About Fehmida Riaz

Fehmida Riaz (28 July 1946 – 21 November 2018) was an Urdu poet, writer, and activist from Pakistan. She was known for her strong feminist and anti-establishment leanings. Her poetry was often controversial, and she was accused of using erotic and sensual expressions. However, she was also praised for her honesty and her willingness to challenge the status quo.

Riaz was born in Meerut, British India, to a literary family. Her father, Riaz-ud-Din Ahmed, was an educationist involved in mapping and developing the modern education system for the province of Sindh. Her family settled in the city of Hyderabad after her father's transfer to Sindh. Her father died when she was four, consequently being raised by her mother.

Riaz began writing poetry at a young age, and her first collection of poems, Badan Dareeda (The Naked Body), was published in 1968. She went on to publish over 20 more collections of poetry, as well as several novels, short stories, and essays.

Riaz's poetry is known for its lyrical beauty, its social commentary, and its feminist themes. She was a master of the Urdu ghazal, and her poems often deal with themes of love, loss, and the female experience. She was also a prolific writer of nazms, or free-verse poems.

Riaz was a controversial figure in Pakistani society, but she was also a respected and influential writer. She was awarded the Pride of Performance Award by the Government of Pakistan in 1989, and she was also a recipient of the Sitara-e-Imtiaz, Pakistan's third-highest civilian award.

Riaz died in Lahore, Pakistan, in 2018. She was 72 years old.

Here are some of her most famous works:

• Poetry: Badan Dareeda (The Naked Body), Khushbu (Scent), Aangan (Courtyard)
• Novels: Godavari (Godavari), Binaẓīr Ḥukūmat: Pahlā Daur : Kyā Khoyā, Kyā Pāyā? (Benazir Government: First Term: What Was Lost, What Was Gained?)
• Short stories: Main̲ miṭṭī mūrat hūn̲ (I Am a Clay Figure), Reflections in a Cracked Mirror