Granta issue 112: Pakistan

That this Pakistan compendium has been in the works for longer than Pakistan has recently been in the news (for floods and then for cricket) is a testament to Granta's savvy in sources undiscovered realms of great writing. That this mixture of essays, photos, extracts, opinion pieces and short stories about Pakistan, about being Pakistani and experiencing Pakistani culture is as diverse as the country itself and its Diaspora is a testament to Granta's quality control.

There's some great stuff here, from Kamila Shamsie's  essay on modern Pakistani pop music and its impact on the youth of the country and how it has been influenced by Western musicians. Sarfraz Manzoor writes delicately and humourously about his romancing of white girls following an infatuation with Bo Derek. There's a tender sparse poem from short story writer Daniel Mueenuddin. 'A Beheading' by the superlative Mohsin Hamid is surprisingly overt given his subtle slow-burning style, yet works with its gruesome pay-off. The writing here is, as always, lovingly picked and warmly edited, giving the book a diversely exciting list of writers.