RawaPods: Creative Thought and Expression - Fikr-o-Kalaam (Poetry | Literature | Thought)

She was burned at the stake. She was cursed with backward feet. She spent a Saturday night sentencing poets on Zoom. Raven helped her. This is the full recording of Rawanee’s horror open mic, held on 24 October 2026. Our resident Mean-Witch (Moonbeam) and our horror storyteller, the Raven (Laiba), host an evening of poetry and prose in Urdu and English on war, injustice, folklore and the horrors we carry. After every reading the witch hands down a punishment, and anyone who giggles becomes a frog. The petrol bill, load-shedding, Sam Altman and a very pompous Moolah Boy also make appearances, uninvited.Underneath the jokes is the question the night was built on: when the horrors persist, what does it take for us to persist too? The answer, as always at Rawanee, is a gathering.Listen if you dare, just in time for Halloween. Frogs welcome.Poems Featuring: Pip, Salma, Rafey, Asif, Haseeb, Sara, MoonBeam as self & MeanWitch, Laiba as horror reader and Raven Hosted by: Moonbeam and LaibaRastay ke toofan thamtay naheen, karavan e Rawanee baqi hai.

Episode 8 - صحبت — SohbatSalma Siddiqui Salma blends poetry, clinical psychology and academia into a life of wisdom and knowing. She blends western and eastern knowledge, works with a love of humanity, quotes verses for every moment and leaves us inspired and humbled. Rawanee’s northern star since Mehfil 0. Rendition - Bareena at Surtaal Academy. Chashma-e-RawaanA RawaPods series by RawaneeRepresenting six years of a flowing stream — founding and newer poetry, our new imprint and books, over thirty-five events and podcast episodes. First prepared for Hikayat-e-Aamm, our 2026 flagship - celebrating 6 years and the launch of our second and third anthologies at Kensington Central Library.rawanee.com/rawapods

Who I am at 01:00 AM - The Craft of Meter & Sufi Verse [Shaheryar Mirza - Sohbat - Chashma e Rawaan Ep 7, RawaPods]

Episode 7 - Sohbat, Shaheryar Mirza 

When an award winning musician writes poetry, digs literature, finds faith and shapes his own narrative, Shaheryar Mirza’s creative process fuses. He joins us in Sohbat, reflecting on creative influences and perspectives, and his journey as a founding spring of Rawanee — and shares some poetry.

Follow his work on: 

https://www.facebook.com/Shaheryar.Music/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCd6Y_u2zNw_YG8GaEkscDzw/videos 

Chashma-e-RawaanA RawaPods series by Rawanee

Representing six years of a flowing stream — founding and newer poetry, our new imprint and books, over thirty-five events and podcast episodes. 

First prepared for Hikayat-e-Aamm, our 2026 flagship - celebrating 6 years and the launch of our second and third anthologies at Kensington Central Library.

Rendition - Bareena at Surtaal Academy. 

Episode 6 - Sohbat, nFk

nFk builds creative platforms - the likes of Funtoosh, DWL, Lakeer. He brings humour (dad jokes included), rhyme scheme and creative liberty to Rawanee. 

He saves ship as the unofficially appointed advisor of no choice to the platform, and brings rhyme scheme to moments to make us remember them long after. 

Follow his work on: 

https://www.facebook.com/NadirFroze 

https://www.instagram.com/nadirkhanferoz

Chashma-e-Rawaan

A RawaPods series by Rawanee

Representing six years of a flowing stream — founding and newer poetry, our new imprint and books, over thirty-five events and podcast episodes. 

First prepared for Hikayat-e-Aamm, our 2026 flagship - celebrating 6 years and the launch of our second and third anthologies at Kensington Central Library in partnership with the British Pakistan Foundation. Music by Surtaal Academy. 

Episode 5 - Sohbat, Rafey ZuberiA long career in marketing, a life of reinvention — Rafey spins poetry and photography, surrounded by forests and waterfalls. Long recognized as Rawanee’s founding Urdu voice, we speak to Rafey about his love of Urdu — growing up surrounded by a poetry loving family, later - nature. He reflects on wit, spirituality and diversity in Urdu literature, and shares his own work. A refreshing, real conversation with our founding spring who decolonises our taste in poetry, and inspires poetic rebellion.  Chashma-e-RawaanA RawaPods series by RawaneeRepresenting six years of a flowing stream — founding and newer poetry, our new imprint and books, over thirty-five events and podcast episodes. The Sohbat episodes are longer, individual conversations with the voices behind the stream and other fascinating creatives who align with our work. Read the work of our poets - www.rawanee.com/publicationsFollow the podcast - rawanee.com/rawapods or look us up on YouTube, Spotify, and all major podcast channels

Ruh - Episode 4: Chashma-e-Rawaan, The Founding Streams - A RawaPods series by Rawanee

The soul beneath the voice. Unhurried. The room has been on a long journey. Voices from Rafey, Shaheryar, nFk, and Qudsia on writing and reading spiritual poetry. Opens with Ki Jana Main Kaun and closes with Tu Jhoom.

Chashma-e-RawaanA RawaPods series by Rawanee

Representing six years of a flowing stream — founding and newer poetry, our new imprint and books, over thirty-five events and podcast episodes. 

First prepared for Hikayat-e-Aamm, our 2026 flagship - celebrating 6 years and the launch of our second and third anthologies at Kensington Central Library in partnership with the British Pakistan Foundation.Music by Surtaal Academy. 

1. Bunyad

2. Safar

3. Aamad

4. Ruh

Safar Episode 2: Chashma-e-Rawaan, The Founding Streams - A RawaPods series by Rawanee

The journey a voice takes across languages, migrations, and inheritances. Daniele, Qudsia, Laiba, Samar, Omer, Shaheryar, and nFk on the crossings — what lives in the diaspora that could not have existed in either tradition alone, what is inherited incomplete, and how resistance and re-writing shape creative identity. Poem by Rafey opens; Hana'sDounia closes. Featuring Hum Dekhein Ge (opening) and Parh Parh Ilm (closing) from Surtaal Academy.

Chashma-e-RawaanA RawaPods series by Rawanee

Representing six years of a flowing stream — founding and newer poetry, our new imprint and books, over thirty-five events and podcast episodes. 

First prepared for Hikayat-e-Aamm, our 2026 flagship - celebrating 6 years and the launch of our second and third anthologies at Kensington Central Library in partnership with the British Pakistan Foundation.Music by Surtaal Academy. 

1. Bunyad

2. Safar

3. Aamad

4. Ruh

Bunyad

Episode 1: Chashma-e-Rawaan, The Founding Streams - A RawaPods series by Rawanee

Foundations. Where a voice begins — in mother tongue, in inheritance, in the long work of preservation. Voices from Rafey, Hana, Qudsia, Salma, Sana, and nFk on writing, storytelling, education, and the platforms that have carried Urdu forward. Featuring poems by Qudsia and Salma. Opens with Wekh Asmanan Te Udhday Panchi (Surtaal Academy) and closes with Par Chana De.

Chashma-e-RawaanA RawaPods series by Rawanee

Representing six years of a flowing stream — founding and newer poetry, our new imprint and books, over thirty-five events and podcast episodes. 

First prepared for Hikayat-e-Aamm, our 2026 flagship - celebrating 6 years and the launch of our second and third anthologies at Kensington Central Library in partnership with the British Pakistan Foundation.Music by Surtaal Academy. 

1. Bunyad

2. Safar

3. Aamad

4. Ruh

In this episode, we share poetry themed to Nur, or Light.

Recorded in Feb'26 at the start of Ramadan, our diverse community gets together in a Mehfil and speaks to the theme in new and interesting ways.

Spiritual poems - reflections, longing, connection; socio-political poems - lamenting the loss of humanity in the present day world, hoping for a better time, reminding each other, and sometimes turning to satire.

We were also joined by two beautiful children from Surtaal Academy - a music academy based in Lahore , who shared renditions of traditional spiritual poetic works.

A multi lingual event in English and Urdu. With a sprinkle of Punjabi

🎧 Watch or listen now on Spotify, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and all major podcast platforms: RawPods by Rawanee

RawPods | Spiritual Poetry

#RawPods #Poetry #GlobalMajorityVoices #Urdu #English #PoetryPodcast