Dr. Waheed Ahmad, Urdu Poet and Novelist

Dr. Waheed Ahmad

Dr. Waheed Ahmed, (Urdu:ڈاکٹروحیداحمد) is a renowned Urdu poet based in Islamabad, Pakistan. He specialises in the genre of Nazm and has two books of poetry to his credit: Shaffafian, and Ham aag churate hein. Waheed has also written a novel, Zeno. Among his nazms, the most famous are Khana Badosh (Gypsy), Ham Shair Hotay HeiN (We, The Poets), Murammat Kon Karta Hai (Who Mends), Sawagat (Reception), The Dive and Intizaar (Waiting). Waheed is a civil servant by profession, in the Government of Pakistan.

Waheed Ahmed was born in Lyallpur now Faisalabad in 1959. He is a medical doctor by qualification. He started writing poetry in 1978 at the age of 19 years. His first collection of poetry was published in 1994 and the second one in 2002. The first edition of his Urdu novel "Zeno" was published in 2003. The second edition was published in 2004 and the third edition in 2007. He has been bestowed with a unique style of writing verses. His poems are very forceful blending classical literature with modern realities. Sometimes he writes on an ordinary topic but expands the range, encompassing historical perspective of the theme and ending with the contemporary vision of the poet. He is an iconoclast who breaks taboos to smithreens and builds a new paradigm which is enchanting, captivating and thought provoking. By reading his poetry, one comes to the conclusion that Urdu is a progressive language.

Waheed Ahmed's Urdu novel "Zeno" has been translated into Swedish by the title "Zino" by a Swedish translator Nina Costelo and is available in many libraries of Sweden and Scandinavian countries. It is expected that it will also be translated into other languages including English. A united forum of libraries in Stockholm rated it the best novel of 2004. Its translation in Sindhi language is also in process. Indian literary magazine "Sha'ir" also rated it the best Urdu novel of 2004.

Zeno has been written in five years. The author started it writing in 1998 and finished it in 2003 when its first edition was published from Faisalabad (Pakistan).Its second edition was published in 2004 from Islamabad. The third edition was again published from Faisalabad.

The novel is written in a poetic diction. Zeno, the imaginary hero of the novel, is a contemporary of Aristotle and Alexander and has his own intellectual view of life. He accompanies Alexander throughout his adventures. While traveling through the Northern Areas of Pakistan, a storm buried him under the snow. Zeno reappears at the dawn of the 21st century. He visits many countries and talks to many characters including members of G8.

Some readers tend to compare Zeno, the imaginary hero of the novel, with Zeno of Elea or Zeno of Citium. This is not a right comparison. It is just a coincidence that the writer has named his hero as Zeno. There was no important character by the name of Zeno at the time of Aristotle, who accompanied Alexander from Greece to India.