My name is Umera Ahmed and I am a well-known writer in the Urdu Literature Industry. My fans mostly know me through my diverse range of work - from Urdu novels, magazines to Urdu digest. However, not many people know about my own life story. I take this opportunity to tell you about myself. I was born on December 10, 1976 in Sialkot district of Pakistan. After completing my graduation from Murray College in Sialkot I pursued Master’s degree in English Literature. The fact that I have a master’s degree in English but choose to write novels in Urdu might surprise my fans! This is simply because Urdu was my native language and very close to my heart.
My Career
As a child, I always dreamt of being a writer. Writing stories were as natural as breathing to me. It gave me a sense of completeness. I started my career as an English teacher at Army Public College in Sialkot. I enjoyed my job, but my love for writing kept calling out to me. Soon I quit my job to devote more time to writing and this has so far been the best decision of my life.
I never thought I would be successful at such a young age. Fortunately, my very first story “ Zindagi Gulzar Hai” was published right away in an Urdu magazine and was much appreciated. In 1998, I sent the same article to a monthly urdu digest. The found my story so alluring that I was offered to write a complete novel based on it. At first I was quite apprehensive, but I went ahead and submitted a novel simple see if I had what it takes to me a good writer. To my surprise, the novel became a super hit! After that there was no looking back! I wrote many more stories for this digest, which gave an up-lift to my career and helped be gain recognition amongst other writers in my field.
Later in my life I married a wonderful man named Arsam Aftab. I wanted to keep my marriage a private affair so we did not have a lavish wedding. Only my near and dear ones attended my wedding. But soon the news of my wedding spread through social media like wildfire.
People sometimes ask me “What inspires you to write?”. I tell them that I chose this profession on the basis of my love of writing. My writing is based on life experiences. I hold a pen and start writing my thoughts in a notebook. I believe there is a story everywhere. I am also inspired to write because it brings out my creativity. I am a fiction writer, but I enjoy being called a philosopher. I love giving advice on relationships. I write what make me happy. I leave a hidden message in every story to let my reader ponder. It’s amazing how much fans can relate to my characters. It encourages me to write different novels.
My Achievements
As a novelist I have a collection of 16 books so far. Some of my successful Urdu novels are “Meri Zaat Zarra-e-Benishan”, “Daam”, “Doraha”, “Uraan”, “Behadd”, Sauda, etc . “Peer-e-Kamil” is one of my most popular stories and I have received great appreciation for this novel. Several famous plays have been based on these books.
Apart from Urdu novels and digest, I have written scripts for dramas. My greatest accomplishment was when my best selling Urdu novels and plays were wonderfully translated in to TV programs.
I won the best writer award for the drama series “Meri Zaat Zarra-e-Benishan”. This show is very popular and airs in different countries in the world. The shows “Zindagi Gulzar Hai”, “Maat”, and “Behadd” were written based on relationships between men and women. The relationships between men and women have always intrigued me. It inspires me to write for them. The irony is despite the way I write my characters; in real life I am not a romantic person. My work has also become very popular in India.
Currently I am writing my first Urdu feature film. I’m also working on two drama series and will continue to write a novel a year.
