What is it about?
This book chapter explores the complex connection between maps and storytelling through an analysis of Kamila Shamsie’s novel Kartography. While we often think of maps as cold, scientific tools and stories as creative fiction, this study shows that the two are actually inseparable. Through the characters Raheen and Karim, the article examines how maps can be "tender" and personal, holding onto memories of a city (Karachi) that is constantly changing due to political and ethnic conflict. It argues that to write a story is essentially to draw a map, and that maps themselves are 'e/motional'—driven by both physical movement and deep feeling.
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Photo by Kyle Glenn on Unsplash
Why is it important?
The article challenges the traditional divide between geography and literature. It shows that maps are not just objective records of land; they are powerful narratives that involve choosing what to remember and what to forget. This is especially important in places like Karachi, which has been shaped by the trauma of partition and war. By understanding maps as "stories," we can appreciate how people use them to reclaim their history, preserve their cultural identity, and navigate the emotional "scars" left on the landscape by political events.
Perspectives
The research highlights that mapping is a continuous process, not a finished product. It suggests that by combining the precision of geography with the soul of storytelling, we can achieve a more complete understanding of what it truly means to live in and belong to a place.
Professor Hager Ben Driss
Université de Tunis
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Of Maps and Stories: Place-Telling in Kamila Shamsie’s Kartography, January 2026, De Gruyter,
DOI: 10.1163/9789004736863_009.
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