The ghazal is the favourite genre of poetry for Elizabeth Kurian, ‘Mona ’,a multilingual poet

whose mother tongue is Malayalam. She did a correspondence course from Jamia Milia

Islamia, N.Delhi to enable her to read and write the Urdu script and a course in Tehseene-

Ghazal from Maulana Azad National Urdu University, Hyderabad. She learnt the basics of

ghazal writing from Dr. Kamal Prasad ‘Kamal’, Hyderabad and its rules Ilme-Arooz from

R.P.Sharma ‘Mehrish’, Mumbai .She writes ghazals mostly in Urdu but has penned English

ghazals also. In order to share her knowledge of ghazals she has written a book in English-

The Art and Science of Ghazal- A Readers’ guide to Urdu Ghazal, Appreciation, Scansion

and Prosody, that was released at the Jashne Rekhta -2019 and she also participated in the

Mushaira e shairaat.

Her Urdu publications are:“Kahkashaan” (got an award from U.P and Andhara Pradesh

Urdu Academy), Muhobbat ke saaye , Zauqe- Jusataju and Qause Quzah

Publications in other languages: .Beyond Images–English poems, Sapne Marushtal Mein-

Hindi poetry , Husne-ghazal – Beauty of the ghazal : Selected ghazals in Devnagiri and

Roman scripts with English translation, and Kaanaakinaavukal – Malayalam

Her English translations: “Mirrors of my soul” – Maryam Gazala’s selected Hindi/ Urdu

poems ,“Tremors”- Bhookamp-Dr. Ram Barayya’s Hindi poetry, Awaiting a new season-

Intezar naye mausam ka –Nusrat Mohiuddin’s Urdu nazms, Shwaas se shabdtak Dr. Ahilya

Misra’s Hindi poems.

Beyond Images has been translated into French by Supratik Sen and into Tamil by N.V.

Subbaraman. Beyond Images and its translations have pen and ink sketches by Sushil Thapa,

Kathmandu, Nepal . Mona’s translation of Malayalam mini-stories by P.K.Parakadavu into

Urdu is under print and that of Dr. Karamat Ali Karamat’s Urdu Poetry into English is in the

pipeline.

Her poems and articles appear in various print and electronic media. She takes part in literary

festivals and mushairas, Mona is attached to various literary groups and is Secretary of the

multilingual literary group Sahitya Sangam International, Hyderabad. After taking early

retirement as Manager from Reserve Bank of India, Mumbai, she now pursues her passion of

poetry in Hyderabad, India.