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Rana Safvi, Noida

CATEGORY- HT Write Choice

Writer, scholar and translator Rana Safvi has a profound love for verse and a strong passion for the culture and heritage of the Indian subcontinent. She combines her enthusiasm for both in her writing. Rana is the author of acclaimed Tales from the Quran and Hadith published by Juggernaut Books and Where Stones Speak: Historical Trails in Mehrauli, the First City of Delhi published by Harper Collins. This is a trilogy on the cities of Delhi and the next two will be published soon.

Her translation of Dastan-eGhadar, Tale of a Revolution by Zahir Dehlvi is being published by Penguin Random house under their classics label in May 2017. Dehlvi’s memoir, written on his deathbed, not only chronicles the fading glory of the Mughal court and his entry into a vanishing way of life, but also, most importantly, pivots on the horrifying spectacle of the Revolt and its aftermath-from the violent siege of Shahjahanabad to the bloody reprisals that followed.

She has also translated both the editions of Asar us Sanadeed, the seminal work on Delhi’s monuments, written by Sir Syed Ahmed to be published by Tulika Books in June. She runs the popular blog ‘Hazrat e Dilli’ on her site ranasafvi.com and is passionate about documenting India’s syncretic culture through her writings. Currently is also writing a fortnightly column for The Hindu highlighting India’s forgotten built heritage.

Rana is a founder and moderator of #Shair on Twitter, a forum that has revived popular interest in Urdu poetry in a major way. Last year she was awarded the Chisti India Harmony Award by the honorable Vice President of India, Mohammed Hamid Ansari, for promoting national harmony and culture through her prolific writing, publications and talks.