Samina Raja

Samina Raja is a Pakistani Urdu poet, writer, editor, translator, educationist and broadcaster. She lived in Islamabad and worked as a subject specialist for the National Language Authority and the National Book Foundation.

Early life and education

Raja was born in Bahawalpur, Pakistan. Although some records suggest 1961, her tombstone and educational certificates indicate she was born on 11 September 1957. She pursued higher education at Punjab University in Lahore. There, she earned a master's degree in Urdu literature.

She began her journey into writing poetry in 1973. This early start allowed her to develop a unique style characterized by various innovative techniques.

Career

Raja held several professional roles within Pakistan's literary institutions. She joined the National Book Foundation in 1998 as both a consultant and an editor for the monthly magazine Kitab. During that same year, she also took on the role of editor for the monthly Aasar, which she continued until 2004. Her editorial work extended to other publications including Mustaqbil from 1991 to 1994 and Khwabgar in 2008.

As a broadcaster, she conducted All Pakistan Mushairas on Pakistan Television (PTV) starting in 1995. She also presented a specific literary program titled "Urdu Adab Mein Aurat Ka Kirdar."

Her poetic output is extensive and includes twelve collections of poetry. These works include Huweda (1995), Shehr e saba (1997), Aur Wisal (1998), Khwabnaey (1998), Bagh e Shab (1999), Bazdeed (2000), Haft Aasman (2001), Parikhana (2002), Adan Ke Rastey Par (2003), Dil e Laila (2004), Ishqabad (2006) and Hijr Nama (2008). She also published two Kulliyat, titled Kitab e Khwab (2004) and Kitab e Jan (2005), along with a selection of romantic poetry called Woh Sham Zara Si Gehri Thi (2005).

Raja contributed to prose through translation and original writing. She translated Edward Said's Sharq Shanasi in 2005 and Beverley Nichols' Bartanvi Hind Ka Mustaqbil in 2007. One of her most ambitious projects involved translating the Quran into Urdu and converting that translation into poetry. She began this work with Surah e Baqarah, but she was unable to finish the project before falling ill.

Personal life

Raja resided in Islamabad for much of her life. She was known for having a sensitive personality that led her to care about the problems of all people regardless of their status. She died of cancer in Islamabad on 31 October 2012. She is survived by three sons.

Awards and recognition

The poet received two specific honors: the Prime Minister Award and the Writers Award. However, she refused to accept these accolades because she believed undeserving people were nominated alongside her. She frequently declined to participate in literary events if the chief guests lacked a connection to literature.