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Dr Maqsood Elahie Sheikh

Maqsood Ellahie Sheikh is an independent Urdu journalist and famous Urdu short story writer who, on the 18th July 2013, was awarded the ‘Honourary Degree of Doctor of Letters’ by the University of Bradford, U.K, for his contribution to ‘Modern Urdu Literature and playing a prominent role in the development of community cohesion in the city of Bradford’.

Maqsood Sheikh is the author of 12 Urdu fiction books, and was the Editor and Managing Director of ‘Ravi Asian Newsweekly’– the only Urdu Newspaper to be published from the North, in the U.K.

‘Ravi’ was published for 25 years and through this medium, Maqsood championed an ‘independence of expression’ amongst its readers “Dil main na rakhiay, Ravi main likhiay”. Through, ‘Ravi’, Maqsood Sheikh also promoted harmony and peaceful relations between the early Pakistani community of the UK and the indigenous population. These efforts included the formation of the Pakistan Society and later the Sherdil Club, an organisation that seeks to build bridges amongst communities.

From 2001 to 2011, Maqsood Sheikh concentrated his efforts on pioneering the compilation and publication of the international Makhzan annual. This was a series of publications which aimed to provide a platform to new and upcoming Urdu writers based in the U.S.A, Canada, Europe, Middle East and Asia. The works of these writers were then critiqued by world famous ‘Adabi’ Urdu icons. The bringing together of the ‘new’ with the ‘established’ by Maqsood Sheikh, has been recognised as ‘truly innovative’.

The Makhzan has achieved great success and popularity in the Indo-Pak sub-continent and is acknowledged as a bold contribution in the growth of Urdu Literature around the world.

Maqsood Sheikh has received many awards and honours over the years for his journalism; short story writing; contribution to the promotion of Art & Culture, through to Public Service and Special Awards in recognition of promotion of the Asian community. He became the first Pakistani Justice of Peace (J.P) in Bradford, U.K in 1970, and in March 2009 he was honoured with the ‘Tamgha-I-Imtiaz’ for Excellence in Literature by the Government of Pakistan.

It is the culmination of these achievements that is recognised by the award of Honourary Degree of Doctor of Letters. The degree award recognises that he has been a key figure in the promotion of Urdu literature for over 60 years, and has played a prominent role in the development of community cohesion within Bradford.