Muhammad Asim Butt

Muhammad Asim Butt (Urdu: محمد عاصم بٹ) is an Urdu novelist, short story writer, translator, researcher, editor, critic and journalist.^[1][2][3] He has published three novels and two collections of short stories along with a number of books translated from English into Urdu and vice versa. Butt also writes in English.^[4][5][6]

Muhammad Asim Butt
Nationality	Pakistani
Alma mater	Government College University, Lahore
Scientific career
Fields	Urdu novelist, short story writer, translator, Researcher, editor, critic and journalist
Institutions	Pakistan Academy of Letters

Biography

Butt was born into a muslim literary family of ethnic Kashmiri descent, long settled in Punjab. Since 2006 he has worked with the Pakistan Academy of Letters, Government of Pakistan, as editor of the quarterly Adabiyaat, a literary magazine.^[7]

Publications

Fiction

• Ishtihaar Aadami (Ad man اشتہار آدمی) (short stories), Fiction House, Lahore, Pakistan, 1998^[8]
• Daira (Circle دائرہ) (novel), Sanjh Publishers, Lahore, Pakistan, 2001^[9]
• Dastak (Knock دستک) (short stories), Dunyazaad, Karachi, Pakistan, 2010^[10][11]

• Naatamaam (An Unending Story ناتمام) (novel), Sang-e-Meel Publications, Lahore, Pakistan, 2014^[12]
• Bhaid (Secret بھید) (novel), Sang-e-Meel Publications, Lahore, Pakistan, 2018^{[13][14][15][16]}

Translations

English to Urdu

• Japani Kahanian ( selected short stories from Japanese Literature), Sareer Publications, Pakistan, 2019^[17]
• Borgese Kahanian بورخیس کہانیاں ( selected short stories by Gorge Luis Borgese), Sang e Meel Publications, Lahore, Pakistan, 2017^[18]
• So Azeem Aadami سو عظیم آدمی (The 100 by Michael H. Hart), Takhleeqat Publishers, Lahore, Pakistan, 1992^{[19][non-primary source needed]}
• Muhabbat Key Khatoot محبت کے خطوط (Love Letters by Khalil Gibran), Takhleeqat Publishers, Lahore, Pakistan, 1993^[20]
• Kafka Kahanian کافکا کہانیاں (translation of stories by Franz Kafka), Jang Publishers, Lahore, Pakistan, 1994.^[21][22][23]
• Mukhtasar Tareekh-e-Alam (A Short History of the World by H. G. Wells), Takhleeqat Publishers, Lahore, Pakistan, 1995.^[24]
• Marco Polo Ka Safarnama مارکو پولو کا سفر نامہ (Travelogue by Marco Polo), Takhleeqat Publishers, Lahore, Pakistan, 1999.
• Muhammad (Muhammad: A Biography of the Prophet by Karen Armstrong), Takhleeqat Publishers, Lahore, Pakistan, 2002.
• Toahamat ki Dunya توہمات کی دنیا (by Carl Sagan), Mashal, Lahore, Pakistan, 2003.
• Bai Moasam Key Phool (A selection of Japanese stories), Mashal, Lahore, Pakistan, 2003.
• Sarif Nama صارف نامہ (introduction to consumer rights), The Network for Consumer Protection, Islamabad, Pakistan, 2004.
• Fidelio فیڈیلیو (by Ludwig van Beethoven), Friedrich Naumann Stiftung Fur Die Freiheit, Islamabad, Pakistan, 2011.
• Taaleem Ka Liberal Nuqta-e-Nazar تعلیم کا لبرل نقطہ نظر (Liberal Readings on Education (by Stefan Melnik and Sascha Tamm [Eds.]^[25]), Friedrich Naumann Stiftung Fur Die Freiheit, Islamabad, Pakistan, 2012.

Urdu to English

• Tale of Four Saints (Retelling of Persian classic tale Qissah Chahaar Darvaish into English) National Book Foundation, Islamabad, 2016 and CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform; Second edition (4 September 2016).^[26]

Research and criticism

• Doosra Aadami (The Other Person دوسرا آدمی) (interviews), Jang Publishers, Lahore, Pakistan, 1993^[27]
• Pakistan Sal Ba Sal (Pakistan Year by Year پاکستان سال بہ سال, National Language Authority, Islamabad, Pakistan, 1999^[28]
• Insaani Haqooq aur Urdu Sahaafat انسانی حقوق اور اردو صحافت (Human Rights and Urdu Journalism), The Network for Consumer Protection, Islamabad, Pakistan, 2005
• Abdullah Hussein: Shakhsiat Aur Fun عبداللہ حسین: شخصیت اور فن (Abdullah Hussein: Person & Work), Pakistan Academy of Letters, Islamabad, Pakistan, 2009.^[29]
• Kia Jamhooriat Pakistan Kay Liay Zaroori Hai? (Is Democracy Essential for Pakistan?), Liberal Forum Pakistan, Islamabad, Pakistan, 2010.^[30]
• Bahtareen Afsaanaon Ka Intikhab (a selection of best Urdu short stories in 2011), Takhleeqat Publishers, Lahore, Pakistan 2011^[31]

Recognition

Asim's novel Naatamaam ناتمام won Akse Khushbu (عکس خوشبو) Literary Award for Fiction for 2014.^[32][33]

Asim's novel Natamaam ناتمام has won UBL Literary Excellence Award for 2015.^[34]

Asim's book "Borkhese Kahanian" (بورخیس کہانیاں) (Urdu translation of short stories of Jorge Luis Borges) was short listed for the UBL Literary Excellence Award for 2019.^[35]

A selection of best short stories of Urdu Despairing Voices: Selected Urdu Short Stories compiled and translated by Syed Sarwar Hussein, published by Satyam Publishing House, India, 2011 includes two short stories of Butt.^[36]

A detailed research thesis based on the critical analysis of three modern Urdu novelists including Butt, by Robina Sultan, published with the title "Teen Nai Novel Nigar" by Dastaaveez Matbuaat, Lahore, Pakistan in 2012.^[37]

He participated as a speaker in the Oxford Literary Festival arranged by Oxford, Pakistan and British Council, Pakistan at Islamabad, Pakistan from 30 April to 1 May 2013.^{[38] [39]}

References

1. "Mohammad Asim Butt – Profile & Biography". Rekhta. Retrieved 25 April 2024.
2. "Foundation of SAARC Writers and Literature Delegates Book" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 August 2014. Retrieved 17 October 2012.
3. "Literate, NOS, the News International". Archived from the original on 3 February 2012. Retrieved 20 February 2013.
4. Butt, Muhammad Asim (16 June 2002). "Reviews: Empowering Women". Dawn. Pakistan.
5. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 23 February 2013.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
6. "Splus – the Nation Sunday Plus". Archived from the original on 11 September 2013. Retrieved 10 September 2013.
7. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 August 2014. Retrieved 20 February 2013.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
8. "Comparing Satellite Internet | Satellite Internet | American TV" (PDF).
9. "Urdu Book On-Line – Daira by Asim Butt". Apnaorg.com. Retrieved 7 September 2012.
10. Asad, Altaf Hussain (December 2010). "Soul of an Era: Review of Dastak". Literati. The News on Sunday.
11. Javed, Kazy (March 2010). "A Word About Letters". Literati.
12. Sang-e-Meel Books [@sangemeel] (26 April 2014). "Starting soon: At 1 30 PM – 2 30 PM in the Central Lawn: #Natamam by Asim Butt #urdu #literature #pakistan #ILF" (Tweet) – via Twitter./photo/1
13. "Bhaid – بھید – Muhammad Asim Butt – Parhai Likhai". parhlikh.com. Retrieved 15 April 2019.^{[permanent dead link]}
14. Editor, T. N. S. (13 January 2019). "My issues are locale, characters and life". TNS – The News on Sunday. Archived from the original on 15 April 2019. Retrieved 15 April 2019. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
15. "Welcome to Sang-e-Meel Publications, online bookstore, Pakistan, Publishers, Importers, Exporters, Distributors". sangemeel.com. Retrieved 15 April 2019.
16. وحید, ارشد (21 March 2019). "بک ریویو: بھید". Dawn News Television. Retrieved 15 April 2019.
17. Butt, M Asim. "Japani Kahaniyan / جاپانی کہانیاں".
18. Butt, M Asim. "Borgese Kahanian". Archived from the original on 9 March 2019. Retrieved 14 February 2018.
19. Butt, M Asim. ""100" The Hundred Most Influential Persons in History" – via Facebook.
20. Javed, Kazy. "English history of Punjabi literature".
21. Saeed, Saadat. "Kafka: the Pioneer of New Story". Archived from the original on 2 April 2016. Retrieved 14 February 2011.
22. Farrukhi, Asif (29 September 2013). "REVIEW: Kafka metamorphoses into Urdu". Dawn. Pakistan. Retrieved 15 April 2019.
23. "Can you break NCC field records in 100m, 200m, 400m sprints in Karachi?". The News International. 30 October 2015. Retrieved 15 April 2019.
24. Butt, Muhammad Asim. "Mukhtasar Tareekh-e-Alam". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 27 September 2012.
25. Melnik, Stefan; Tamm, Sascha (20 July 2023). "Liberal Readings on Education" (PDF).
26. Butt, Muhammad Asim (4 September 2016). The Story of the Four Saints. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. ISBN 978-1537500676.
27. "Jang Publishers Pakistan – Great Collection of Best Selling Books". Archived from the original on 3 July 2012. Retrieved 20 February 2013.
28. "Amazon: Muhammad Asim Butt: Books". Amazon. Retrieved 15 April 2019.
29. Butt, Muhammad Asim. "Abdullah Hussein: Shakhsiat Aur Fun". Pakistan Academy of Letters.
30. Butt, Muhammad Asim (17 July 2023). "Kia Jamhooriat Pakistan Kay Liay Zaroori Hai?" (PDF).
31. Emarkaz Books ^{[dead link]}
32. "Chairman Senate distributes "Aks-e-Khushboo Awards" – Pakistan Press International". ppinewsagency.com. Retrieved 15 April 2019.
33. "Poets, writers act as impetus of change in history: Rabbani". Archived from the original on 18 February 2017. Retrieved 17 February 2017.
34. "February 11, 2016 – Lahore – 14". The Nation. Retrieved 15 April 2019.
35. "UBL Literary Award,2019".
36. "Vedams eBooks". vedamsbooks.com. Retrieved 15 April 2019.
37. "Writers Directory – Pakistan Academy of Letters". Archived from the original on 2 October 2013. Retrieved 19 August 2013.
38. "Islamabad Literature Festival: Caravan of literati and artists arrives in the capital". The Express Tribune. 30 April 2013. Retrieved 15 April 2019.
39. "Urdu short stories being written sans critical review". 2 May 2013.