May issue 2009

Attracting a crowd of about 500 people, young photographer Khaula Jamil launched her book Raw Life, published by Still Waters, at her alma mater, the Indus Valley School of Arts and Architecture on April 26. Raw Life, which is based on Jamil’s college thesis, inquires into the process of creativity. It follows the daily lives and work routines of ten creatively-minded professionals (or ‘Creatives’ as she calls them), including author Kamila Shamsie, VJ Anoushey Ashraf and her sister Sara Jamil.

The event attracted a who’s-who of Karachi’s intellectual and social elite. Among those in attendance were novelist Mohammed Hanif, event manager Frieha Altaf and musician Gumby. The launch kicked off with an introductory speech by the publisher, followed by a hilarious, anecdote-laden address by Hasan Zaidi. Jamil then gave an introduction to her book and a short documentary explaining the process behind her work was screened.