'The Burning Champa' - Zuka Books Is Publishing Poetess Zahra Hameed's First Book

Zuka Books, a Lahore-based publishing house has released its third publication titled The Burning Champa, a poetry book written by Zahra Hameed. With a campaign by clothing brand Generation, and a song with Rakae Jamil of Mughal-e-funk, the written word has shown the power of connection.

The Burning Champa is Zahra Hameed’s first book. It is a Pakistani woman’s narrative in poetry. Addressing issues of mental health, motherhood, body image, romance, relationships and family, Zahra hopes that this book will inspire others to find and express their true, authentic voice. Accompanying the poetry are original drawings by the author herself. “I write and draw with the hope that women in Pakistan are viewed as something not to be silenced but something to be celebrated and respected for their individuality,” said Zahra.

Zahra Hameed is a poetess, creative director, content creator, spoken word artist and positive living activist. She is a gold medalist in Mass Communications with twenty years of experience in branding, advertising, concepts, creative writing, editorial design, print journalism, television, social media, fundraising, fashion magazines, interior design, packaging and events. In addition to this, she is an advocate for body positivity, mental health and has her own social media platform on Instagram and Facebook called Dewanezahra.

The launch took place on Saturday 20th February and was attended by Lahore’s glitterati. Guests included designers Nilofer Shahid and Rana Noman, fashion editors Meher Tareen Sheikh and Samina Khan, film director Mandana Zaidi, author Awais Khan and artist Rabia Ajaz amongst many others. A special song recorded by Rakae Jamil with Zahra’s poetry was also released and a meditation took place prior to poetry readings.

“It is time to clear away the cobwebs in the Pakistani literary market and bring forth new voices and fresh literary style. I am delighted to publish The Burning Champa as it is something utterly brilliant and beautiful. It is exciting to see how the literary industry in Pakistan is picking up and spilling into the arts as a whole, really showing the power of the written word,” said Mehr Husain, founder of Zuka Books.

The Burning Champa will be available online and in bookshops in Lahore.