About Book'Confessions of a Grandmother..and more' is a collection of Yasmin Elahi's published articles (mostly in Dawn), and on her blog site (yasminelahi.wordpress.com). Written in simple narrative, these writings are thought provoking, as the person who read them can easily relate to the social and moral issues the author raises. Some articles and blogs which she has written in first person, gives the reader an idea of the ups and downs of her turbulent life.
The writer is a two time winner of NBF awards, she strives passionately through her writings (which are mostly for children) to pass on the age old values she has learned from a closely knit and deeply religious family. "Confessions of a Grandmother and more" is neither fiction nor an autobiography, but Yasmin Elahi shares her experiences eloquently and reaches out to the heart of the reader, giving him food for thought and as he goes through her writings without even realizing it, the reader may learn a lesson or two, or see things with a totally different perspective.
'Follow the Light' and 'Footsteps' are her award winning books, and 'Roads are not Dustbins' is a collection of her published articles in the Young World (Dawn).
About AuthorIt's quite difficult to write my Bio as there is nothing extraordinary to tell my readers. Born a 4th child to a deeply religious family with age old values, my childhood and teenage was a very sheltered one. I was deeply bonded to my parents, siblings and extended family.
I did my matriculation in 1966, from Viqarrunissa Noon School, which was one of the best girls' school in Dhaka (then East Pakistan). I must give credit for whatever little name I have carved out as a writer, to our English teacher Mrs Amin. Her command on English was beyond perfect, and she expected each one of her students to reach (or cross), her level. To this day, I am thankful to her for the lengthy grammar home-works and strictly checked monthly assessments.
The beginning of my writing career was when I had already crossed my 50th Birthday. I owe it to my daughter in law, Saira Owais (a writer herself) and my son's friend Faizan Usmani, whose keen eyes somehow discovered the dormant writer in me, and last but definitely not the least, to my encouraging children and their spouses.
Though I have written a lot for both children and elders, my most cherished work are my entries in NBF Competition for Children's Literature. 'Follow the Light' and 'Footsteps' (published by Ferozsons), are the two books which got the 1st and 3rd prizes. I have translated both these books in Urdu, and these (Roshan Raahein and Naqsh e Qadam) have also been published by the same publisher. 'Roads are not Dustbins', a compilation of some of my articles published in (Young World, Dawn) has been published by Ferozsons recently. All these books are available on Ferozsons' website.
Basically I am a family person, a Grandmother and a mother, before I am a writer. I consider myself an ordinary Pakistani woman, just a face in the crowd. Being a fierce patriot, I feel pained and frustrated at the mayhem I witness in my beloved Pakistan I keep on praying and yearning for better days in my Homeland.
My message for my readers is to never hesitate to start something new in life. Age is not a factor which should hamper your abilities. Follow your heart when you feel like exploring new avenues and seek help from Allah. Success is bound to knock at your door.
