Shahnaz Nabi, hailing from Calcutta (now Kolkata), West Bengal, is a multifaceted talent in the world of literature and academia. She is renowned as an Indian writer, poet, playwright, and critic. Shahnaz embarked on her academic journey at Calcutta University, where she pursued post-graduate studies in Urdu, culminating in the attainment of her Ph.D. degree in 1989. Her doctoral thesis, titled "The Development of Urdu Criticism after 1960," showcased her scholarly prowess.

Shahnaz's literary journey commenced at the tender age of thirteen when she began composing poems. Her early work found a platform in an Urdu magazine, with her first published poem gracing its pages in 1974. Beyond poetry, she has also delved into the realms of short stories and drama, showcasing her versatility as a writer. While Urdu is her mother tongue, her proficiency extends to English, Bengali, and Hindi. Notably, Shahnaz has undertaken the task of translating numerous Urdu short stories and poems into Bengali. Her translation of "Ghaddar," a novel by Krishan Chandar, into Bengali is a testament to her linguistic skills.

Shahnaz's literary contributions also extend to the realm of children's literature, where she has made a significant impact. Her plays, focusing on social and political themes, have received acclaim and have been staged across West Bengal. Beyond her literary pursuits, Shahnaz Nabi is an ardent political activist. She served as an elected Representative from 2000 to 2005 on a CPI (M) ticket and held the position of Accounts.

She started her teaching career as a lecturer at Bhawanipur College. She joined the University of Calcutta in 1999. She was appointed Iqbal Professor in 2009. She revived the departmental magazine "Dastavez" under her head-ship. She compiled a Selection of Urdu Prose and Verse in two volumes for the Post-graduate students so that texts could be made available through the University Sales Counter. She introduced M.Phil in Urdu and started a refresher course for Urdu, Arabic, and Persian at Calcutta University.

She served as an elected representative from 2000 to 2005 on a CPIM ticket and held the position of Accounts Committee Chairperson in the Calcutta Municipal Corporation. She runs the organization, "The Annesa Women Association for Rehabilitation and Self-Employment" (AWARE), which worked extensively for women's education and empowerment.

She served West Bengal Urdu Academy as Vice-Chairperson and Chairperson (in-charge). Serving as Vice-Chairperson, she took the initiative of free coaching in Maths and English for underprivileged students of Urdu medium.

The annual Urdu Book Fair started under her guidance, one of Kolkata's important cultural phenomena.

She was elected Council Member of the Asiatic Society. While leading the position of Library Secretary and Treasurer (twice), she started Urdu seminars nationally and internationally.

She was invited by the Jeddah Embassy to recite her poetry in UAE (2007) and went to Pakistan on the invitation of Times of India & Jung Group to present her poetry for "Aman ki Asha."

She received awards from different academies for her published works. Her book "Feminism – Tareekh o Tanqid" (Feminism-History & Criticism) is the first book in Urdu on the development of feminism in different countries and languages worldwide.

In 2017, she was awarded one of the most prestigious awards, "Ghalib Award" for her poetry.

Currently, she is the editor of "Rahrawan-e-Adab" Urdu Quarterly.

 

Books:

Bedi – ek Jaiza (1985)

Bachchon Ke Dramay (1989)

Bhigi Ruton Ki Katha (1990)

Bish-Shas Ghatak (1992)

Mujhe Mat Chhuo (1993)

Lisannyat aur Daccani Adabiyat (1993)

Urdu Drama, Agha Hashr aur Saide-Hawas (1998)

Ghalib aur Kalkatta (1999)

Agle Padao say Pehle (2001)

Fort William College Aur Husn-e-Ikhtelat (2003)

Mansurat-e-Bangala (2006)

Kalam-e-Nassakh (2007)

Pas-e-Diwar-e-Girya (2008)

Tanisi Tanqid (2009)

Lisaniyat aur Daccani Adabiyat (2009)

Feminism: Tarikh-O-Tanqid (2012)

Sharar-e-Jasta (2013)

Tanqidi Mutale’aat (2015)

Sukhan-e-Neem-Shab (2015)

Pehchan Mujhe Nadaan (2016)

Bachchon ke Dramey (2016)

Agley Padao Se Pehley (2016)

Nazmen HamariyaaN (2018)

Safarnama-e-Kashmir Jannat Nazir (2018)

Jadeed Hindi Nazmen (2021)


Forthcoming Books:

Ishqam
Iqbal se Allama Tak