callings of the archive
Writer Biographies
Every archived life recorded as writer, ordered by their place in the ledger.
Modern era
Annie Besant
October 1, 1847 – September 20, 1933
British socialist, theosophist, women's rights activist, writer and orator (1847-1933)
Modern era
Sheikh Abdullah
December 5, 1905 – September 8, 1982
Kashmiri politician (1905-1982)
Modern era
Ahmed Deedat
July 1, 1918 – August 8, 2005
South African writer and orator (1918–2005)
Modern era
Shah Ahmad Noorani
April 1, 1926 – December 11, 2003
Spiritual and political leader (1926–2003)
Early Modern era
Guru Arjan
April 15, 1563 – May 30, 1606
Guru of Sikhism (1563-1606)
Early Modern era
Guru Tegh Bahadur
April 1, 1621 – November 11, 1675
The ninth Guru of Sikhism (1621–1675)
Medieval era
Mirabai
1498 – 1546
16th-century Hindu mystic poet, saint and devotee of the god Krishna
Early Modern era
Tulsidas
1532 – 1623
Hindu saint and poet (1532–1623), author of the Ramcharitmanas and Hanuman Chalisa
Early Modern era
Surdas
b. c. 1500
Indian writer
Early Modern era
Tukaram
1608 – 1650
Bhakti sant-poet
Medieval era
Dnyaneshwar
1275 – 1296
13th-century Hindu Marathi saint and philosopher
Early Modern era
Raja Ram Mohan Roy
May 22, 1772 – September 27, 1833
Indian religious, social, and educational reformer, and humanitarian
Modern era
Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar
September 26, 1820 – July 29, 1891
Philosopher, academic, writer, translator, entrepreneur, social reformer and philanthropist (1820-1891)
Modern era
Savitribai Phule
January 3, 1831 – March 10, 1897
Indian social reformer (1831-1897)
Modern era
Paramahansa Yogananda
January 5, 1893 – March 7, 1952
Yogi, Kriya Yoga guru and founder of Self-Realization Fellowship (1893-1952)
Early Modern era
Mir Taqi Mir
May 28, 1723 – September 20, 1810
Indian Urdu language poet (1723-1810)
Modern era
Momin Khan Momin
1801 – May 14, 1852
Indian writer
Modern era
Daagh Dehlvi
May 25, 1831 – March 17, 1905
Indian poet
Modern era
Akbar Allahabadi
November 16, 1846 – September 9, 1921
Poet (1846-1921)
Modern era
Josh Malihabadi
December 5, 1898 – February 22, 1982
Shayar-e-Inqalab (1894-1982)
Modern era
Ehsan Danish
1914 – March 21, 1982
Pakistani poet, writer, linguist, and lexicographer (1914–1982)
Modern era
Nasir Kazmi
December 8, 1925 – March 2, 1972
Pakistani poet (1925–1972)
Modern era
Munir Niazi
April 9, 1923 – December 26, 2006
Punjabi poet (1923–2006)
Contemporary era
Mohsin Naqvi
May 5, 1947 – January 15, 1996
Pakistani poet (1947-1996)
Contemporary era
Fahmida Riaz
July 28, 1946 – November 21, 2018
Pakistani Urdu writer, poet, feminist (1946-2018)
Modern era
Kishwar Naheed
b. 1940
Pakistani writer
Modern era
Ada Jafarey
August 22, 1924 – March 12, 2015
Urdu poet (1924-2015)
Modern era
Ustad Daman
January 1, 1910 – December 3, 1984
Punjabi poet
Modern era
Anwar Masood
b. November 8, 1935
Punjabi poet
Early Modern era
Khushal Khan Khattak
1613 – February 19, 1689
Afghan poet
Modern era
Amrita Pritam
August 31, 1919 – October 31, 2005
Indian novelist, poet, and essayist (in Hindi and Punjabi languages) (1919–2005)
Modern era
Shiv Kumar Batalvi
July 23, 1936 – May 6, 1973
Punjabi poet (1936–1973)
Modern era
Jigar Moradabadi
April 6, 1890 – September 9, 1960
Indian writer (1890-1960)
Modern era
Firaq Gorakhpuri
August 28, 1896 – March 3, 1982
Urdu author (1896-1982)
Modern era
Majrooh Sultanpuri
October 1, 1919 – May 24, 2000
Indian Urdu poet and Hindi language lyricist (1919-2000)
Modern era
Sahir Ludhianvi
March 8, 1921 – October 25, 1980
Indian Urdu and Hindi poet (1921–1980)
Contemporary era
Javed Akhtar
b. January 17, 1945
Indian writer, poet and lyricist
Contemporary era
Rahat Indori
January 1, 1950 – August 11, 2020
Indian Bollywood lyricist and Urdu poet (1950–2020)
Modern era
Harivansh Rai Bachchan
November 27, 1907 – January 18, 2003
Indian Hindi poet, Father of Amitabh Bachchan (1907-2003)
Modern era
Mahadevi Varma
March 26, 1907 – September 11, 1987
Indian Hindi writer and poet (1907-1987)
Modern era
Subhadra Kumari Chauhan
August 16, 1904 – February 15, 1948
Indian Hindi poet, short-story writer and freedom fighter (1904–1948); wrote 'Jhansi Ki Rani'
Modern era
Subramania Bharati
December 11, 1882 – September 12, 1921
Tamil poet, social reformer, fighter for Indian freedom & women's rights
Thiruvalluvar
Tamil poet and philosopher
Avvaiyar
Honorific title used by multiple Tamil women poets from different periods of Tamil literature
Modern era
Kuvempu
December 29, 1904 – November 11, 1994
Indian poet, playwright, novelist, critic, and prolific thinker (1904–1994)
Modern era
Kazi Nazrul Islam
May 24, 1899 – August 29, 1976
National poet of Bangladesh (1899-1976)
Modern era
Michael Madhusudan Dutt
January 25, 1824 – June 29, 1873
Bengali poet and dramatist (1824–1873)
Modern era
Bankim Chandra Chatterjee
June 26, 1838 – April 8, 1894
Bengali writer, poet and journalist (1838-1894)
Modern era
Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay
September 15, 1876 – January 16, 1938
Bengali novelist and short story writer (1876-1938)
Modern era
Jibanananda Das
February 17, 1899 – October 22, 1954
Bengali Poet (1899-1954)
Contemporary era
Humayun Ahmed
November 13, 1948 – July 19, 2012
Author, poet, dramatist and film director (1948–2012)
Modern era
Ismat Chughtai
August 21, 1911 – October 24, 1991
Indian writer (1911-1991)
Modern era
Krishan Chander
November 23, 1914 – March 8, 1977
Indian writer (1914–1977)
Modern era
Rajinder Singh Bedi
September 1, 1915 – November 11, 1984
Indian author, director and screenwriter
Modern era
Mumtaz Mufti
September 11, 1905 – October 27, 1995
Pakistani writer (1905–1995)
Modern era
Wasif Ali Wasif
January 15, 1929 – January 18, 1993
Pakistani scholar (1929–1993)
Modern era
Intizar Hussain
December 7, 1923 – February 2, 2016
Pakistani fiction writer (1923-2016)
Modern era
Abdullah Hussain
March 25, 1920 – December 31, 2014
Malaysian novelist
Modern era
Ibn-e-Safi
July 26, 1928 – July 26, 1980
Pakistani writer (1928–1980)
Modern era
Naseem Hijazi
May 19, 1914 – March 2, 1996
Pakistani writer (1914-1996)