Parveen Shakir – one of the most popular female poets who gave expression to feelings and experiences specific to women – was born on November 24, 1952 in Karachi, Pakistan.
A poet, a teacher and a civil servant of the government of Pakistan, Parveen Shakir is best known for her poems. Through her poetry, she brought a distinctive feminine voice to Urdu literature. She is recognized for her consistent use of the rare grammatical feminine gender for the word “lover”.
She started writing at a very young age. She wrote both prose and poetry, contributed columns in Urdu newspapers, and a few articles in English dailies. Initially, she wrote under the pen-name “Beena”. The renowned Urdu poet published her first volume of poetry, Khushbu (Fragrance), to great acclaim in 1976.
After teaching for nine years, she joined the Civil Services of Pakistan and worked in the customs department. In 1986, she was appointed second secretary of the Central Board of Revenue in Islamabad, Pakistan.
Arguably the most popular poetess in the literary history of Pakistan, Parveen Shakir expressed the sensibilities of a young lovelorn girl with the innocence of a girl next door and the innovation of an adept poet.
She enlivened the tales and traditions of love in a different yet beautiful way. Her first book, Khushboo, met an instant and incredible success. Her romantic poems and ghazals stirred the sentiments of youthful readers. She was awarded one of the highest honours in Pakistan, the Pride of Performance, for her outstanding contributions to literature.