Literature: The Question and the Answer (an old and rare book)

Instituted in 1986, Sahitya Akademi's annual Samvatsar lectures provide a forum to leading creative writers and critics to present the quintessence of their thoughts on topics of universal and lasting relevance. The present volume featuring the seventh lecture in the series contains lectures delivered by Professor Ale Ahmed Suroor, distinguished Urdu critic and scholar.

In the first lecture, Has Literature Failed? Professor Suroor argue that great literature never fails; but literature which is impelled by considerations of fashion and affirmation of endless meanderings into the unconscious has indeed, failed.

In the second part of the lecture The Universal Element in Literature and the Relevance of Ghalib, Professor Suroor emphasizes the need of the present times to make a sustained effort at locating the universal elements in literature and the importance of Ghalib's contribution in this context.

Dr. Suroor's wide reading of the classics and his literary acumen are evident throughout the lecture.