The Magic of Fireflies

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Fireflies lit up the evenings of Kashif Qamar’s childhood in Karachi. With his friends he’d collect ‘jugnu’ as they are called in Urdu into a large jar which then became a living lamp in the intense darkness. But the fireflies have gone – artificial light means they disappear and Kashif’s young daughters will never see their flickering magic. So Kashif sets out to make a present for his daughters - a collection of memories from history, poetry and music all of which have the jugnu or firefly at their centre. (Photo: Fireflies seen at the Santuario de las Luciernagas protected by the National Forestry Commission (CONAFOR), Nanacamilpa, Tlaxcala. Credit: Mario Vazquez de la Torre/AFP/Getty Images)