Founders

AJEET COUR

                       Padma Shri

 

EMINENT PUNJAB`I LITTERATEURE

CULTURAL IMPRESARIO

SOCIAL ACTIVIST

ENVIRONMENT and HERITAGE  ACTIVIST

 

FOUNDER PRESIDENT :

FOUNDATION OF SAARC WRITERS AND LITERATURE

Registration No. S-39661,  June 8, 2001

 

FOUNDER PRESIDENT :

ACADEMY OF FINE ARTS AND LITERATURE

Registration No. S-8780, September 15, 1977

 

 

 

ADDRESS

Academy of Fine Arts and Literature

4/6 Siri Fort Institutional Area, New Delhi –110049.

Tel : 26498070, 26496542  

E-mails :   [email protected]

 

 

Born: Lahore, November 16, 1934.

Masters in Economics  from Delhi University.

HONOURS :

  • 2024  FELLOWSHIP BY NATIONAL ACADEMY OF LETTERS : SAHITYA AKADEMI (HIGHEST  HONOUR)
  • 2006- PADMASHRI  
  • 1986- SAHITYA AKADEMI AWARD (HIGHEST LITERARY AWARD OF INDIA). FOR ‘KHANA BADOSH’.
  • 1989 BHARATIYA BHASHA PARISHAD AWARD, KOLKATA..
  • SELECTED ‘ONE OF THE THOUSAND PEACE CRUSADORS OF THE WORLD  FOR COLLECTIVE NOBEL PEACE PRIZE’.
  • 1992- AWARDED ‘MOST HONOURED CREATIVE PERSONALITY OF PUNJAB’.
  • 2004- AWARDED AS ‘MOST HONOURED PUNJABI WRITER’ BY PUNJABI UNIVERSITY, PATIALA.
  • BEST WRITER OF PUNJAB BY DR. M.S. RANDHAWA.
  • 2019  COVEMPU AWARD
  • SHIROMANI SAHITKAR AWARD FOR ‘GULBANO’ BY PUNJAB GOVT. 1962.
  • 1984 INTERNATIONAL IATA AWARD
  • 1986 BAWA BALWANT AWARD
  • 1990 DHALIWAL AWARD

 SHORT STORY COLLECTIONS :

AUTHORED

 

  • Gulbano
  • Butt Shikan
  • Mehak Di Maut
  • Faltu Aurat
  • Saviyan Chirian
  • Maut Ali Babe Dee
  • Na Maaro
  • Apne Apne Jangal
  • November Chaurasi
  • Kasaayee Waarha
  • Kaale Khooh
  • Nahin, Saanoo Koyee Taqleef Nahi

 

NOVELLAS :

 

  • Dhupp Wala Shehar
  • Post Mortem
  • Gauri
  • Kattiyan Lakeeran
  • Dhooan Dhooan Aasmaan
  • Hauke Dee Haneri

 

 

OTHER BOOKS :

 

  • Aidhrn Odhron (Collection of her articles)
  • Takiye Da Peer
  • Neela Ghumiyar

17 Sketches of Writers Friends

 

AUTOBIOGRAPHY (in two volumes):

 

  • Khaana Badosh
  • Koorha Kabaarha

 

TRANSLATIONS AND TRANSCREATIONS :

 Emerson’s Essays, Henry James’ Portrait of a Lady, K.A. Abbas’s Return of the Red Rose, Hawthorn’s The Scarlet Letter, Khushwant Singh’s The Sikhs,

Sitakant Mahapatra’s Chirhiye Nee Too Kee Jaane, Ramakanta Rath’s Raatan Hoyeean Lammiyan.

 

 

 

 

TRAVELOGUE :

 

  • Kache Rangaan Da Shehar, London

 

TRANSLATED BOOK IN ENGLISH :

 

  • Pebbles in a Tin Drum (Autobiography)
  • The Other Woman (Short Stories Collection)
  • Leftovers (Short Stories Collection)
  • Dead End (Short Story Collections)
  • Weaving Water (Autobiography)
  • Life Was Here Somewhere (Short story collection)

 

TRANSLATED BOOK IN HINDI :

 

  • Khanabadosh
  • Koorha Kabarah
  • Gauri
  • Kaale Kuen
  • Kannu
  • Kasaayee Waarha
  • Dastaan Ek Jangli Raat Ki
  • Postmartem
  • Das Pratinidhi Kahaniyan
  • Yahin Kahin Hoti Thi Jindagi
  • Idhar Udhar Se
  • Apne Apne Jangal
  • Neela Kumhaar

 

Several of her books are translated in Banga, Malayalam, Assamese, Oriya, Gujrati and Urdu.

 

 

RESEARCH WORKS :

 

  • History of Punjabi Literaturefor ‘Encyclopedia of Indian Literature’.
  • In 1977, compiled and edited the first-ever DIRECTORY OF INDIAN WOMEN. Commissioned by Govt. of India. It contained bio-datas of 6000 women achievers in different professions.

UNESCO declared it the ‘Most Comprehensive Document of Women Achievers of a country anywhere in the world'.

 EDITED AND COMPILED:

  • 48  anthologies of Fiction and Poetry and Ideas of eminent writers of the SAARC Region  including :

 

  • Chasing the Clouds and Other Stories
  • SAARC Writers Building Bridges For Cultural Harmony and Peace
  • Voices of Asia : An Anthology of SAARC Fiction
  • Shamsur Rahman : A Witness of His Times
  • Beyond Borders : An Anthology of SAARC Poetry
  • Cultural Connectivity for Peace in South Asia
  • Our Voices : An Anthology of SAARC Poetry
  • Ghar Barabar Laltein and Other Stories (Hindi)
  • City in an Oyester
  • Folklore : The Intangible Cultural Heritage of SAARC Region

       Volume-I and II

  • Together We Survive
  • Folklore : Across the Boundaries of the SAARC Region
  • Folklore : Stagnant Ponds Flowing Rivers
  • The Songs We Share
  • Gone with the Soil : An Anthology of Fiction from SAARC Countries
  • The Eight Neighbours : Together We Survive
  • Sufism : A Celebration of Love
  • Women Hold Up Half The Sky
  • A Silver Anklet and Other Stories

 

  • Published books of SAARC Authors :

 

  • Ripples of the Mahanadi, by Mayadhar Mansinha
  • In the Other Bengal : A Creative Travelogue, by Ramkumar Mukhopadhyay
  • The Arrival : A novel portraying emancipation of a Dalits life,

by A.M. Gondane

  • Crying for Kurukshetra : a Play, by Suryakanthi Tripathi
  • Padma Meghna Jamuna : Modern Poetry From Bangladesh, by Kaiser Haq
  • Tagore and Nazrul Islam : Vision and Poetry, Edited by Sitakant Mahapatra, Prafulla K. Mohanty
  • Buddhism : Message of Peace, Edited by Renuka Singh

 

 

  • BEYOND BORDERS, the first SAARC Journal of the Region.

 

 

PAPERS PRESENTED  at Universities in India and abroad :

 

  • ‘Punjab, Punjabi Culture, Punjabi Literature’
  • ‘Indian Cultural Heritage’
  • Cultural Connectivity in SAARC Region
  • Multi-Dimensional Problem Areas in the SAARC Region
  • Fiction of SAARC Writers
  • Poetry of SAARC Poets
  • Environment : Common Concern of the SAARC Region
  • Socio-Economic Problems in SAARC Countries
  • Voices of SAARC Women
  • Need for Translations of SAARC Literature
  • Sufism and Bhakti and Budhism : Cultural and Civilisational links in the SAARC Region
  • Two Punjabs and Two Bengals : Common Heritage and Language Links
  • Punjabi Fiction
  • Contemporary Punjabi Fiction after Partition
  • Influence of Partition on Punjabi Writing
  • Progressive Writers of Punjab
  • Punjabi Poetry
  • Writer’s Concerns
  • ‘During My Journey for Cultural Connectivity in the SAARC Region’ some Anecdotes

 

In many Indian Universities, and in Library of Congress Washington,  Stockholm, Gothenburg, Frankfurt, Copenhagen, Athens, Istanbul, Cairo, Several Universities in Pakistan : in Lahore, Punjab University, Government College University, Hajvery University, Islamabad, Multan University, Peredeniya University Sri Lanka, Jahangirnagar University and University of Dhaka, Bangladesh, Tribhuvan University Nepal, etc.

 

 

 

SPECIAL GUEST:

LECTURED, while she was the Guest in Cultural Exchange Programmes of :

  • Frankfurt Book Fair, 1986, 2006
  • Swedish Government, 1986
  • Soviet Union, 1989.
  • Government of China, 1991
  • Government of Hungary, 2001
  • U.S.  Library of Congress, 2009
  • SAARC Cultural Centre, Sri Lanka, 2010

 

 

 

 

  • OTHER DISTINCTIONS:

Five films have been  made on her stories.

Sixty eight doctorates have been done on her writings in various Indian Universities so far.

Eight Films made on her by National TV (Doordarshan), by US Library of Congress, by Mass Communication Graduates of Jamia (the film won an International Award in New York), by Michael Singh (U.S.A.), by Charu of National Institute of Films, Pune.

Film made on her by Meera Diwan, sponsored by Sahitya Akademi.

 

HER WORKS HAVE BEEN TRANSLATED IN MAJOR INDIAN AND FOREIGN LANGUAGES.

 

  • PIONEERED CULTURAL CONNECTIVITY WITH SAARC NEIGHBOURS,
    SINCE 1986.

Founder and President of FOUNDATION OF SAARC WRITERS AND LITERATURE (FOSWAL), the first Cultural and Literary Initiative in the SAARC region.

Launched in 1986, with the first-ever Conference of Indian and Pakistani Writers in New Delhi, FOSWAL is the first cultural and literary organisation to be honoured as a SAARC BODY (in 2001). In 2007, it was elevated to SAARC APEX BODY status. It is now the cultural wing of SAARC Secretariat and is authorised to work under the official SAARC Banner and SAARC LOGO. The Foundation organises writers’ and intellectuals’ Literary Festivals, Conferences and interactions with Universities in the SAARC region.

So far till 2024, 65 Festivals of SAARC Literature,   SAARC Folklore and Heritage,  Sufism,   Buddhism, Peace : civilisational links in the SAARC Region ON Environment amd Climate change : the Common Concerns of SAARC countries, Etcetera..

 

Has launched the first-ever ‘CENTRE OF SAARC LITERARY AND FOLKLORE STUDIES’.

Founder Member of ‘SAHR’: ‘SOUTH ASIANS FOR HUMAN RIGHTS’.

 

 

  • CONTRIBUTIONS AS CULTURAL IMPRESARIO

 

Founder Chairperson of ACADEMY OF FINE ARTS AND LITERATURE, functioning in Delhi since 1977, with DPI United Nations Status. Eminent writer  Khushwant Singh was its President.

 

Former Prime Minister Shree V.P. Singh jee was its Chief Advisor for several years.

Member of the Central Advisory Board On Culture,   Ministry of Tourism and Culture, Government of India ( 2006-2008).

 

Trustee, NATIONAL BOOK TRUST OF INDIA (  2006-2008).

 

Central Committee of Sahitya Akademi since 2008.

 

 

 

OTHER DIMENSIONS :

 

ENVIRONMENT AND HISTORICAL HERITAGE ACTIVIST :

 

  • Has saved 14thCentury Siri Fort Wall after fighting a case in the High Court, filed by Shree V.P. Singh jee. Won and an ASI   HERITAGE MUSEUM FOR CHILDREN.(Free entry) for the country’s best sculpture replicas with text.

 

 

  • Fought for 8 years a Public Interest Litigation case in the Supreme Court against slaughtering 8900  of trees in the Siri Fort Forest through M.L. Lahoty Senior Advocate..

 

 

 

  • Succeeded in saving Darya Khan Tombs from vandalising.

 

  • Fighting to save :

 

  • Ancient Khrki Masjid

 

  • Bulbul Ki Masjid      
  • Moth Ki Masjid
  • Trees all over Delhi       
  • Peacocks and birds in the Siri Fort Forest

 

SOCIAL ACTIVIST

 

  • Actively involved in the struggle of the oppressed and the marginalized, Dalits and   tribals, denotified and nomadic tribals.

 

  • The 50th Anniversary of Denotification of Notified Tribes was celebrated in our ACADEMY OF FINE ARTS AND LITERATURE in Delhi, for the first time ever.Prime Minister Shree V.P.Singh was the Chief Guest, writer Mahashweta Devi and writer Laxman Gaikwad were  Special Guests.

 

 

Website: www.courajeet.com