Intizar Hussain

Intizar Hussain is a prominent Pakistani writer of Urdu novels, short stories, poetry and nonfiction. He remains widely recognised as a leading literary figure within Pakistan.

Early life and education

Hussain was born on 21 December 1925 in the Bulandshahr district of Uttar Pradesh. At that time, this region belonged to the United Provinces of Agra and Oudh in British India. He later moved to Meerut to receive a degree in Urdu literature.

The 1947 Partition forced his migration to Pakistan. This historical event shaped much of his creative output because he frequently explored nostalgia regarding the pre-partition era. He eventually settled in the old Anarkali Bazaar of Lahore. There, he socialized with writers such as Nasir Kazmi and Muhammad Hasan Askari at various locations including Pak Tea House and Coffee House.

The literary environment in Lahore was divided during the 1950s. Two main groups existed: the leftwing Anjuman-e-Tarraqi-Pasand-Mussannifeen and the rightwing Halqa-e Arbab-e Zauq. Hussain chose to remain neutral between these factions. He focused entirely on his writing career instead of joining either group.

Career

Hussain produced a vast body of work including short stories, novels and poetry in Urdu. He also contributed literary columns to newspapers such as Dawn and Daily Express. His novel Basti is based on Pakistani history. Another significant work, Aagay Samandar Hai, contrasts contemporary urban violence in Karachi with the lost Islamic realm of al-Andalus.

He authored five major novels during his lifetime. These include Chaand Gehan (1952), Din Aur Daastaan (1959), Basti (1980), Tazkira (1987) and Aagay Samandar Hai (1995). His bibliography also features titles such as Shehr-e-Afsos, Jataka Tales and Justujoo Kya Hai. Some of his books, specifically Basti and Khali Pinjra, were translated into Persian by Samira Gilani.

His literary influences were diverse. He acknowledged the impact of Buddhist texts and the Mahabharata on his writing. Hussain also believed that women and the mullahs represented two rising forces in contemporary Pakistan.

Personal life

Hussain married Aliya Begum, who passed away in 2004. The couple had no children. He died on 2 February 2016 at the National Hospital in Lahore after he contracted pneumonia. Following his death, the Indian Express described him as the best-known Pakistani writer in the world after Manto.

Awards and recognition

The President of Pakistan awarded him the Pride of Performance in 1986. He later received the Sitara-i-Imtiaz, which is a Pakistani civil award, in 2007. The Pakistan Academy of Letters granted him the Kamal-e-Fun lifetime achievement award in 1998. In 2016, the academy announced the ‘Intizar Hussain Award’ to honour literary figures annually.

Hussain gained significant international attention when he was shortlisted for the Man Booker International Prize in 2013. This nomination followed Frances W. Pritchett's translation of his novel Basti into English. He also received the Sahitya Akademi Fellowship from the National Academy of Letters of India in 2007. During that same year, he became the first winner of the Premchand Fellowship.

The French government made him an Officer of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in 2014. He also received a lifetime achievement award at the Lahore Literary Festival. Newsweek Pakistan identified him as Pakistan's most accomplished living author in 2014.