Urdu is a hybrid language that is based on the spoken languages of Northern India with a generous overlay of Arabic and Persian words. ‘Urdu’ is a Turkish word, which means a camp. When Muslims from ...

Ishrat Afreen is one of the five most influential writers of the feminist movement in Urdu literature and is counted amongst the most renowned poets in Pakistan. She has won numerous awards, and her ...

Marking its 56th year, IPTA Mumbai's performance of 'Aakhri Shama' celebrated the golden age of Urdu poetry. The play, penned by Kaifi Azmi and directed by MS Sathyu, was staged with a stellar cast ...

Note: This story was originally published in October 2022 as part of Outlook issue 'Recasting Shiva'. It is being replugged on World Poetry Day 2023 as Outlook revisits the power of poetry in a world ...

Eminent Urdu writer Shamim Tariq on Wednesday said that Firaq Gorakhpuri is the Mir of modern Urdu poetry. Tariq was speaking at the opening session of the two-day national seminar “Firaq Gorakhpuri: ...

These words from Naomi Lazard’s translation of one of Faiz Ahmed Faiz’s less-known masterpieces, Ek Din Yun Khizan Aa Gai, were among the first I stumbled upon during a simple Google search for “poems ...

A vibrant event titled 'Mehfil-e-Sukhan' celebrated the timeless art of Urdu poetry in the federal capital, bringing together some of Pakistan's most distinguished poets and poetry enthusiasts. The ...

That 300,000 people celebrated Urdu verse during a three-day festival was testament to the peculiar reality of the language in India. The inaugural day of the Urdu poetry festival Jashn-e-Rekhta in ...