Mah Laqa Bai Chanda’s legacy is revived in Dr Scott Kugle’s book. Mah Laqa Bai was a renowned courtesan and influencer in the court of the Nizam of Hyderabad in addition to being one of the first female poets to author a diwan, a complete collection of Urdu ghazals. She was inspired by the literary work of the mystic poet Shah Siraj Awrangabadi. Both poets specialized in the ghazal, often fusing spiritual quest with erotic imagery.

In "When Sun Meets Moon", Shah Siraj and Mah Laqa Bai are brought together in the realm of literary imagination by Dr Kugle, who argues that the two poets were exceptions to the gender norms common in their patriarchal societies. Featuring translations of Urdu and Persian poetry previously unavailable in English, this book illustrates the complexity of gender, sexuality, and religious practice in Islamic culture.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Scott Kugle joined the Department of Middle Eastern and South Asian Studies at Emory University in Fall 2010. He received his PhD from Duke University in 2000 in History of Religions after graduating from Swarthmore College with High Honors in Religion, Literature, and History.

ENTRY FEE: Free

All are welcome!