Khadija Mastoor

Khadija Mastoor (; 11 December 192725 July 1982) was a Pakistani Urdu-language short story writer and novelist. Her 1962 novel Aangan is widely considered a literary masterpiece in Urdu literature, and has been adapted into a television drama series. Her younger sister Hajra Masroor was also a writer, while famous poet Khalid Ahmad was her younger step-brother.

Family

Khadija was born on 11 December 1927 in Bareilly, British India. Her father, Tahawwur Ahmad Khan, was a doctor and a government employee. Her mother, Anwar Jahan Begum was an educated woman with a strong interest in writing, her articles were published in several women's magazines. As a result, the home environment was literary in nature. She had seven siblings – five sisters and two brothers – several of whom went on to become prominent writers, including Hajra Masroor and her step-brother, Khalid Ahmad.

Early life Khadija and her younger sister Hajra developed an interest in writing stories at a young age. Their stories began to be published in children's magazines of the time, which motivated her to continue. As she grew older, her stories were featured in prominent literary magazines such as Saqi, Adabi Duniya, and Aam-Gir, helping her establish a unique identity.

Aangan (1962) Khadija's novel Aangan is regarded as one of the finest novels in Urdu and became her defining work. In 1963, she received the prestigious Adamjee Literary Award for her novel.

A Pakistani television series based on the novel, featuring Mawra Hocane, Ahad Raza Mir, Ahsan Khan, and Sajal Aly, aired on Hum TV from 2018 to 2019.