Munawar Shakeel: A Scholarly Craftsman

As cobbling was the family business, and also because his father died when he was just a young boy, Munawar has been working as a cobbler for the past thirty years, as well as a part-time a newspaper vendor in his town of Rodala in Faisalabad. Although he wasn’t capable to get formal education, he really wanted to learn how to read, so he taught himself.  Eventually he became very passionate about reading and began writing when he was 13. That is how he developed into a poet. He writes in Punjabi and most eloquently captures the plight and misery of the common man, which is the reason of his immense popularity among the public as they can truly relate to his poetry which consists of poems and ghazals.

Munawar is a part of literary groups such as Royal Adabi Academy and Naqeebi Karvan-e-Adab, and has received recognition by Pakistan Writer’s Guild and Punjabi Sevak. This has led to his winning many awards.

Books

Five of his books have been published in the following order. In 2004 Soch Smandar. In 2005, Pardes Di Sangat. In 2009, Saddiyan De Bhait. In 2011, Jhora Dhap Gawachi Da. In 2013, Akhaan Mitti Ho Gaiyaan.

His sixth book Taanghan which comprises of 112 ghazals, will be out this month!