A glimpse into the life and thoughts of Mrs. Perwin Ali was the highlight at the launch of her autobiographical book, A Free Spirit, held at the Suleman Dawood School of Business, LUMS on Thursday, November 28, 2019.
Peppered with insightful anecdotes and family photographs, the autobiography encapsulates the different facets of Mrs. Ali’s life. The book was inspired by her grandchildren; in order to forward the tradition of the written word and its ability to inspire and transform generations of readers.
The book launch was organized by Centre for Business and Society. It was preceded by a ribbon cutting ceremony for the LUMS Bookstore on the ground floor of the Suleman Dawood School of Business. Mr. Syed Babar Ali, Founder and Pro-Chancellor LUMS, and Mrs. Perwin Ali, inaugurated the bookstore that will stock publications across a range of topics, including Pakistani history, arts and literature, and is open for the entire LUMS community.
The ceremony was attended by members of the LUMS Management Committee, Vice Chancellor LUMS Dr. Arshad Ahmad, Honorary Dean Suleman Dawood School of Business Dr. Alnoor Bhimani, Mr. and Mrs. Ali’s family, and members of the LUMS community.
Dr. Arshad Ahmad welcomed guests to the event and shared his profound thoughts on Mrs. Ali’s work, “If I had to choose one reason why books really matter, it is that they increase empathy, something we all need to develop as human beings in order to understand our condition and think about coming together as one group whether it is in a university like this or in the communities that we serve.”
Dr. Alnoor Bhimani congratulated the LUMS community on the establishment of the first dedicated bookstore on university premises, and thanked Mrs. Ali for unveiling her book at the occasion. “It is a writing about family, about friends and about travel, filled with wisdom and many experiences.”
Talking about her book, Mrs. Ali said, “The book explains my entire life and story from childhood till today, and includes many lessons I learnt in my life.” Mrs. Ali also shared several anecdotes from the book that truly reflected for the audience the adventurous and spirited woman she is.
Towards the end of the ceremony, the floor was opened for questions from the audience. After an interesting session, both Mr. Syed Babar Ali and Mrs. Perwin Ali signed their respective books for the guests present.
In a befitting tribute to Mr. and Mrs. Ali’s continued patronage of arts and culture in Pakistan, the launch was followed by an enthralling classical musical performance by award winning vocalist, Ustad Shafqat Ali Khan.
