KOZHIKODE: When high school teacher P A Noushad started writing small poems about life and its harsh realities, little did he know that he would be recognised by the Queen of England one day. Though he has an educational background in social science, his love for English always pushed him to create poetry and prose that spoke of the innate human emotions with a touch of mysticism in it. When asked who he derived his inspiration from, Noushad had one straight answer: “Khalil Gibran, his poetry and his style of writing is what has inspired me the most.” About his love and admiration for Gibran's works, Noushad says, “All his works shed light on this one truth about our existence, that is ‘uncertainty is a certain thing' and mysticism is found in his writing style which I found very impressive.”Noushad , who is a Social Science teacher at MIM High School, Perod, hails from Kozhikode district. He grew up as a voracious reader and has forever garnered a love for English literature.
“Although I loved English, I did not have the opportunity to take it up at the college level. I completed my degree in Political Science and has been a school teacher for more than 15 years now.”
Noushad started writing during his pre-degree years and has now published three collections of poems, namely ‘Touch of the Soul‘, ‘Being into Infinity' and ‘Dreams and Tears,' and published ‘Luminous Thoughts,' an English translation of a book by Syed Basheerali Shihab Thangal. Noushad has also bagged the Elena Best Laureate State Award for his works.Explaining more about his favourite writer Gibran, Noushad says, “His works give a kind of tranquility to the mind of the reader. You can look at it from any point of view depending on the reader. What I like most about his writing is how he has in simple words explained the truth about uncertainty and there are undertones of strong criticism against the ways of priesthood which I found very brilliant.”
“'Spirits Rebellious,' 'The Prophet,' 'Spirits Rebellious and Nymphs of the Valley' are some of his works which I can read over and over again,” adds Noushad.Noushad is one of those very few people in the country who might have received a letter from the Queen of England. Over a year ago, Noushad sent a copy of his collection of poems ‘Dreams and Tears' to the Queen of England. A month later he received a response from the queen, thanking him for his thoughtful gift and appreciating his work. “It was quite a surprise. I never thought I will get a reply,” he says. Noushad is currently preparing for the publication of his new book ‘Before the Death' this month. “The book is written based on the various incidents that occur in and around Nadapuram, which has a tinge of terrorism to it. It is about how their social circumstances lead people into joining terror outfits.”