Mirza Athar Baig

Mirza Athar Baig, a prolific Urdu novelist, short story writer, screenwriter, and philosopher, was born on the 7th of March 1950 in Lahore, Pakistan. Since his parents were school teachers, he was encouraged to read widely from a young age. He teaches postmodern and postcolonial philosophy at the Government College University. He debuted as a writer with his first novel, Ghulam Bagh (Slave Garden). It is considered one of the major works of literature in the Urdu language. It is a very popular and critically acclaimed novel in Pakistan. Since its initial publication, five more editions have been published. His other novels include Sifr se aik Tak and Hasan Ki Surat-e-Hal, published in 2010 and 2014, respectively. Hasan Ki Surat-e-Hal received critical acclaim not only in Pakistan but also internationally.

He has a collection of short stories titled Beh Afsana, published in 2008. His screenwriting ventures include drama serials like Daldal, Doosra Asmaan, Gehray Pani, Hissar, Rog, and many more. He has also written long plays like, Catwalk, Layf Ayina Hai, Dhund Mein Raasta, and Bewazan Log. Mirza Athar Baig is considered one of the most important contemporary writers in the Urdu language. He is known to have introduced postmodernism to Urdu literature by literary critics. He has written more than a hundred plays for television. He seems to be very interested in landmark places in Pakistan, especially ancient ones.