Author Information:

Syeda Henna Babar Ali is an accomplished poet and music composer in both English and Urdu. She has received vocal training from Ustad Abdul Haq Qureshi, Ustad Nazim Ali Khan, Madam Farida Khanum, and Malika-e-Tranum Nur Jehan. Recently, Henna has begun to recite Hamd, Naat and Salam, recorded by Ali Mujtaba, for release on her YouTube channel “Syeda Henna Ali Babar”. Her personal mission: PEACE THROUGH POETRY AND MUSIC. syedahennababarali She wrote her first poem at the age of nine, in Urdu, and continues to write poetry in English and Urdu. She has authored nine books in English, the tenth one will be launched this year. She has two publications in Urdu, “Roshan Kinara” which is out of print, and Gardish-E-Dauran which is available. She is a perfectionist. When she showed her work to Faiz Ahmad Faiz, he said, “15 saal mein shayiri aa jaye gi,” to which she replied, “15 saal mein maut aa jaye gi, shayiri nahi”. She took her two notebooks which had 500 original couplets from Faiz Ahmad Faiz, drove in her mother’s blue 3.5X BMW, in full fury, back to her home very hurt and angry with Faiz Ahmad Faiz and his remarks. When she opened the entrance door her mother saw her disgust, anger and rage. In Punjabi she said, “Hun ki kaye Faiz kambakht ne?” She tried her best that Henna should give her the two Packages bound Urdu notebooks, one red and the other pistachio green. She rushed into the kitchen, tore the notebooks to shreds, chopped them up with a meat copper and burnt all on the gas stove. The paper ashes were thrown into the dustbin. Her mother still doesn’t forgive her for burning her poetry and is reluctant to forgive Faiz for such remarks to an emerging poet because of seething male jealousy. Bano Qudsia, Henna’s literary mother, was equally shocked and distraught at Faiz Sahib’s behavior and said to her, “Oye fittay moun Faiz da tu udday kol kyun gaye sain?” After that she promised herself to give English poetry top priority as a medium of expressive language. Hence, 9 books in English and 2 in Urdu.