OUR ANTHOLOGY
Folkloristan x Daastan Writing Contest 2022
Our submissions pile was full of shortfiction entries in the genres of historical, ethnographic and folklore-inspired fantasy fiction set in Pakistan. Fifteen of these entries found their way from our mailbox into a book! Meet the faces behind the remarkable penmanship!
Our Story
Our founder once said in an interview to the remarkable collective, Bayt Al Fann, and we quote, "The stories we tell include the people we look up too, the values we wish to inculcate in our children, and the socio-cultural norms we wish to endorse or shun. It keeps our heroes alive, it knits together the scent of our grandma’s, the places we associate as home, and a world of imagination all together."
The power of storytelling is something we not only believe in, but something we hold dear in our hearts. Not only did we want to give a chance to the writers of tomorrow, but our efforts were also inspired by various global initiatives like Diverse Voices, and #OwnVoices etc. Geographically located in South Asia, with low-literacy rates, and a publishing industry in tatters, Pakistan is severely under-represented in global literature. We wished to make a difference.
Meet our authors!
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Those Damned Lands.
Meet our organisers and also the judges!
Komal Salman
Founder Folkloristan
Ommer Ameer
CEO Daastan
Rida Ashraf
Marketing Manager, Daastan
Our Illustrators and Illustrations
It is said, "A picture is worth a thousand words." - and it couldn't have been truer. It is why we have a team of three wonderful young women, Zuhra, Alina, and Komal herself, from Team Folkloristan to breathe life into the wonderful stories penned by our winners. Pouring heart and soul into these creations, our illustrators have ensured that there is only one word fit to describe them, 'Wunderbar'.
