A Legacy in Sindhi Publishing
Feature Article | Publishing & Legacy
“ For four decades, Feroz Ahmed Memon shaped Sindhi literature through New Fields Publication, publishing more than 260 books of fiction, poetry, translation, travel writing and scholarship. This tribute revisits the life and legacy of a publisher who preserved Sindh’s finest voices and opened its readers to world literature. ”
A tribute to the visionary publisher whose dedication preserved generations of Sindhi literature and brought world classics closer to Sindhi readers.
A great publisher does not merely print books; he safeguards the memory of a people.
There are writers whose names become immortal because of the books they create. Then there are publishers whose names quietly disappear behind the books they help bring into existence. Yet without them, many masterpieces would never have reached readers. Among those rare custodians of literature stands Feroz Ahmed Memon, a man whose life’s work transformed the landscape of modern Sindhi publishing through the remarkable institution known as New Fields Publication.
Today, as many of the books published under its imprint continue to occupy library shelves and personal collections, the name of the publishing house itself has slowly faded from public memory. Yet for thousands of readers, writers, and researchers, New Fields Publication remains one of the defining landmarks of Sindhi literary history.
A Scholar Who Chose the World of Books
Born on 2 January 1947 in Hyderabad to Muhammad Saleh Memon, Feroz Ahmed Memon possessed an uncommon passion for education. He completed master’s degrees in Economics, Political Science, and Sindhi, followed by an M.Ed. His professional career was equally distinguished, serving as a teacher, headmaster, and subject specialist.
Although education was his profession, literature became his vocation.
His literary journey began with contributions to the celebrated Sindhi literary magazine Suhni, where he developed an appreciation for thoughtful writing, editorial discipline, and the responsibility of preserving literary culture. Those early experiences eventually inspired him to establish what would become one of Sindh’s finest independent publishing houses — New Fields Publication.
The Birth of New Fields Publication
Every literary culture has publishers whose influence extends far beyond business. New Fields Publication became exactly such an institution.
At a time when publishing books in Sindhi demanded extraordinary courage, financial sacrifice, and unwavering commitment, Feroz Ahmed Memon chose to invest not in commercial success but in literature itself.
Over some four decades, New Fields Publication issued more than 260 books, creating one of the richest catalogues ever assembled by an independent Sindhi publisher.
Its list embraced virtually every literary genre imaginable:
What distinguished New Fields Publication was not merely the number of books it produced but the extraordinary range and quality of the voices it preserved.
A Home for Sindh’s Greatest Writers
The surviving catalogue of New Fields Publication offers remarkable evidence of its significance. Few publishing houses in Sindhi literary history can claim to have brought together such an extraordinary constellation of authors.
Its shelves carried works by Sheikh Ayaz, Siraj, Agha Saleem, Amar Jaleel, Jamal Abro, Altaf Shaikh, Muhammad Ibrahim Joyo, Najm Abbasi, Noor-ul-Huda Shah, Yusuf Sindhi, Mahatab Mahboob, Tariq Alam Abro, Rasul Bakhsh Palijo, Badr Abro, Fazal Ahmed Bachani, Ali Ahmed Brohi, Ghulam Nabi Mughal, and many others who collectively shaped modern Sindhi literature.
For countless readers, the familiar emblem of New Fields Publication on a book cover became an assurance of literary quality. The publishing house welcomed established literary giants while also providing opportunities for emerging writers whose voices deserved to be heard.
In doing so, Feroz Ahmed Memon created something much larger than a publishing business. He built a literary home.
Opening Sindhi Literature to the World
One of Feroz Ahmed Memon’s most enduring achievements lay in his commitment to translation.
He understood that literature flourishes through dialogue across cultures. His edited anthology Azadi Khatir (For Freedom) remains one of the finest examples of this vision. First published in 1984 and reissued in 1991, the collection introduced Sindhi readers to eighteen outstanding stories from world literature.
The anthology included works by literary giants such as Jean-Paul Sartre, Maxim Gorky, Guy de Maupassant, Anton Chekhov, Rabindranath Tagore, and Khwaja Ahmad Abbas.
Equally remarkable was the team of translators assembled for the volume. Distinguished Sindhi literary figures including Zarina Baloch, Shamsher-ul-Haidari, Shabir Naz Channa, Munir Solangi, Abdul Qadir Junejo, Ghulam Nabi Memon, Altaf Shaikh, Nazir Shaikh, Taj Baloch, Ghulam Nabi Mughal, Najm Abbasi, Valiram Valabh, and others contributed translations that brought world literature into the Sindhi language with elegance and authenticity.
This was not simply an anthology. It was a declaration that Sindhi readers deserved direct access to the greatest literary voices of the world.
Translated into Sindhi by a team that included Zarina Baloch, Shamsher-ul-Haidari, Altaf Shaikh, Taj Baloch, Ghulam Nabi Mughal and Najm Abbasi.
Beyond Publishing
Feroz Ahmed Memon was also an accomplished writer, editor, compiler, and translator.
His own contributions include:
These works reveal another side of his personality—not merely someone who printed books, but someone deeply engaged with scholarship, education, and literary excellence.
A Life Devoted to Literary Institution
Throughout his career, Feroz Ahmed Memon remained associated with several important literary and cultural organizations, including:
His services to literature earned widespread recognition.
Among the honours bestowed upon him were the prestigious Best Publisher Award (Muhammad Sadiq Gold Medal) and the Best Publisher Award from Karwan-e-Adab.
Yet perhaps his greatest award was something no trophy could represent—the trust of writers. Generations of authors placed their manuscripts in his hands with confidence, knowing that he valued literature above commercial calculation.
The Catalogue That Became a Chronicle
One of the most moving documents connected with Feroz Ahmed Memon is the surviving catalogue of New Fields Publication. It is far more than a price list. It is a literary archive. Page after page records more than 260 published titles, documenting decades of intellectual labour by Sindh’s finest writers.
Looking through the catalogue today evokes memories of an era when readers eagerly awaited new titles, visited bookshops in Hyderabad and Karachi, discussed fresh releases in literary gatherings, and regarded books as enduring companions rather than disposable commodities.
The catalogue reminds us that New Fields Publication once stood at the heart of that vibrant literary world.
Perhaps his greatest award was something no trophy could represent: the trust of writers.
A Legacy Waiting to Be Remembered
Time has changed the publishing landscape. Many of the books issued by New Fields Publication are now difficult to find. The publishing house itself has gradually disappeared from public attention.
Bookshops have closed. Publishing priorities have shifted. Digital media has transformed reading habits. Yet every surviving volume bearing the distinctive imprint of New Fields Publication continues to speak for the man who made it possible.
That quiet logo on the title page represents decades of patience, sacrifice, editorial judgment, and unwavering belief in literature.
The Publisher Behind the Pages
History often celebrates authors while overlooking those who made their work possible.
Feroz Ahmed Memon belongs to that distinguished company of publishers whose influence cannot be measured simply by the books they wrote, but by the books they preserved, the writers they encouraged, and the literary tradition they strengthened.
His contribution reaches far beyond statistics or awards. It lives in classrooms where students still consult books he published. It lives in researchers’ libraries. It lives in readers who first encountered great literature through New Fields Publication. And it lives in the cultural memory of Sindh itself.
Karachi, 25 March 2006.
As long as a single volume bearing the imprint of New Fields Publication remains on a bookshelf, the legacy of Feroz Ahmed Memon endures. He was not merely a publisher. He was one of the great architects of modern Sindhi literary culture.
Feature Article | Publishing & Legacy
New Fields Publication and the making of modern Sindhi letters
Editorial Note
References and further study
Nizamani, Rasheed Ahmed. “Interview with Feroz Memon.” Mass Comm MA, University of Sindh, February 12, 2016.
New Fields Publication. Catalogue of Publications. Publisher’s catalogue, archival copy.
Memon, Feroz Ahmed, ed. Azadi Khatir [For Freedom]. Eighteen stories from world literature in Sindhi translation. New Fields Publication, 1984; reissued 1991.
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