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Salma Awan

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Salma Awan
Native name
سلمیٰ اعوان
BornPakistan
OccupationFiction writer, columnist, travelogue author
LanguageUrdu
NationalityPakistani
GenreFiction, travelogue, short stories, essays
Years active20th century–present
Notable worksSafar Mere Andar Ka, Tanha, Lahoo Rang Falasteen, Zaitoon ke Jhund, Hairat Bhari Aankh Mein Cheen
Notable awardsSitara-e-Imtiaz (2024)[1], Aasar Award, Lifetime Achievement Award (2024)

Salma Awan (Urdu: سلمیٰ اعوان) is a Pakistani fiction writer, columnist, and travelogue author, known for her work on Urdu literature. She has published several short story collections and novels and is known for her travelogues on cultural and political landscapes, especially in the Middle East.[2][3]

Literary career

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Salma Awan's work spans multiple genres including short stories,[4] novels, and travelogues. Her fiction often addresses social themes and human psychology. She has contributed regularly to Pakistani newspapers and literary magazines through her columns and essays.[5]

She is also known for her travel writing, on regions such as the Middle East, Central Asia, and Europe.[6]

Selected works

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Some of her notable works include:

  • Safar Mere Andar Ka – A travelogue reflecting inner and outer journeys
  • Be-Samar Pairhon Ki Kahani – A short story collection
  • Zaitoon ke Jhund – Essays and reflections on Palestine
  • Taj Mahal ke Saaye Talay – Travelogue on India
  • [[Tanha]] – A novel set in the context of former East Pakistan[7][8][9][10][11]
  • Hairat Bhari Aankh Mein Cheen – A travelogue[12][13][14]
  • Barf Mein Dhansi Aurat Kuch kahti Hai – Short stories[15]
  • [[Zarghoona]] - Novel[16]
  • [[Beech Bacholan]] - Short stories[17]
  • Lahoo Rang Falasteen - Novel[18][19]
  • Aalmi Adab Ki Faroza'n Qandeelain - [20]
  • Sheeba - Novel[21]
  • Roos Ki Aik Jhalak - Travelogue on Russia[22]
  • ٰItaly Hai Dekhne Ki Cheez - Travelogue on Italy[23]

Recognition

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  • Awan's novel Lahoo Rang Palestine was also the subject of a thesis at the University of Peshawar.[24]
  • In a 2024 column titled "Shehr ka Adabi Chehra", poet and columnist Saud Usmani praised Salma Awan as an author of 27 books who brings forth characters from streets, homes, and eateries—everyday spaces that reflect deeper historical, geographical, literary, and cultural realities. He described her as a writer who allows her characters to speak for themselves, observing the world through her own eyes and sharing that vision with her readers. Her work, he noted, is marked by a shared restlessness across voices, expressed through diverse yet unified modes. Calling her "a free-spirited bird with the fate of a nomad," he congratulated her on receiving the Aasar Award.[25]
  • On 20 April 2024, Salma Awan received a Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of her literary contributions.[26]
  • Salma Awan was awarded the Sitara-i-Imtiaz by the Government of Pakistan on 23 March 2025 in recognition of her literary services.[27]

References

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  1. ^ Usman, Muhammad (14 August 2024). "President confers national awards on 104 personalities". www.thenews.com.pk. The News International. Retrieved 5 August 2025.
  2. ^ "Salma Awan", writer profile on Jang (in Urdu). Retrieved from https://jang.com.pk/writer/salma-awan
  3. ^ "Author: غلام حسین سجاد", HumSub – author profile page cataloguing works by Ghulam Hussain Sajjad (in Urdu). Retrieved from https://www.humsub.com.pk/author/ghulam-hussain-sajjad/
  4. ^ "سلمیٰ اعوان", SalamUrdu – category page for Urdu short stories by Salma Awan in Urdu afsanay section (in Urdu). Retrieved from https://salamurdu.com/category/urdu‑writings/urdu‑afsanay/salma‑awan
  5. ^ "Salma Awan – Urdu Columns Archive", Daily Urdu Columns (in Urdu). Retrieved from https://dailyurducolumns.com/salma-awan/1
  6. ^ "سلمیٰ اعوان کی تمام تحریریں", Rekhta (Urdu writer profile and list of works). Retrieved from https://www.rekhta.org/authors/salma-awan/all
  7. ^ "تنہا: (21) – سابق مشرقی پاکستان پر لکھا گیا اثر انگیز ناول", HumSub (Urdu column by Salma Awan, 28 July 2025). Retrieved from https://humsub.com.pk/n/7218/2025/07/28/salma-awan/
  8. ^ "Author: سلمیٰ اعوان", HumSub – author profile page cataloguing her works (in Urdu). Retrieved from https://www.humsub.com.pk/author/salma-awan/
  9. ^ "سلمی اعوان کا ناول: تنہا", Artikel by Tasmia Nawaz on HumSub (scenario and review of *Tanha*, Dec 17, 2024). Retrieved from HumSub: https://www.humsub.com.pk/435379/tasmia-nawaz-13/
  10. ^
  11. ^ فرحت طاہر (9 دسمبر 2018)۔ "تنہا۔۔۔ سقوطِ ڈھاکہ کے پس منظر میں لکھا ناول"۔ قلم کارواں۔ حاصل شدہ بتاریخ 5 اگست 2025۔ qalamkarwan.com
  12. ^ "Hairat Bhari Aankh Mein Cheen", e‑book by Salma Awan, Rekhta Urdu E‑book Library (in Urdu). Retrieved from Rekhta: https://www.rekhta.org/ebooks/hairat‑bhari‑aankh‑mein‑cheen‑salma‑awan‑ebooks?toc=1
  13. ^ "Hairat Bhari Aankh Mein Cheen", artifact profile on South Asia Commons (a publication by Rekhta Foundation), documenting the book by Salma Awan. Retrieved from South Asia Commons: https://southasiacommons.net/artifacts/16875091/hairat‑bhari‑aankh‑mein‑cheen/17760081/
  14. ^ "Italy Hai Dekhnay Ki Cheez", travelogue by Salma Awan, State Bank of Pakistan Library catalog. Imprint: Islamabad: Dost Publications, 2017; ISBN 9789694965208; 224 pages. Retrieved from SBP Library Online: sbplibrary.sbp.org.pk/book/detail/95071/1
  15. ^ "Barf Mein Dhansi Aurat Kuch Kahti Hai", e‑book by Salma Awan, Rekhta Urdu E‑book Library; published by Dost Publications, Islamabad, 2016. Retrieved from Rekhta: https://www.rekhta.org/ebooks/detail/barf‑mein‑dhansi‑aurat‑kuch‑kahti‑hai‑salma‑awan‑ebooks?lang=ur
  16. ^ "Zarghoona", e‑book by Salma Awan, Rekhta Urdu E‑book Library (2012). Retrieved from Rekhta: https://www.rekhta.org/ebooks/detail/zarghoona‑salma‑awan‑ebooks?lang=ur
  17. ^ "Beech Bacholan", e‑book by Salma Awan, Rekhta Urdu E‑book Library. Retrieved from Rekhta: https://www.rekhta.org/ebooks/detail/beech‑bacholan‑salma‑awan‑ebooks?lang=ur
  18. ^ "سلمیٰ اعوان پر مقالہ", Article by Hina Jamshed on HumSub (in Urdu), published on HumSub: https://www.humsub.com.pk/591167/hina-jamshed-72/
  19. ^ "لہو رنگ فلسطین", Nawai Waqt Urdu newspaper (13 August 2014). Retrieved from Nawai Waqt: https://www.nawaiwaqt.com.pk/13-Aug-2014/321835
  20. ^ "Aalmi Adab Ki Frozan Qandeelain" [عالمی ادب کی فروزاں قندیلیں], by Salma Awan. Digitized on Internet Archive. Retrieved from https://archive.org/details/AlmiAdabKiFrozanQandeelainBySalmaAwan
  21. ^ "Sheeba", novel by Salma Awan, available as an e‑book in Rekhta's Urdu E‑book Library. Retrieved from Rekhta: https://www.rekhta.org/ebooks/detail/sheeba-salma-awan-ebooks
  22. ^ "Roos Ki Ek Jhalak", e‑book by Salma Awan, available in the Rekhta Urdu E‑book Library. Retrieved from Rekhta: https://www.rekhta.org/ebooks/detail/roos‑ki‑ek‑jhalak‑salma‑awan‑ebooks
  23. ^ "Italy Hai Dekhne Ki Cheez", travelogue by Salma Awan, available as an e‑book in the Rekhta Urdu E‑book Library. Retrieved from Rekhta: https://www.rekhta.org/ebooks/detail/italy-hai-dekhne-ki-cheez-salma-awan-ebooks
  24. ^ """Tanha": A Case Study of Salma Awan's Novel", research article in *Khayaban*, the peer‑reviewed research journal of the Urdu Department, University of Peshawar. Retrieved from University of Peshawar OJS: http://ojs.uop.edu.pk/khayaban/article/view/1018
  25. ^ Usmani, Saud (22 April 2024). "شہر کا ادبی چہرہ" [The Literary Face of the City]. *Daily Dunya* (in Urdu). Retrieved from https://dunya.com.pk/index.php/column-detail-print/47498
  26. ^ Riaz, Bilquis (28 April 2024). "سلمیٰ اعوان کا لائف ٹائم ایچیومنٹ ایوارڈ" [Salma Awan's Lifetime Achievement Award]. *Nawai Waqt* (in Urdu). Retrieved from https://www.nawaiwaqt.com.pk/28‑Apr‑2024/1784973
  27. ^ نوائے وقت (6 اپریل 2025)۔ "سلمیٰ اعوان کو اردو ادب میں خدمات پر خراجِ تحسین"۔ حاصل شدہ بتاریخ 5 اگست 2025۔ nawaiwaqt.com.pk
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