"She is a cautionary tale of the feminine curse, / people read her like braille and spit out the words / and fill in the blanks with her name, alongside countless / women who made the same mistake." (30)

"Khamoshi" ("Silence" in English) takes readers through a life lived in diaspora. Pulling from Muhammed Iqbal, the book seeks identity in something of a liminal space—either British and Pakistani or neither British nor Pakistani, or perhaps both and neither; defined by others based on external factors (skin color, clothing, female body); asking questions about and calling attention to the ways in which "other" is forced upon a person.

The poems here take various forms—some tightly corralled, two or three words per line; others sprawling across the page; a few two-line poems; a few focused on rhyme. This is not a book to be read all in one go but to take some time with—two poems here, a poem there. I returned to some pieces to pick out more details (poetry is not my first language), and I'm curious to see what will stick with me if I return to this in the future.

"I do not only address today. I sing riots / for tomorrow. I interrupt the song / of change and sing my verse. I exist / to exist for us. Project our voice to say: // I carry the charge of a thousand feet. / They thrash against the barriers / of history and wake the dead / to riot, to riot with me. (64)

Thanks to the author and publisher for providing a review copy through NetGalley.

Khamoshi is a poetry collection that is concerned with the experiences we can describe, and the ones we can’t. It considers the blank spaces left between what we want to say and what the places we find ourselves in prevent us from saying. It explores partition, nationalism, racism, sex and filial duty, it explores the losses experienced as a female in the world and probes the relationships between the female body and generations of trauma.

Reviewing a poetry collection is, I think, a hard thing. What speaks to me as a reader may not be the same thing as what the poet felt urgently enough to write about. What I can appreciate is the evocation of a feeling, especially when it is one that I don’t necessarily recognise for myself. Akhtar evokes a multitude of feelings through their precise and elegant writing, striking a balance between feeling and reported experience that leaves the reader emotional invested but never borders on trite.

I am currently reading Measures of Expatriation by Vahni Capildeo and I can see parallels in the writing styles and the imagery the two writers use. This places Khamoshi for me in the realm of powerful and urgent writing that needs to be read and shared, and experienced, by a wide range of readers. I would highly recommend.

Note: I was gifted this poetry collection in return for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Debutant poet Qudsia Akhtar, a British uni student, takes a trip down memory lane, revisiting the hardships and struggles faced by her country’s people during the independence freedom movement and how it has impacted her life.
The author, through her pen-wielding power, gives us a glimpse of the people of her community’s genocide, shedding blood and sweat in achieving her nation’s freedom.
These poems speak about the past violence and its aftermath that had been and will become a permanent scar for her and her future generations to come, following them wherever they go, an irrevocable, indelible mark in the form of isolation and a perennial curse.
The young poet handles these sensitive topics - including religion, culture, language, politics, diaspora, terrorism, rituals, scriptures, gods, and men - in a mature manner to put forth her point of view in a hard-hitting and effective way.
Being a modern woman of the 21st century, the author seems to ridicule at times the old-world traditions and value systems of her ancestors, and at the same time, she rightfully justifies it by showing how these values have left her country in tatters and affecting her fellow brothers and sisters in their day-to-day lives, leaving them dislocated and eliminated.
Ms Akhtar does not even shy away from addressing the issue of how the Western world sees her country and community after the 9/11 incident.
A bold and sincere first attempt by the poet to address the ghost of the past that haunts her even today. A definite weekend read if you are a contemporary poet lover.

WOWOWOWOWOWOW! I was not expecting to like this at all and I am so glad I read it. This was so beautiful and brutal at the same time. This is the kind of book that stays with you even after you read it. Thank you Qudsia for writing this. Thank you for not letting your past hinder your potential. It was truly remarkable getting glimpses of your experiences through these poems.

A profound collection of poetry that delves into the complexities of diaspora, female loss, and the search for identity. Each poem in this book is a masterpiece that resonates with the silence that builds inside generations of migrant women. Akhtar's words are hauntingly beautiful as they navigate the themes of partition, nationalism, racism, and filial duty.

Step into the world of Khamoshir, where poetry speaks the language of silence and the heart of the diaspora. This book is like a hidden gem waiting to be discovered, a treasure trove of words that touch your soul. Akhtar's poetry is raw and honest, delving into the experiences of migrant women, the weight of nationalism, and the search for identity. It's a poetic journey that demands to be felt rather than just read.

Khamoshi by Qudsia Akhtar is a beautiful and heartfelt collection of poetry that goes over topics like feeling you don’t belong, femininity, womanhood, racism, controlling parents, mother/daughter relationships, and religion, all from the perspective of a desi girl. The book is sectioned into parts, and part 2 was my favorite, while my favorite poems were IV, The Year Of The Girl, and Inheritance. I definitely recommend this book. My review is on amino, Instagram, and goodreads.

British Pakistani, Powerful poetry about homelands, being cast out, diaspora, connection to the earth, being caught between cultures, egos, racial identity, what it’s like being a Muslim woman in London

"Silence narrates our fears, sleep stained by the dark under our masks."

"My home, my language, my rights.
Unlike the foreign wind that blows
Life into the rose, I bring death
To all of my experiences, for my color
Is a border."

"Her hijab is ripped off by a stranger
Poor guy
He was only doing her a favor"