Wajida Tabassum Tabassum (16 March 1935-7 December 2011) was a writer of fiction, verses and songs in Urdu. One of the foremost women writers in the language, she was known for her audacious and semi-erotic stories and her formidable power of storytelling. Althugh she lived in purdah, Tabassum chose to tackle uncomfortable themes, and her bold writing, in which she took on societal taboos, was seen as immoral and scandalous and faced public protest. During the 1960s and 1970s, her stories were published in Shama magazine. Her books include Teh Khana, Kaise Samjhaoon, Phul Khilne Do, Uttaran, Zakhme-e-Dil Aur Mahak Aur Mahak, and Zan, Zarr, Zameen, which was her last work published in 1989. Her story titled 'Uttaran' (Cast-offs) was televised as a popular soap opera by the same name in India in 1988. Read More Read Less