Dr. Sadiqa Nawab Saher, Who Proved the Strength of Her Writing by Winning the Sahitya Akademi Award
By Afroz Khan, New Age Islam
19 May 2026
Dr. Sadiqua Nawab Saher is an acclaimed Urdu novelist and poet known for portraying women’s struggles, dignity, and social realities. In 2023, she received the Sahitya Akademi Award for Rajdev Ki Amarai, becoming the first Muslim woman in Urdu literature after 56 years to receive the honour.
Main Points:
· Dr. Sadiqua Nawab Saher is a noted Urdu novelist and poet.
· She won the Sahitya Akademi Award in 2023 for Rajdev Ki Amarai.
· Her writings focus on women’s struggles, dignity, and patriarchy.
· Her first famous novel was Kahani Koi Sunao, Mitasha.
· Her poetry and novels are known for emotional depth and realism.
“Even today, women must break many of the ‘fetters’ and restrictions created by men in society in order to move forward.” Dr. Sadiqua Nawab Saher
The renowned Urdu writer Qurratulain Hyder became the first Muslim woman to receive the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1967 for her short story collection Patjhar Ki Aawaz. After that, for a long period, no woman in Urdu literature received this prestigious award.
In 2023, after a gap of 56 years, the award was once again conferred upon a woman Urdu writer Dr. Sadiqua Nawab Saher for her novel Rajdev Ki Amarai.
Dr. Sadiqua Nawab Saher was born in Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, but her family wanted her to receive modern and higher education. With this aim, they enrolled her at Anjuman-e-Islam Girls’ School on Bellasis Road in Mumbai, where she completed her schooling. She later pursued higher studies at Sophia College and subsequently earned her Ph.D. degree from the University of Mumbai.
While studying at Anjuman-e-Islam Girls’ School, Dr. Sadiqua Nawab Saher wrote her very first nazm (poem). The poem received immense appreciation from her teachers and classmates. The appreciation she received for this poem during her school days transformed her hidden interest in writing into a serious literary passion, and from then onward, she never looked back.
In 2008, her first novel, Kahani Koi Sunao, Mitasha, was published. It became a highly popular and emotionally powerful Urdu novel in which Dr. Sadiqua Nawab Saher deeply portrayed the silent struggles and self-respect of women in society.
Through the character of Mitasha, Dr. Sadiqua Nawab Saher presented a strong and courageous woman who chooses to move ahead courageously instead of surrendering to rigid social norms, restrictions, and oppression. The novel profoundly captures the pain and helplessness experienced by women in society.
For this novel, Dr. Sadiqua Nawab Saher received the Jainendra Kumar Award from the Maharashtra State Hindi Sahitya Akademi.
She was also honoured with the Rashidatunnisa Award by the Bihar Urdu Sahitya Akademi,
the All India Award by the Uttar Pradesh Urdu Sahitya Akademi,
the Yuva Lekhak Prakashan Samman by the Bharatiya Bhasha Parishad, Kolkata, and the Himakshara National Award for her literary contributions at the national level.
In 2016, her novel Jis Din Se…! was published. The novel, based on human emotions and the complexities of relationships, received wide attention among readers. Apart from this, her novels Page Nadi Ka Machhera, Pattharon Ka Shehar, and Mannat also left a deep impact on readers.
In 2018, her celebrated poetry collection Satrangi was published. The collection primarily reflects feminist consciousness and women’s experiences. In it, Dr. Sadiqua Nawab Saher beautifully depicts the many colours of a woman’s life — sorrow, happiness, sacrifice, motherhood, self-respect, and struggle — which is why the collection was named Satrangi (“seven-coloured”).
“Kaise kahun ye tujh se gunahgaar main nahin,
Mana ki is khata mein kusurwar main nahin.”
“Tumhari yaad mein doobe kahaan kahaan se gaye,
Tumhare ishq mein hum apni zaat bhool gaye.”
“Deewangi jab had se guzar jaaye to kya ho,
Insaan apne saaye se darr jaaye to kya ho.”
“Dosh madhata hai mujh par yeh zamaana har ghadi,
Jaise is poore khel ki zimmedaar main hi.”
These ghazals express the inner conflict and emotional turmoil of a woman struggling against the double standards of a patriarchal society.
Speaking about women’s struggles, Dr. Sadiqua Nawab Saher says:
“Personally, I may not have faced many obstacles as a woman, but the truth is that even today women must break many ‘fetters’ and restrictions created by men in society.”
In 2023, Dr. Sadiqua Nawab Saher was announced as the recipient of the Sahitya Akademi Award for Urdu literature for her novel Rajdev Ki Amarai. The award was formally presented to her on 12 March 2024 at a special ceremony held in Delhi.
In this novel, Dr. Sadiqua Nawab Saher sensitively portrays the struggles in the life of a Brahmin man and his family, the journey from rural to urban life, and the conflicts arising within a patriarchal society.
On receiving the Sahitya Akademi Award, Dr. Sadiqua Nawab Saher said:
“I am extremely happy to receive this prestigious award. I sincerely hope that this honour will inspire more women to choose writing as a career.”
She further added:
“I am indebted to my parents, who encouraged me to read and write from the very beginning. Later, my husband, Mohammad Aslam Nawab, supported me wholeheartedly. He is the first person to whom I show the drafts of my manuscripts.
The greatest strength of Dr. Sadiqua Nawab Saher’s writing lies in her deep psychological portrayal of women’s inner lives. She does not depict women merely as victims; instead, she presents them as individuals who struggle with dignity and make independent choices even in adverse circumstances. Female characters in her novels, such as Mitasha, challenge rigid social conventions.
The writing of Dr. Sadiqua Nawab Saher does not wander into an imaginary world; rather, it reflects the harsh realities of society. Through her stories, she fearlessly exposes the hollowness of patriarchal systems, the disintegration of families due to politics, and the contradictions between rural and urban life with remarkable realism and honesty.
Speaking about her literary approach, Dr. Sadiqua Nawab Saher says:
“I never wanted to repeat old patterns. My goal has always been to create something fresh and different.”
At present, Dr. Sadiqua Nawab Saher is working with publishers to have her popular novels translated into various Indian and foreign languages so that her literature can reach a wider readership.
Dr. Sadiqua Nawab Saher is not only an outstanding novelist but also an exceptional poet. Her nazms and ghazals carry a unique flow, grace, and emotional depth that continue to captivate readers.
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Afroz Khan is a teacher by profession who writes on women, politics, communal harmony, and Islam. She holds a master’s degree in Education.
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