Fahmida Riaz

Fahmida Riaz (Urdu: فہمیدہ ریاض‎) is a Progressive Urdu writer, poet, and feminist of Pakistan. She is author of Godaavari, Khatt-e Marmuz, and Khana e Aab O Gil, the first translation of the Masnavi of Jalaluddin Rumi from Persian into Urdu. She has also translated the works of Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai and Shaikh Ayaz from Sindhi to Urdu.

Early life

Fahmida Riaz was born on 28 July 1946 in a literary family of Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, India. Her father, Riaz-ud-Din Ahmed, was an educationist, who had an influence in mapping and establishing the modern education system for Sindh. Her family settled in Hyderabad following her father's transfer to Sindh. She learned about Urdu and Sindhi literature in childhood, and later learnt Persian.

Her early life was marked by the loss of her father when she was just four years old. She had already been writing poetry at this young age. Her mother, Husna Begum, supported the family through entrepreneurial efforts until Riaz entered college, when she started work as a newscaster for Radio Pakistan. Her first poetry collection was written at this time.