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Paigham Afaqui is an Indian writer, known particular for his Urdu novels and short stories
Paigham Afaqui was born in 1956 in Chanp village of Siwan district in Bihar in a farmer’s family. He did his schooling from his home town and did his B.A. Hons (English Literature) and M.A. History from the Aligarh Muslim University. He appeared in IAS examination in 1976 and worked in various important capacities in the Delhi Police and also as Principal of the Police Training College.
While in school some of his poems were published in newspapers and periodicals. While in university his short stories and poems were published in Aahang, tehrik, Aajkal and other literary magazines. He was also Secretary, Literary Society of Aligarh Muslim University in 1975-76 and played significant role in boosting fiction writing among students. A remarkable number of writers like Ghazanfer, Syed Mohd Ashraf, Tariq Chhatari, Ibne Kanwal, Ghyasur Rehman and poets like Farhat Ehsas, Obeid siddiqui, Mehtab Naqvi belong to this period. Most of them were either directly or indirectly influenced by senior writers Qazi Abdus Sattar and Shahryar. Paigham Afaqui has been a student of renowned historian Irfan Habib.
Paigham Afaqui's name as a writer came in eminence after publication of his novel Makaan in 1989 which was widely reviewed in Urdu and English. His two other books: 'Mafia', a collection of short stories and 'Darinda': a collection of poems were also acclaimed.
For a job he appeared in the Union Public Service Commission and qualified for all the services but being underage he was offered police service. He was posted in Andaman & Nicobar Islands where he remained at various places for four years. Since 1984 he is in Delhi Police where he has served in the fields of district police administration, airport security, public safety, police training, anti-corruption and crime investigation.
While in the university he published short stories in literary magazines like Aahang, Aajkal, Tehrik. In the university he was Secretary of University Literary Club, AMU, Aligarh. In 1989 he published his first major novel Makan. In 1990 he founded Indian Academy of Fiction. In 1994 he was involved in the making of a TV serial in which he familiarized himself in film making and made many other TV programs. He gives talks on film making to the students of Mass Media in Jawaharlal Nehru University. In 1996 he developed software for writing scripts and founded Screenplay House.
In 1994-95 he was Secretary, Crescent Education Society that runs a number of schools in Delhi. In 1997 he was Vice-President of AMU Old Boy’s Association, Delhi. During this period he also wrote a variety of philosophical books and articles of literary and social nature. He has been reading short stories on All Indian Radio and participating in its discussion. He has been usually appearing in literary programs of Bazm and Kahkashan on National Tele-vision.
His novel Makan is considered a beacon in the present scenario of Urdu fiction. Besides Makan, his major achievement is a literary movement for revival of contemporariness and nativity In Urdu novel and fiction. He is on the panel of directors of IGNOU for making programs for Mass Education.
He is considered one of the most eminent writers and poets in modern Urdu and has contributed it as a trendsetter.
He has been prominently profiled and interviewed by |English national dailies and journals like Hindustan Times, Times of India, Pioneer, National Herald, Patriot, Tribune, Mid-Day and Link and numerous Hindi and Urdu dailies and journals. He has delivered talks in JNU on Film making as regular panelist, and makes regular appearance on TV channels: DD-1, DD-2, E-TV, Jain TV, City-TV etc.
Positions and Awards
§ Secretary, University Literary Club, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh 1975-76
§ Chairman;Fiction Academy, Delhi [Regd] fictionacademy.blogspot.com involved in the study of quality and utility of film,TV and written fiction and its impact on society.
§ Patron, http://marvelbjmc.blogspot.com of Journalism & Mass Communication, Siwan, Bihar of UGC approved MMH A&P University, Patna.
§ Awards: Firoz Gandhi Memorial Award
§ Urdu Academy, UP First Award for Book
§ Urdu Academy, Govt. of Delhi : Award For Contribution to Fiction
§ Millennium Award for Fiction : Jamia Urdu, Aligarh
Works
§ Published Books: Makaan [Novel] English, Urdu & Hindi, Darinda [Poetry] Urdu & Hindi, Mafia
[Short Stories] Urdu & Hindi, The Hanging Man [English]
§ Novel MAKAAN
§ Novel PALEETA
§ Short Stories MAFIA
§ Poetry DARINDA
§ Directed & scripted 13 episodes DD commissioned serial Tootne Ke Baad which was telecast on DD Metro and retelecast 8 times during 3 years on DD-2, DD-1 and DD-Bharti.
§ Directed and scripted 30 Minutes documentary titled: Idul-Azha telecast 5 times on the day of the festival. Directed and scripted 13 episode sponsored serial Dunk telecast on DD-1
§ Directed and scripted documentary series Farms Houses of Delhi telecast on Delhi Doordarshan.
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