Hajra Masroor ہاجرہ مسرور | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | (1930-01-17)17 January 1930 Lucknow, British India |
| Died | 15 September 2012(2012-09-15) (aged 82) Karachi, Pakistan |
| Occupation | Writer |
| Known for | Feminist writer Progressive Writers' Movement |
| Relatives |
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| Awards | Pride of Performance Award in 1995 by thePresident of Pakistan |
Hajra Masroor (Urdu:ہاجرہ مسرور;Hājrah Masrūr; 17 January 1930 – 15 September 2012)[1] was aPakistani writer who established herself with her short fiction stories, known asafsana in Urdu literature.[2][3] Her elder sister,Khadija Mastoor, was also an accomplished short-story writer and novelist.[4][5]
Hajra Masroor was born on 17 January 1930 inLucknow,British India to Dr. Tahawwar Ahmad Khan, who was a British Army medical doctor, and Anwar Jahan Begum, a published writer.[6] Her father had suddenly died after a heart attack at a young age of 38.[6] She had five sisters, includingKhadija Mastoor, and a younger brother,Khalid Ahmad, who also became a poet, playwright and newspaper columnist. Her family was mainly raised by her mother. She began writing from her early childhood.[1]
Afterindependence of Pakistan in 1947, she and her sisters migrated toPakistan, and settled inLahore.[1][2] An Urdu writer in his book wrote that no one knew Hajra was engaged with famous Urdu poetSahir Ludhianvi but once in a literary gathering Ludhianvi pronounced a word wrongly, Hajra criticised him, he got angry and engagement was broken. Later, she marriedAhmad Ali Khan, who was the editor of dailyDawn for 28 years. They were married for 57 years before he died in 2007.[2] They have two daughters.
Hajra Masroor began writing short stories from an early age. Her short stories published in the literary magazines had received high appreciation fromUrdu literary circles. She edited literary magazineNaqoosh withAhmad Nadeem Qasmi. Qasmi was also a friend of hers and her sister.[7][8] She made her place in the history of Urdu literature and Urdu fiction with bold imagination and writing of short stories in a non-traditional way. She wrote simple yet effective prose, had a down-to-earth style of writing.[2] Her early collections of short stories includedChirkey (1944),Hai Allah, andChori Chuppay.[6] Her collected plays were published asWoh Log. She also wrote the script ofSuroor Barabankvi’s filmAakhri Station.[6]
She wrote several books of short stories in which she raised the social, political, legal, and economic rights for women equal to those of men. Hajra Masroor was one of the torchbearer of theProgressive Writers' Movement as well as one of the pioneers of feminism in the subcontinent.[7]
Hajira Masroor died on 15 September 2012 inKarachi, Pakistan.[1]
Short stories
| Year | Ceremony | Work | Award | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1965 | Nigar Awards | Aakhri Station | Best Scriptwriter | [1][12] |
| International | |
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| Other | |
