Shaukat Siddiqui
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Shaukat Siddiqui (1923-2006) was an eminent Urdu novelist and fiction writer of Pakistan. He is known for his world renowned novel Khuda ki Basti (God's Own Land) and Jangloos.
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[edit] Life
Shaukat Siddiqui was born on March 20, 1923 in a literary family of Lucknow, India. He got his early education from his home town and earned B.A. in 1944 and M.A. (Political Science) in 1944. After partition of India, he migrated to Pakistan in 1950 and stayed in Lahore but soon permanently settled in Karachi. His early days in Pakistan were full of financial trouble and political opposition, which he soon over come. He accompanied along with Zulfikar Ali Bhutto in almost all foreign tours.
He was an active member of Pakistan Writers' Guild and a partisan of progressive writers association. Shaukat Siddiqi worked at the news-desks of the Times of Karachi, Pakistan Standard and the Morning News. He finally rose to be the editor of the Daily Anajam, the Weekly Al-Fatah and the Daily Musawat Karachi, before bidding goodbye to journalism in 1984.
He passes away on December 18, 2006 in Karachi at age 83.
[edit] Literary work
Shaukat Siddiqui's first piece of writer wan a short story, Kon kisi ka, published in Weekly Khayyam Lahore. In 1952, his first collection of short stories, “Teesra Admi” (1952), was a brought out and proved great success. Subsequently, other collections of short stories Andhere Dur Andhere (1955), Raton Ka Shahar (1956) and Keemya Gar (1984), followed.
His magnum opus is Khuda Ki Basti (God's Own Land) has gone through 46 editions and enjoys the distinction of having been translated into 26 international languages. It has been dramatised time and again. Its English translation by Prof David Mathews of London University was equally a success.
Other novels of Shaukat Siddiqui are Kamin Gah (1956), Janglos (1988) and Char Deewari (1990) based on his own childhood memories in fictitious manner.
[edit] Awards
- Adamjee Award (1960)
