Intizar Hussain
Intizar Hussain (; 21 December 1925 – 2 February 2016) was a Pakistani writer of Urdu novels, short stories, poetry and nonfiction. He is widely recognised as a leading literary figure of Pakistan. He was among the finalists of the Man Booker Prize in 2013. As someone born in Indian Subcontinent who later migrated to Pakistan during 1947 Partition, a perennial theme in Hussain's works deals with the nostalgia linked with his life in pre-partition era. Personal life. Intizar Hussain was born in Dibai, Bulandshahr, British India in 1925, and migrated to Pakistan in 1947. His exact date  of birth is not known, sources indicate that he was born on 21 December 1922, 1923 or 1925. After passing the Intermediate Examination (high school equivalent in the USA) in 1942, he gained a bachelor's degree and a master's degree in Urdu literature at Meerut College in 1944 and 1946 respectively. Hussain's wife Aliya Begum died in 2004. They had no children. Literary work. He wrote short stories, novels and poetry in Urdu, and also literary columns for "Dawn" newspaper and "Daily Express" newspaper. "The Seventh Door", "Leaves" and "Basti" are among his books that have been  translated into English. Among the five novels he wrote – "Chaand Gahan" (1952), "Din Aur Daastaan" (1959), "Basti" (1980), "Tazkira" (1987), "Aage Samandar Hai" (1995) – "Basti" received global praise. His other writings include "Hindustan Se Aakhri Khat", "Aagay Sumandar Hai", "Shehr-e-Afsos", "Jataka Tales", "Janam Kahanian" and "Wo Jo Kho Gaye". "Aagay Sumandar Hai" (Sea is facing you in the front) contrasts the spiraling urban violence of contemporary Karachi with a vision of the lost Islamic realm of al-Andalus in modern Spain. His novel "Basti" is based on Pakistani history. Among his books, "Basti" and "khali pinjra" have been  translated into Persian by Samira Gilani. Death. On 2 February 2016 he died at National Hospital, Defence Housing Authority at Lahore on 2:45 p.m, after contracting pneumonia. "The Indian Express" termed him the "best-known Pakistani writer in the world" after Manto. Influences. Hussain believed that two forces had risen in contemporary Pakistan: women and the mullahs. He also acknowledged his study and the influence of Buddhist texts and the "Mahabharata". Legacy. In 2016, Pakistan Academy of Letters (PAL) announced the ‘Intizar Hussain Award’ which would be given to a literary figure every year. Accolades and international recognition. In 2007 , Hussain received the Pakistani civil award Sitara-i-Imtiaz (Star of Excellence) by the President of Pakistan. In 2013, he was shortlisted for the Man Booker International Prize after Frances W. Pritchett translated his Urdu novel "Basti" into English. He received a lifetime achievement award at the Lahore Literary Festival. "Newsweek Pakistan" called him "Pakistan's most accomplished living author" in 2014. In September of the same year, Hussain was made an Officer of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French government. He was also the first ever winner of the prestigious "Premchand Fellowship" awarded by Sahitya  Akademi of India in 2007.