Ep. 12. Aysha Baqir: Writing the best-seller 'Beyond the Fields' (Part 2)

Ms Aysha grew up in Lahore, Pakistan. She completed her BA in International Relations from Mount Holyoke College in 1995 on a scholarship and graduated Magna Cum Laude. Her time at college sparked her passion for development and she chose to return to Pakistan to work in the non-profit sector. She quickly learned that girls and women in villages needed access to economic resources before they could voice their demands for social justice. 

After completing her MBA from LUMS in 1998, she founded the Kaarvan Foundation, a pioneering economic development not-for-profit organization focused on poverty alleviation through the provision of business development and market-led training for girls and women. She headed the Kaarvan Foundation up to 2013 when relocated to Singapore. Here in Singapore in 2019, she wrote her debut novel, 'Beyond the Fields'. 

In part 2 of this podcast, we explore Ms Aysha's journey as an author where she shares the development of her book, the inspiration behind the characters in this story and most excitingly she narrates two important excerpts from her book. 

If you haven't heard the first part of this episode, we will highly recommend you to go back and listen to it. 

About the book: Beyond the Fields is a gripping tale of resilience and reclaiming honour in which the rape of a fifteen-year-old girl living in a remote village of Pakistan drives her twin sister on a dangerous quest for justice. Set in the early 1980s against the backdrop of martial law and social turmoil, beyond the Fields, brings up close the fears and hopes of women in Pakistan. Born to a poor, landless farmer in the month of the monsoon rains, twins Zara and Tara grow up amongst the fields of wheat and cotton in a remote village in Pakistan. During an afternoon spree of games, Tara is kidnapped from the fields and raped. All seems to be resolved after her parents accept an unexpected marriage proposal for their "dishonoured" daughter. But the nightmare resurfaces when a newspaper clipping emerges, calling the union into question. Determined to rescue her twin, Zara embarks on a harrowing quest for justice, battling keepers of a culture that upholds propriety above all else and braving the unknown dangers of an urban centre.

Links: 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44004142-beyond-the-fields
Personal Website: http://www.ayshabaqir.com/ 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Aysha-Baqir-1784877434968771/
Get a copy from Amazon: https://www.amazon.in/Beyond-Fields-Aysha-Baqir/dp/9814841188 
Kaarvan: https://kaarvan.com/

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