Author

Saadat Hasan Manto

The most fearless Urdu short-story writer of the 20th century and chronicler of Partition

2Books in store

Partition-era short storiesKnown for

Saadat Hasan Manto, 11 May 1912 – 18 January 1955) was a Pakistani writer, playwright and author who was active in British India and later, after the 1947 partition of India, in Pakistan.

Writing mainly in Urdu, he produced 22 collections of short stories, a novel, five series of radio plays, three collections of essays and two collections of personal sketches. His best short stories are held in high esteem by writers and critics. He is best known for his stories about the partition of India, which he opposed, immediately following independence in 1947.Manto's most notable work has been archived by Rekhta.

Manto was tried six times for alleged obscenity in his writings; thrice before 1947 in British India, and thrice after independence in 1947 in Pakistan, but was never convicted. He is acknowledged as one of the finest 20th-century Urdu writers and is the subject of two biographical films: the 2015 film Manto, directed by Sarmad Khoosat and the 2018 film Manto, directed by Nandita Das

Born1912 · Samrala, Punjab, British India

Notable works Toba Tek SinghThanda GoshtBu

HonoursNishan-e-Imtiaz, posthumous (Pakistan, 2012)

If you find my stories dirty, the society you are living in is dirty. With my stories, I only expose the truth.— Manto's statement in defence of his work at his obscenity trials