Ahmad Nadeem Qasmi ( ur, ) born Ahmad Shah Awan ( ur, ) (20 November 1916 - 10 July 2006) was an Urdu language Pakistani poet, journalist,

literary critic Literary criticism (or literary studies) is the study, evaluation, and interpretation of literature. Modern literary criticism is often influenced by literary theory, which is the philosophical discussion of literature's goals and methods. Th ...

, dramatist and short story author. He wrote 50 books on topics such as poetry, fiction, criticism, journalism and art, and was a major figure in contemporary Urdu literature. His poetry was distinguished by its humanism, and his Urdu ''afsana'' (short story) work is considered by some second only to Munshi Prem Chand in its depiction of rural culture. He was also editor and publisher of the literary magazine ''

Funoon ''Funoon'' ur, فنون was an Urdu literary magazine published by Ahmad Nadeem Qasimi from Lahore Lahore ( ; pnb, ; ur, ) is the second most populous city in Pakistan after Karachi and 26th most populous city in the world, with a ...

'' for almost half a century. He received awards such as the Pride of Performance in 1968 and Sitara-e-Imtiaz in 1980 for his literary work. Gulzar, one of the most influential writers in modern India, called him his mentor and guru.

Personal life

Background

Qasmi was born on November 20, 1916, in the village of Anga in Khushab District, British India, into an Awan Jatt family. He graduated from a high school in

Campbellpur Attock ( Punjabi and Urdu: ), formerly known as Campbellpur (), is a historical city located in the north of Pakistan's Punjab Province, not far from the country's capital Islamabad. It is the headquarters of the Attock District and is 61st larg ...

in 1931, (now renamed Attock city in Pakistan), around the time when he wrote his first poem He studied at government college Attock. Later he studied at Sadiq Egerton College in Bahawalpur. He graduated from the University of the Punjab, Lahore in 1935. He had a brother, Peerzada Mohammad Bakhsh Qasmi, and a sister. He became an active member of the Progressive Writers Movement as a secretary and was consequently arrested many times during the 1950s and 1970s. He died on 10 July 2006 of complications from asthma at Punjab Institute of Cardiology in Lahore.A Tribute: Ahmed Nadeem Qasmi (1916–2006)
All Things Pakistan, Published 16 August 2006. Retrieved 26 June 2019

Literary career

Qasmi edited several prominent literary journals, including ''Phool'', ''Tehzeeb-i-Niswaan'', ''Adab-i-Lateef'', ''Savera'', ''Naqoosh'', and his own journal, ''Funoon''. He also worked as the editor of the Urdu daily ''Imroze''. Qasimi contributed weekly columns to national newspapers like ''Rawan Dawan'' and ''

Daily Jang The ''Daily Jang'' ( ur, ) is an Urdu newspaper headquartered in Karachi, Pakistan. It is the oldest newspaper of Pakistan in continuous publication since its foundation in 1939, first published during World War II, hence the name (Jang) translat ...

'' for several decades. His poetry has included both traditional ghazals and modern nazms. Ahmad Nadeem Qasmi was also committed to mentoring and grooming others.

In 1948, he was selected as the secretary-general of the ''Anjuman-e-Taraqqi Pasand Musannifeen'' ( Progressive Writers Movement) for Punjab. In 1949, he was elected the secretary-general of the organisation for Pakistan. In 1962, Qasmi published his own literary magazine ''Fanoon'', with the support of writers and poets including

Khadija Mastoor Khadija Mastoor ( ur, , translit=K͟hadījah Mastūr; 11 December 192725 July 1982) was a Pakistani short story writer and novelist who worked in Urdu literature. Her novel '' Aangan'' is widely considered a literary masterpiece in Urd ...

, Hajra Masroor,

Ahmed Faraz Syed Ahmad Shah (), better known by his pen name Ahmed Faraz, ( 12 January 1931 – 25 August 2008) was a Pakistani Urdu poet, scriptwriter and became the founding Director General (later Chairman) of Pakistan Academy of Letters. He wrot ...

Amjad Islam Amjad Amjad Islam Amjad, PP, Sitara-e-Imtiaz (Urdu: امجد اسلام امجد) (born 4 August 1944) is an Urdu poet, drama writer and lyricist from Pakistan. The author of more than 40 books in a career spanning 50 years,Ally Adnan (September ...

, Ata ul Haq Qasmi, and Munnu Bhai . Qasmi was the mentor of the poet

Parveen Shakir Parveen Shakir ( ur, ; 24 November 1952 – 26 December 1994) was a Pakistani poet, teacher and a civil servant of the government of Pakistan. She is best known for her poems, which brought a distinctive feminine voice to Urdu ...

. In 1974, he was appointed secretary-general of ''Majlis-Taraqee-Adab'', a literary body established by the government of West Pakistan in 1958. In December 2011, Professor

Fateh Muhammad Malik Fateh Mohammad Malik, ( ur, ALA-LC: born 1936) is a Pakistani literary critic, linguist and a scholar. He has authored several books including an essay "Iqbal Inspired Humour: A Note on Parodies by Selected Urdu Poets" published in ''Of C ...

and noted columnist Ata ul Haq Qasmi arranged a seminar on the life and achievements of Ahmad Nadeem Qasmi at the International Islamic University, Islamabad. His literary work has been appreciated and admired by Urdu writers, poets, and critics, although there is also criticism of his literary work and of his personality. Fateh Muhammad Malik is a long-time friend of Ahmed Nadeem Qasmi. In his book about the life and personality of Ahmed Nadeem Qasmi called 'Nadeem Shanasi', he gives the impression that it is evident from Qasmi's letters to him that Qasmi had a buried disliking for Faiz and perhaps considered himself a poet greater than Faiz. "The letters also reveal that Qasmi had a narcissistic personality and an inflated ego when it came to his contemporaries. He consciously or unconsciously tried to belittle Faiz, though without much effect." Some people in literary circles of Pakistan also think that there were some envy and rivalry among Ahmad Nadeem Qasmi,

Wazir Agha Wazir Agha ( ur, ) was a Pakistani Urdu language writer, poet, critic and essayist. He has written many poetry and prose books. He was also editor and publisher of the literary magazine "Auraq" for many decades. He introduced many theories in U ...

and Munir Niazi.

An example of his poetry, with translation

Bibliography

Poetry * ''Jalal-o-Jamal'' * ''Shola-i-Gul'' * ''Kisht-i-Wafa'' * ''Dasht-e-wafa'' * ''Dawam'' * ''Muheet'' * ''Loh-e-khaak'' * ''Baseet'' * ''Jamal'' * ''Arz-o-sama'' Short stories * ''Afsaanay'' (40 best short stories selected by Ahmad Nadeem Qasmi himself)Profile and Afsanay by Ahmad Nadeem Qasmi on goodreads.com website
Retrieved 26 June 2019 * ''Chopaal'' (1939) * ''Gandasa'' was also a source of inspiration for the legendary character Maula Jatt * ''Sannata'' * ''Kapaas ka Phool'' * ''Aabley'' * ''Tuloo-O-Gharoob'' * ''Sailab-o-Gardab'' * ''Anchal'' * ''ghar se ghar tak'' * ''Nila-pathar'' * ''Dawam-dar-o-deewar'' * ''Bazar-e-hayat'' * ''Aas-paas'' * ''Jhoota'' * ''Bhoot'' * Jalebis

Awards and recognition

* Pride of Performance Award 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.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 ...

Ahmed Nadeem Qasmi's obituary and profile
''Dawn'' (Pakistan), Published 11 July 2006. Retrieved 26 June 2019 * Islamabad 7th Avenue named after Ahmed Nadeem Qasmi.CDA approves renaming of 7th Avenue
''Dawn'' (Pakistan), Published 25 February 2017. Retrieved 24 December 2019

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Qasimi, Ahmad Nadeem 1916 births 2006 deaths Respiratory disease deaths in Pakistan Deaths from asthma People from Khushab District Poets from Lahore Urdu-language poets from Pakistan Linguists from Pakistan Urdu-language non-fiction writers Linguists of Urdu Urdu critics Pakistani television writers Pakistani male journalists Pakistani novelists Pakistani dramatists and playwrights Pakistani male short story writers Pakistani literary critics Recipients of the Pride of Performance Recipients of Sitara-i-Imtiaz Punjabi people People of British India Urdu-language writers from British India 21st-century Urdu-language writers 20th-century Urdu-language writers 20th-century Pakistani poets 21st-century Pakistani novelists 20th-century Pakistani novelists 20th-century Pakistani short story writers 20th-century Pakistani male writers Male television writers 20th-century linguists 20th-century Pakistani philosophers 20th-century screenwriters Hashemite people Alids Awan Alvis