Ghalib Awards 2019: Professor Syeda Bilquees Fatima Husaini bags prize for her scholarship in Persian literature

Syeda Bilqees Fatima Husaini, an Associate Professor at the Aligarh Muslim University, was awarded the 2019 Ghalib Award for her scholarship in Persian literature. A doctorate in the language, Husaini graduated from the Benaras Hindu University and has multiple books and as many as 200 research papers to her credit. Following the announcement of the prize, her son, the poet and director Danish Husain took to Twitter to post a congratulatory note on 19 November. Danish, who has been instrumental in reviving Dastangoi, the art of Urdu storytelling wrote, “Thrilled that Mommy won the #GhalibAward for 2019 for her excellent scholarship in #Persian literature. Congrats Mom & thank you for being such a guide & mentor."

Thrilled that Mommy won the #GhalibAward for 2019 for her excellent scholarship in #Persian literature. Congrats Mom & thank you for being such a guide & mentor. May you be in good health & continue being the mentor you are. Aameen. ❤️🤗😍 Professor #SyedaBilqisFatemaHusaini pic.twitter.com/ho6mhxH8ia

— Danish Husain । دانش حُسین । दानिश हुसैन (@DanHusain) November 19, 2019

Husaini, the only woman to be awarded the Ghalib Award in 2019 has also been the 2018 recipient of the President’s Certificate of Honour for her study of Persian language and literature. The Ghalib Awards, named after the famed Urdu and Persian poet are dolled out every year by the Ghalib Institute to mark the contributions of authors and researchers to both languages. In 2018, noted lyricist and writer Javed Akhtar was conferred with the prize for Urdu poetry while it was Professor Sharaf-e-Alam who was the recipient of the Ghalib Award for Persian Research and Criticism.