Irfan Siddiqi

Irfan Siddiqui was a prominent modern Urdu poet known for his neo-classical style and refined expression. Born in Badaun, Uttar Pradesh, in 1939, he belonged to a family with a strong literary and scholarly tradition. He completed his postgraduate studies in sociology and joined the Central Information Service in 1962, where he worked in information, journalism and public relations roles before retiring as Deputy Principal Information Officer. His poetry collections include Canvas, Shab-e-Darmiyan, Saat Samawat, Ishq Nama and Hawa-e-Dasht-e-Mariya. His collected poetry was published as Dariya in Pakistan. Irfan Siddiqui was also a noted translator who translated works of Kalidasa directly from Sanskrit into Urdu. Notable Works: Canvas (1978) Shab-e-Darmiyan (1984) Saat Samawat (1992) Ishq Nama (1997) Hawa-e-Dasht-e-Mariya (1998) Dariya (1999) Shahr-e-Malal (2016)