Altaf Fatima

Altaf Fatima is a prominent Pakistani Urdu novelist, short story writer, and teacher. She gained significant recognition for her literary contributions to the Urdu language through her novels and various translations.

Early life and education

Altaf Fatima was born in Lucknow on 10 June 1927. During the Partition of India, she moved from Lucknow to Lahore. She pursued higher education at the University of Punjab where she earned an MA and a BEd. As an academic, she specialized in the works of Muhammad Iqbal.

Career

Fatima published her second novel, Dastak Na Do, in 1964. This work is regarded as one of the defining pieces in Urdu literature. The story explores themes of identity and migration through the protagonist Geeti and a Chinese immigrant named Liu. While the novel was published in 1964, it became her most celebrated work after its 1965 release. An abridged translation appeared in the Karachi monthly, The Herald.

The Pakistan Television Corporation broadcast a television adaptation of Dastak Na Do in 1986. This production featured Roohi Bano as a star. In 1993, Rukhsana Ahmad published an English translation titled The One Who Did Not Ask. Heinemann released this version in 1994.

Fatima continued her literary output with several other novels and collections. She wrote Nishaan-i-Mehfil in 1975 and Chalta Musafir in 1981. Chalta Musafir is set against the 1971 Bangladesh independence movement. Some contemporary reviewers noted that this novel presented a specific perspective on the 1971 conflict without covering all aspects of the events. She also authored the novel Khwabgar in 2008.

Her short story collections include several notable titles. These are Woh Jissay chaha gaya (1969), Jab Deewarein Girya Karti Hain (1988), Taar-i-Ankaboot (1990), Deed Wadeed (2017), and Gawahi Akhir e Shab Ki (2018). She also wrote the work Urdu Adab Mein Fann e Sawaneh Nigari ka Irtiqa in 1961 and Rozmarra Aadaab in 1963.

Translation was a major part of her professional life. She translated Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird into Urdu as Naghmay ka Qatal. Other translations include Moti, which is the Urdu version of The Pearl by John Steinbeck. She also translated Zaitoon ke Jhund in 2016 and Sach Kahaniyan in 2000. Her list of translations includes works by Debbie Taylor and Rama Mehta.

Personal life

Altaf Fatima died on 29 November 2018.

Awards and recognition

In 2018, Fatima received the KLF Urdu Literature award. This honor was presented at the 9th Karachi Literature Festival for her book Deed Wadeed.