Sara Shagufta

Sara Shagufta was a Pakistani poet who composed works in both Urdu and Punjabi. She remains a significant figure in literature due to her posthumous collections.

Early life and education

Sara Shagufta was born on 31 October 1954 in Gujranwala, Pakistan. She belonged to a lower-class family that migrated from Punjab to Karachi during the 1960s. Because her father had remarried, her mother took responsibility for raising her and her siblings. To support the household, her mother performed home-based work such as making flower garlands.

Her letters provide insight into the severe economic hardships the family experienced. These struggles were so intense that the family occasionally went hungry. Although she desired social mobility, she could not pass her matriculation exams due to her uneducated background. She also endured emotional and sexual abuse from her father during her childhood.

Career

Shagufta wrote poetry in the Urdu and Punjabi languages. Her literary contributions were released after her death by Saeed Ahmed, a man she loved. He published her collections under the titles Aankhein and Neend Ka Rang.

Asad Alvi later translated her poems into English. He published these works as The Colour of Sleep and Other Poems in 2016. Additionally, Rukhsana Ahmad included English translations of 'Woman and Salt', 'To Daughter, Sheely' and 'The Moon is Quite Alone' in the book We Sinful Women.

Personal life

Her personal history was marked by significant suffering. At age 17, she entered a forced marriage and had a child who died as a newborn. Following the death of the infant, people directed blame toward her, which resulted in a divorce. She subsequently underwent three other unsuccessful marriages.

These repeated hardships led to the development of mental illnesses. She was eventually admitted to a mental hospital to receive treatment. After a non-fatal suicide attempt, she died by suicide at the age of 29 on 4 June 1984 around 11 PM.

Awards and recognition

The life of Shagufta has inspired several creative works. Indian author Amrita Pritam was a close friend who wrote two books about her. These titles include Ek Thi Sara, published in 1990, and Life and Poetry of Sara Shagufta, published in 1994.

Theatrical productions also draw from her biography. Shahid Anwar wrote the play Main Sara, while Danish Iqbal wrote Sara Ka Sara Aasman. The latter play was directed by Tarique Hameed. In 2015, the Wings Cultural Society presented this play at All India Radio's Urdu Theatre Festival.