Who is Abdul Qavi Desnavi

Who is Abdul Qavi Desnavi| Life and Career

Abdul Qavi Desnavi was an Urdu writer, bibiliographer, critic and linguist. He is well known for the evolution in Urdu literature in India. He has been awarded with several awards for his literary works.

Life

He was born in Desna village, Asthawan block under Nalanda District in Bihar state into the family of Muslim scholar Syed Sulaiman Nadvi, who was Professor of Urdu, Arabic and Persian languages in St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai. He had two brothers, elder Prof. Syed Mohi Raza and younger Syed Abdul Wali Desnavi.

Career

He got his primary education in Arrah town of Bihar and completed his Graduation and Post Graduation from St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai. After completion of his education, he joined Urdu department in Saifia Post Graduate College in February 1961. He became Professor and head of the Urdu department of Saifia College.

His Career span over 5 decades in which he have written over 50 books ranged from fiction, biographies, poetry, and anthologies. He has mentored Urdu writers such as Javed Akhtar and Iqbal Masood.

• His magnum opus was ‘Hayat-e-Abul Kalam Azad’ based on the life of freedom fighter Maulana Azad published in 2000.

• His other major works include ‘Ek Shahar Panch Mashahirs’, ‘Urdu Shairi Ki Gyarah Aawazein’, ‘Bachchon Ka Iqbal’, ‘Allama Iqbal Bhopal Mein’, and ‘Bhopal Aur Ghalib’.

At the age of 80, Desnavi passed away on July 7, 2011.