Ahmed Ali (writer) facts for kids

Ahmed Ali was a famous writer, poet, and diplomat from Pakistan. He was born in Delhi, India, on July 1, 1910, and passed away in Karachi, Pakistan, on January 14, 1994. He was known for writing many short stories and novels. He also translated books and worked as a diplomat for his country. One of his most famous books is Twilight in Delhi.

About Ahmed Ali

Ahmed Ali was born in Delhi, which was then part of British India. He went to Aligarh Muslim University and Lucknow University. He was a very bright student and even got the highest marks in English at Lucknow University.

From 1932 to 1946, Ahmed Ali taught at important universities in India. These included Allahabad University and his old university in Lucknow. He also taught English at Presidency College, Calcutta. During World War II, from 1942 to 1945, he worked for the BBC in India. After that, he was a visiting professor in China.

In 1948, when India and Pakistan became separate countries, Ahmed Ali moved to Karachi. He then started working for the Pakistani Government. In 1950, he joined the Pakistan Foreign Service. He became Pakistan's first ambassador to the new People's Republic of China. He helped set up official relations between the two countries that same year. He also helped create an embassy in Morocco.

His Writing Career

Ahmed Ali started writing when he was young. He helped create the All-India Progressive Writers' Movement. This group wanted to use writing to talk about social issues.

In 1932, he published a collection of short stories called Angarey (Embers). This book was written with three of his friends. It talked about problems in Muslim society in British India. The British Government later banned this book in 1933. Soon after, Ali and his friends formed the "League of Progressive Authors." This group later grew into the All-India Progressive Writers' Association.

Ahmed Ali became famous around the world with his first novel written in English, Twilight in Delhi. It was published in London in 1940. This novel tells the story of how Muslim families in Delhi changed as the British took more control in the early 1900s.

He also made a very important translation of the holy Quran. This translation is called Al-Quran, A Contemporary Translation. Many experts agree it is one of the best translations available. Besides Arabic and Urdu, he also translated from Indonesian and Chinese.

Awards and Honors

Ahmed Ali received several important awards for his work:

• In 1979, he was chosen as a founding member of the Pakistan Academy of Letters.
• In 1980, the President of Pakistan gave him the Sitara-i-Imtiaz (Star of Excellence) Award. This is a high honor in Pakistan.
• In 1993, the University of Karachi gave him an honorary doctorate degree.
• On January 14, 2005, Pakistan Post released a special postage stamp in his honor.

His Books and Plays

Ahmed Ali wrote many different kinds of works, including novels, plays, short stories, and poetry. He also wrote literary criticism and translated many books.

Novels

• Twilight in Delhi(1940)
• Ocean of Night(1964)
• Rats and Diplomats(1986)

Plays

• The Land of Twilight (1931)
• Break the Chains (1932)

Short Stories

• Angarey (1932)
• Hamari Gali (Our Lane) (1940)
• Qaid-khana (The Prison-house) (1942)
• Maut se Pahle (Before Death) (1945)

Poetry

• Purple Gold Mountain (1960)
• First Voices (1965)
• Selected Poems (1988)

Translations

• The Flaming Earth (1949) - Indonesian poems
• The Bulbul and the Rose: An Anthology of Urdu Poetry (1960)
• al-Qur’ân: A Contemporary Translation (1984)

See Also

• Progressive Writers' Movement