Ashfaq Hussain was born on January 1, 1951 at Karachi and lives in Candada. His full name is Ashfaq Hussain Zaidi. He is a leading modern Urdu poet and an author of more than 10 books of poetry and literary criticism. He is considered by many as the foremost expert on the life and works of great Urdu poets Faiz Ahmed Faiz, Ahmad Faraz and also on Progressive Writers Movement. Ashfaq Hussain was born in a lower middle class family. The eldest son of eight siblings, he lost his mother at the age of 13. He struggled throughout his academic years by working various part time jobs. He earned his Master’s Degree in Urdu Literature from the University of Karachi in 1974. Hussain was elected Vice President of the Students Union of Urdu Department in 1973. He then spent one year as lecturer at Government Degree Science College, Karachi. Before migrating to Canada, Hussain was working as a Programme Officer at the Arts Council of Pakistan Karachi. Hussain migrated to Canada in March 1980 and currently resides in Brampton, a suburb of Toronto. He initially started his business in Travel and Tourism industry. Hussain founded the Writers Forum of Pakistani Canadians in 1982 and was subsequently elected President of the organization. He then established U.I. Publishers, through which he edited and published the quarterly Urdu journal, “Urdu International Canada” until 1988. He started hosting an Urdu program on Asian Television Network in 1980. Hussain is now an Associate Producer at Asian Television Network, Newmarket. He is regularly hosting the following TV shows: Urdu Rang, Asian Horizon and Asian Digest. He has won many awards including Maulana Mohammad Ali Johar Award (Delhi, India), Saleem Jafri International Award (Doha, Qatar) and Asian Television Network Life Time Achievement Award 2007 (Newmarket, Canada). His books include: 1. Faiz Ek Jaiza (1977), 2. Aitabar (1979)  3. That Day Will Dawn (1985), 4. Neendar Nal Rishta (1986), 5. Ham Ajnabi Hain (1992) 6. Faiz Habib e Amberdast (1992) 7. Faiz ke Maghrabi Hawaley (1993), 8. Faiz shakhsiat aur fun (2006) 9. Ahmad Faraz: yadoon ka ek sunehra waraq (2008), 10. Aashian Gum Karda (2009)