Faisal Javid (Kashmir/India)

Khushamdeed! I come from a place that has rightly been called ‘the paradise on earth’ – Kashmir. I grew up amidst lush green valleys sprinkled with blazing chinars in autumn and the warmth of saffron kehwe in snow laden days. Despite it's breathtaking beauty, my homeland has long been a place of Hellenic conflict and turmoil. But I am deeply honoured to be the first Ertegun Scholar from Kashmir.

I graduated magnum cum laude with an HBA in English Literature from Amar Singh College, Srinagar. During my undergrad my canvas of interests stretched from writing poetry, singing and debating to drumming my vocal cords in plays. I am a co-author of six poetry collections including Inkredible Verses and Lavender Hours published by various independent publications. I have worked as a transcriber and researcher with The Poetry Archive, UK for their project ‘The Poetry of South Asia’. I have also worked with Video Volunteers' campaign, Khel Badal (change the game) to dismantle patriarchy. I appeared as a panelist on “Youth Forum”, a programme organised by the national television channel, DD Kashir (Doordarshan) for the last three years. I have also been associated with the Jammu and Kashmir Fiction Writer’s Guild that holds weekly literary sessions for writers to present their work.

At Oxford, I will be studying for the MSt in Comparative Literature and Critical Translation. The focus of my research will span literature from different languages including Urdu, Hindi, Kashmiri and English. I am grateful for having been the recipient of both the Felix and the Ertegun Graduate Scholarship. I am immensely thankful to the Ertegun Graduate Scholarship Programme in the Humanities that has made this literary journey possible. I am looking forward to the odyssey and the labours of Oxford and every new experience it has to offer.

Khoush rozew, abaad rozew