The second column of Poetic Renditions includes translations into Urdu of Naomi Shihab Nye's deeply affecting poem, 'Making a Fist'. This column was edited by Iraj Toosy, with translations by Taran Khan, Asad Hussain, Sukhan, and Iqra Khan.

Read 'پچھل لکھت', Waqas Manzoor's Punjabi translation of Marie Howe's poem 'Postscript', in Issue Six of Lakeer Magazine: lakeermagazine.com/pichal-likhat

The November edition of Chowk is full of thoughtful explorations of 'Boundaries/Borders - سرحدیں/حدود': Read the November edition here: lakeermag.com/chowk2025

Earlier this year, Rabia Malik had an in-depth conversation with artist Sayera Anwar. Read the full interview here: lakeermag.com/interview-sa...

An excerpt from Maaz Ahmed's personal essay, 'October of Sonipat', about virtual borders in close friendships, published in Chowk 2025. Read the full essay here: lakeermag.com/maaz-ahmed-o... @maazahmedddd #essay #pakistaniwriters #chowklakeer

We told you our line up is 🔥. Meet our readers for our upcoming virtual event, Lakeer Kahaniyan, on November 16, Sunday at 8pm Pakistan Time: Irta Usman Muneeb Ilyas Saad Jabbar

One month left to submit to our Summer 2026 Special Issue! Send us your fiction, poetry, essays, short plays, photography/art, centering the idea of 'Food (in)security in Pakistan'. Guidelines here: lakeermag.com/submissions Last date: November 30 We're looking forward to your work!

Faizan Ahmad shares his beautiful photography in his essay 'Lahore Between Two Trains: Then and Now'. You can read the full essay here: lakeermag.com/lahore-between

From Durre Shahwar's essay, 'Reflections on Jagged Movements', in Issue Six. Read the full essay here, on what informs - consciously and subconsciously - the ways we allow ourselves to move: lakeermag.com/reflections/

'1974, Ali vs Foreman' by Jaweerya Mohammad. Read this brilliant poem in full here: lakeermag.com/1974-alivforeman

The surreal world of Ishma Fahim's art in Issue Six: lakeermag.com/naag-phalli's/#ishmaart #literarymagazine #art #lakeermagazine

From Manahil Tahira's short story, 'Naag Phalli's Miracle', in Issue Six. Read it here: lakeermag.com/naag-phalli's

💥 OUT NOW: Issue Six, Autumn 2025, Lakeer Magazine. Thank you to all the wonderful contributors: 💥 Fiction: Tayyba Kanwal, Nuzhat Nisar, Manahil Tahira, Fatima Sajjad 💥 Essays: Durre Shahwar, Faizan Ahmad Read the issue here: lakeermag.com/issue-six

SUBMIT to our Summer 2026 Special Issue! We are looking for work about Food (In)Security in Pakistan due to ☀️ climate emergency ☀️ urbanization ☀️ migration Send us your ☀️ fiction ☀️ poetry ☀️ essays ☀️ short plays (10 min long) ☀️ art in Saraiki, Punjabi, Sindhi, Urdu and English. Last date: Nov 30.

'Warm echoes, Hunza 2023' is part of a series of photographs by Mahnam Tanveer, called 'Four Doors'. Check out her work here, in the September edition of Chowk: lakeermag.com/mahnam-tanve...

Adeela Khan's artwork appears in Issue Two of Lakeer Magazine. About the work, she says: "The heart is a port with its own waterways." Adeela shares her art and processes at @adeeladraws. lakeermag.com/ports

'No Horror, No Grim Reaper' by Iraj Toosy in Issue Three. Read this wonderfully unsettling poem in full here: lakeermag.com/no-horror

What to submit for the Summer 2026 Special Issue: 🌕 Fiction 🌕 Essays 🌕 Poetry 🌕 Art AND 🌕 Short plays focusing on "Food (In)Security in Pakistan" as a result of: - climate emergency - urbanization - migration Submissions will open from October 1 – November 30.

SAVE THE DATE! On October 1, we'll open for submissions for our Summer 2026 Special Issue. Focus: food (in)security in Pakistan, with respect to: - climate emergency - urbanization - migration Fiction, essays, poetry and art, in any language spoken in Pakistan.

Avaaz is a new column at Lakeer, by Hammad Rind. It is a space where marginalized languages will be put in conversation with each other, via translations and short essays. The first column centers Welsh. Read it all here: lakeermag.com/avaaz

There's a new column of Chowk! It has wonderful photography by Iswa Anjum and Mahnam Tanveer, and a moving essay by Maaz Ahmed. You can see all these works at: lakeermag.com/chowk2025

From 'Lebanon', a photo essay by Farah-Silvana Kanaan, in Issue Five. lakeermag.com/lebanon/

From 'Palestine - فلسطین' by Saud Ahmed lakeermag.com/saud-ahmed-p...

Saad Choudhry lives in Pakistan. His work is largely concerned with Karachi – its streets, its people, its trash, its treasures, and exhibited at Koel Gallery & Como Museum. Photography has opened up his life...with nothing but a camera, he jumps off the cliff again and again. lakeermag.com/giants

From Jalal Tarar's atmospheric poem 'Staying at Home on a Snowy Evening', in Issue Four of Lakeer Magazine. lakeermag.com/staying-at-h...

The first Poetic Renditions column, curated by Sidra Tul Muntaha, featured translations into Urdu of Tara Skurtu's poem, 'Some Days Begin Like This', with contributions by Daniele Speziale, Fatima Malik, Faisal Mohyuddin and Zafar Malik. All of this is here: lakeermag.com/prcolumn1

From Shehrbano Minallah's essay 'The Reluctant Immigrant', in Chowk. Photo: Winter, Kincardine Beach lakeermag.com/shehrbano-mi...

Leela's translation into Urdu of the Lebanese poet Zeina Hashem Beck's poem 'Southern Sonnet' is remarkable, rife with anger and anxiety. The full translation is part of Issue Five, 'Resistance in Translation: Writing from Palestine & Lebanon'. It can be read here: lakeermag.com/junubi-sonnet

Aliza Rajput's brilliant artwork, 'a destined place', appears in Issue Four of Lakeer Magazine. #literaryjournal #lakeermagazine

From Mishal Zahoor's poem, 'Amaltas Are Blooming', in Issue Four of Lakeer Magazine. Read it in full here: lakeermag.com/amaltas-are-... #literarymagazine #poetrycommunity #lakeermagazine

One month left to submit to Lakeer Magazine! Send your best fiction, poetry, essays (nonacademic – no research papers please), art or photography. All guidelines here: lakeermag.com/submissions Closing on August 31. #literaryjournal #literarysubmissions #lakeermagazine #pakistaniliterature

The July column of Chowk is now live! Featuring Ahsan Ashraf’s poem “Maps,” an essay titled “Pyaray Dost” by Duaa Amir and artwork “The Kitchen Door” by Afreen Nadir.

'Meri Khamoshi Ko Avaaz Dene Wali Nazam', written in English by Lena Khalaf Tuffaha, translated into Urdu by Faisal Mohyuddin @faisalmohyuddin and Zafar Malik. The complete essay can be read in Issue Five. "میری خاموشی کو آواز دینے والی نظم" lakeermag.com/khamoshi-ko-avaaz

મળે ન મળે - આદિલ મન્સૂરી Poetic Renditions column 8 carries translations of 'Male Na Male' by Adil Mansuri, from Gujarati to English. Saniyah Salman was the guest editor, Meena Desai & Rohee Dholakia the translators. Special thanks to Jenny Bhatt. lakeermag.com/prcolumn8.

'Marwan', translated into Urdu by Hammad Rind from Ghassan Kanafani's 'Men in the Sun'. Read the complete excerpt in Issue Five. lakeermag.com/issue-five/marwan #literature #fictionintranslation #ghassankanafani #literarymagazine #lakeermagazine

Issue Five of Lakeer Magazine is a Summer 2025 Special, "Resistance in Translation: Writing from Palestine & Lebanon". What do text and art look like when they also act as records? Translation, for us, was one way to create more copies of those records.

Adeela Khan's art appears in Issue Four of Lakeer Magazine. Her art has previously appeared in issues One and Two. You can more of her work at @adeeladraws on Instagram.

In Issue Four of Lakeer Magazine, Feryal Ali-Gauhar – writer, activist, actor – talks about how all those aspects of her life work into her writing.

We are excited to announce the poetry cohort for the inaugural Lakeer Summer Mentorship program mentored by Aiman Tahir Khan and Sidra Tul Muntaha. Congratulations to the selected participants!

We are excited to announce our essay cohort for the inaugural Lakeer Summer Mentorship Program mentored by Farah Ali and Omair Danish. Congratulations to the selected participants!

We are excited to announce our fiction cohort for the inaugural Lakeer Summer Mentorship program mentored by Bareerah Ghani, Ahsan Butt , Anum Asi, Rabia Malik, and Hamza Sarfraz. Congratulations to the selected participants!

For LakeerDaan, Hafsa Mubarik told us a few things. Lakeer: Why do you write? Hafsa: I write because I love to give voice to the quiet moments, the hidden struggles, and the fleeting emotions that often go unspoken. I write to explore, to understand, and to share a perspective...

'Giants' by Sadya Hamid Siddiqui, in Issue Four of Lakeer: "If you had known Murtaza, surely you would have thought of him as someone with a resilient disposition. There was integrity too; as I tell you his story you might even detect self-respect." lakeermag.com/giants.

✨ Lakeer Magazine is now open for submissions. ✨ June 1 – August 31. ✨ Guidelines are at the link in the bio. Or go straight to: lakeermag.com/submissions ✨ Send us your best work, stick to the guidelines, and drink water.

'Remnant' by Farrukh Adnan appears in Issue Four of Lakeer Magazine. Pen, ink, and cotton fabric on wasli paper 6.5 x 8.25 in Farrukh is a visual artist who uses drawing and photography to explore the traces of his ancient historic hometown, Tulamba, and its cultural memory.

We are deeply saddened upon the passing of Tajammul Kaleem (1960–2025). In the words of Mahin Zia: "Tajammul Kaleem's pen may rest, but his words will continue to inspire and live forever in the heart of Punjabi language."

The "Chowk" column at Lakeer is open for submissions throughout the year. The theme for 2025 is "Borders/Boundaries – سرحدیں/حدود". Submit your poetry, essays, art and photography to [email protected]. lakeermag.com/chowk2025

Saad Jabbar's gorgeous, dramatic poem "کمرہ اندر سے بند!" appears in our Spring 2025 issue. #poetry #literature #contemporarypoetry #urdupoetry #lakeermag #saadjabbar

Submissions for the Lakeer Summer Mentorship Program are now closed. Applicants will be contacted in May about the status of their applications. Meanwhile, the reading and writing continues!

From Hibah Shabkhez's poem 'Jealousy for Breakfast' in Issue Four of Lakeer Magazine.