Faiz Ahmed Faiz (January 7, 1910 - 1984), is considered by many to be a poet in the great tradition of Urdu poets like Ghalib and Iqbal. He was born in Sialkot, in the Punjab in pre-independence India (in what is now Pakistan). He remained on the Pakistani side of the partition of 1947 and subsequently died in Lahore. Faiz was a member of the Anjuman Tarraqi Pasand Mussanafin-e-Hind (Progressive Writers' Movement) and an avowed Marxist. In 1962 he was awarded the Lenin Peace Prize by the Soviet Union.

In the 1930s Faiz Ahmed Faiz married Alys Faiz. They had two daughters. Alys Faiz's influence on Faiz's life and poetry is reputed to have been great.

Birth He was born in Sialkot on 13th Februaury, 1911.

Father His father's name was Khan Bahadur Sultan Muhammad Khan. He was a barrister.

Earlier Studies His early religious studies were at Masjid(Mosque) Maulvi Muhammad Ibrahim Mir Sialkoti. He went to Skotch Mission High School also in Sialkot. He did his intermediate from Murray College Sialkot. His Main teachers include ShamsUlUllamah Syed Mir Hasan (Arabic), Professor Yousuf Saleem Chishti (Urdu).

Higher Education He did MA (Master of Arts) in English Literature from Gov. College Lahore. MA in Arabic literature from Oriental College Lahore.

Teachers Ahmed Shah Putras Bukhari, Sufi Ghulam Mustafa Tabbassum, Moulvi Mohammad Shafi.

Teachers of Literature Doctor Taaseer, Maulana Abdul Majeed Salik, Maulana Chiragh Hasan Hasrat, Pandit Hari Chand Akhtar.

He started a branch of Anjuman Tarraqi Pasand Mussanafin-e-Hind in Punjab in 1936. Also he was a Member and Secretary of this branch. He was also an Editor of Mahanama (Monthly) Adab-e-Lateef (1938-1942 AD).

Publications • Naqshe Faryadi, 1941

• Daste Saba, 1953

• Zindan Nama, 1956

• Mizan, a collection of literary articles,1956

• Daste-Tahe-Sang, 1965

• Sare-Wadiye Seena, 1971

• Shame-Shehr Yaran, 1979

• Merey Dil Merey Musafar, 1981

• Nuskha-Hai-Wafa, 1984

• Pakistani Culture, Urdu & English

Awards The real award for a poet is the love and appreciation of his fans. Faiz stands among those who enjoy both at one and the same time. Besides he was awarded the Lenin Peace Prize in 1963, as the first Asian poet.

Before his death in 1984 he was also nominated for the award of Nobel Prize, but his association in later life, with Yasser Arafat and the Palestinian Movement, and the Editorship of Lotus, deprived him of the award because the Zionist element in the controlling body of the Nobel Prize is strong.

See also

• Alys Faiz
• Urdu
• Urdu poetry
• List of Urdu Poets
• Pak Tea House
• Rawalpindi Conspiracy Case
• Major General Akbar Khan The main conspirator in the "Rawalpindi Conspiracy Case"

External links

• Faiz Ahmed Faiz
• A tribute to Alys Faiz
• Mushaira.org entry
• Faiz Ahmad Faiz collection
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