Faiz Ahmed Faiz

Faiz Ahmed Faiz is a renowned Urdu poet born in Sialkot. Faiz was often persecuted for his political views. A progressive poet who wrote in the traditional Urdu form of ghazal, Faiz wrote against the bloodshed he witnessed occurring across India, Pakistan, and what eventually became Bangladesh. Imprisoned in 1951 under the Pakistan Safety Order Act, Faiz wrote two poetry collections titled Dast-e-Saba and Zindan Namah during his time in jail. Celebrated even today, you can read these selected poems from Faiz in the original Urdu, as well as English translations.

Kishwar Naheed

Kishwar Naheed is a feminist poet celebrated for her Urdu poetry. Born in Uttar Pradesh in 1940, Naheed and her family moved to Lahore in 1947 during Partition. One of her most famous poems, "We Sinful Women", inspired the creation of an Urdu Feminist Poetry Anthology of the same name, translated and edited by Rukhsana Ahmad.

Naheed writes in "We Sinful Women":

In her collection The Distance of a Shout, you can find an expanded collection of Naheed’s poetry, as well as 10 additional poems.

Fahmida Riaz

Fahmida Riaz was born in 1945 in Uttar Pradesh, like Kishwar Naheed. Riaz was the editor and publisher of the magazine Awaaz, which means "voice," and handled 14 cases of sedition filed against the magazine. Riaz was criticized for her progressive and anti-establishment views which she often shared in her literary works.

In her poem "Search Warrant," Riaz writes about her frustration with the constant searches and investigations that she had to handle:

Four Walls and a Black Veil features a selection of Riaz's poetry. The collection begins with Riaz’s childhood and explores her emotional and intellectual growth into adulthood.

Saadat Hasan Manto

Born in 1912 in Punjab, Saadat Hasan Manto is one of the most controversial fiction writers of his time. Writing short stories that often shocked his readers, he created space for people to better understand and empathize with those often ignored in public society, while encouraging his readers to grapple with moral dilemmas. Manto moved to Bombay in 1935, but eventually left for Pakistan following the violence of Partition. One of his most known stories about the violence of Partition is "Toba Tek Singh." Manto died in 1955 in the city of Lahore. You can find 14 of Manto’s stories in Bombay Stories.

Fun Fact: Saadat Hasan Manto was featured as a Google Doodle for his 108th birthday on May 11, 2020.

Allama Iqbal

Sir Muhammad Iqbal, who is referred to with the honorific title "Allama" for his extensive knowledge as a poet and philosopher, had a critical role in inspiring the creation of Pakistan. Born in Sialkot like poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz, some of Iqbal’s most influential poems include "Shikwah" ("The Complaint") and "Jawāb-e Shikwah" ("Answer to the Complaint"). Iqbal presents his philosophical framework in his book The Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam. You can learn more about Iqbal by also reading the following selection of his speeches and statements.

Mohsin Hamid

Mohsin Hamid was born in Lahore, Pakistan, and moved to the U.S. at the age of 18. Hamid wrote his second novel titled The Reluctant Fundamentalist about Changez, a Pakistani who quit his prestigious job and left his romantic relationship in New York to return to Pakistan. The Reluctant Fundamentalist also explores the experiences of Pakistanis after the 9/11 attacks and the subsequent rise in Islamophobia.

Fun Fact: British Pakistani rapper and actor Riz Ahmed stars as Changez alongside Pakistani singer Meesha Shafi, who debuted as an actor in the film adaptation of The Reluctant Fundamentalist, which was directed by filmmaker Mira Nair. You can also find Meesha Shafi’s performance in the Indian Hindi film Bhaag Milkha Bhaag. You can find Riz Ahmed’s music in The Hamilton Mixtape, and enjoy his other film credits like Four Lions, Nightcrawler, and Trishna, along with his performance in the HBO limited series The Night Of—all available from our catalog.