Writer Naiyer Masud, who translated Franz Kafka’s works into Urdu, dies at 81
Prof Naiyer Masud, known as the person who translated German writer Franz Kafka into Urdu, passed away Monday afternoon. Born in 1936, Masud was celebrated for his innovative works which were translated into many languages.
Prof Naiyer Masud, known as the person who translated German writer Franz Kafka’s works into Urdu, passed away Monday afternoon.
Expressing his grief over Masud’s demise, Bollywood filmmaker Hansal Mehta tweeted, “RIP Naiyer Masud. A master storyteller whose writing perhaps has no parallels in Urdu literature. Will try getting Naiyer Masud’s Urdu works out in the form of podcasts or audio books. His writing must be celebrated.”
Born in 1936, Masud was celebrated for his innovative works which were translated into many languages and was also famous for his knowledge on Lucknow and its history. He had been ill for some time, and died at his home in Turiaganj. He was buried at the Munshi Fazley Husian Karbala in Haiderganj.
Masud translated 20 short stories of Kafka in 1978 and he had also written several short stories. He had written 35 novels which had been translated into various languages such as French, Polish, Spanish and Finnish. Masud had also enjoyed a stint as the head of the Persian department at Lucknow University.
The Collected works of Naiyer Masud was recently translated by the Oxford University Press.
Masud was awarded the Padma Shri for Literature and Education in 1970. He was also honoured with the Sahitya Akademi Award for Urdu (2001) and the Saraswati Samman (2007).
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