Intizar Hussain ( ur, ; 21 December 1925 – 2 February 2016) was a Pakistani writer of
Urdu
Urdu (;"Urdu" '' He was among the finalists of the
Man Booker Prize
The Booker Prize, formerly known as the Booker Prize for Fiction (1969–2001) and the Man Booker Prize (2002–2019), is a literary prize awarded each year for the best novel written in English and published in the United Kingdom or Ireland. ...
in 2013. As someone born in Indian Subcontinent who later migrated to Pakistan during 1947 Partition, a perennial theme in Hussain's works deals with the nostalgia linked with his life in pre-partition era. Intizar Husain is often described as possibly the greatest living Urdu writer.
Literary work
He wrote short stories, novels and poetry in
Urdu
Urdu (;"Urdu" '' Dawn
Dawn is the time that marks the beginning of twilight before sunrise. It is recognized by the appearance of indirect sunlight being scattered in Earth's atmosphere, when the centre of the Sun's disc has reached 18° below the observer's ...
'' newspaper and ''Daily Express'' newspaper. ''The Seventh Door'', ''Leaves'' and ''Basti'' are among his books that have been translated into English. Among the five novels he wrote – ''Chaand Gahan'' (1952), ''Din Aur Daastaan'' (1959), ''Basti'' (1980), ''Tazkira'' (1987), ''Aage Samandar Hai'' (1995) – ''Basti'' received global praise. His other writings include ''Hindustan Se Aakhri Khat'', ''Aagay Sumandar Hai'', ''Shehr-e-Afsos'', ''Jataka Tales'', ''Janam Kahanian'' and ''Wo Jo Kho Gaye''. ''Aagay Sumandar Hai'' (Sea is facing you in the front) contrasts the spiraling urban violence of contemporary Karachi with a vision of the lost Islamic realm of al-Andalus in modern Spain.Intizar Hussain, Pakistan's 'greatest fiction writer', dies at 92 Published 2 February 2016. Retrieved 22 February 2016 His novel ''Basti'' is based on
Pakistani history
The history of preceding the country's independence in 1947 is shared with that of Afghanistan, India, and Iran. Spanning the western expanse of the Indian subcontinent and the eastern borderlands of the Iranian plateau, the region of prese ...
.
Among his books, "Basti" and "khali pinjra" have been translated into Persian by Samira Gilani.
Death
On 2 February 2016 he died at National Hospital, Defence Housing Authority at
Lahore
Lahore ( ; pnb, ; ur, ) is the second List of cities in Pakistan by population, most populous city in Pakistan after Karachi and 26th List of largest cities, most populous city in the world, with a population of over 13 million. It is th ...
on 2:45 p.m, after contracting pneumonia. ''
The Indian Express
''The Indian Express'' is an English-language Indian daily newspaper founded in 1932. It is published in Mumbai by the Indian Express Group. In 1999, eight years after the group's founder Ramnath Goenka's death in 1991, the group was split be ...
'' termed him the "best-known Pakistani writer in the world" after
Manto may refer to:
People
* Mando (singer)
Adamantia Stamatopoulou ( el, Αδαμαντία Σταματοπούλου; born 13 April 1966), known as Mando ( el, links=no, Μαντώ), is a Greek singer. She was born and raised in Athens by her ...
.
Influences
Hussain believed that two forces had risen in contemporary
Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
: women and the mullahs. He also acknowledged his study and the influence of Buddhist texts and the ''
Mahabharata
The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; sa, महाभारतम्, ', ) is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India in Hinduism, the other being the '' Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the struggle between two groups of cousins in the K ...
''.
Legacy
In 2016,
Pakistan Academy of Letters
The Pakistan Academy of Letters (PAL) ( ur, ) is a national academy with its main focus on Pakistani literature and related fields. It is the largest and the most prestigious learned society of its kind in Pakistan, with activities throughout t ...
(PAL) announced the ‘Intizar Hussain Award’ which would be given to a literary figure every year.
Accolades and international recognition
In 2007, Hussain received the Pakistani civil award
Sitara-i-Imtiaz
The Sitara-e-Imtiaz () also spelled as Sitara-i-Imtiaz, is the third-highest (in the order of "Imtiaz") honour and civilian award in the State of Pakistan. It recognizes individuals who have made an "especially meritorious contribution to the ...
(Star of Excellence) by the
President of Pakistan
The president of Pakistan ( ur, , translit=s̤adr-i Pākiṣṭān), officially the President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is the ceremonial head of state of Pakistan and the commander-in-chief of the Pakistan Armed Forces.Man Booker International Prize
The International Booker Prize (formerly known as the Man Booker International Prize) is an international literary award hosted in the United Kingdom. The introduction of the International Prize to complement the Man Booker Prize was announced ...
after Frances W. Pritchett translated his Urdu novel ''Basti'' into English. He received a lifetime achievement award at the Lahore Literary Festival. ''
Newsweek Pakistan
''Newsweek'' Pakistan is published by AG Publications, a company wholly owned by Associated Group (AG), under license from Newsweek LLC. The licensing agreement with AG Publications follows similar publishing alliances for ''Newsweek'' editions. ...
'' called him "Pakistan's most accomplished living author" in 2014. In September of the same year, Hussain was made an Officer of the
Ordre des Arts et des Lettres
The ''Ordre des Arts et des Lettres'' (Order of Arts and Letters) is an order of France established on 2 May 1957 by the Minister of Culture. Its supplementary status to the was confirmed by President Charles de Gaulle in 1963. Its purpose is ...
by the French government. He was also the first ever winner of the prestigious ''Premchand Fellowship'' awarded by Sahitya Akademi of India in 2007.
Bibliography
* ''A Chronicle of the Peacocks: Stories of Partition, Exile and Lost Memories''
*''The Death of Sheherzad''
*''Basti'' (1979)
*''Chiraghon Ka Dhuvan'' (memoir) (1999)
*''Chaand Gahan'' (2002)
*''Ajmal-I Azam'' (2003)
*''Surakh Tamgha'' (2007)
*''Qissa Kahanian'' (2011)
*''Justujoo Kya Hai'' (autobiography) (2012)
*''Apni Danist Mein'' (2014)