Kaghazi Hai Pairahan: An Exploration of the Life of Ismat Chughtai

Life writing is an important part of literature and includes genres such as autobiographies, biographies, diaries, letters, memoirs and personal essays. The word ‘memoir ’derives from the French word for memory and is a historical account or biography written from personal observation. Kaghazi Hai Pairahan is a collection of memoirs written in Urdu by Ismat Chughtai and has been translated into English as A Life in Words: Memoirs by M. Asaduddin. The present paper intends to refer to this English translation, exploring the facets of the life of Ismat Chughtai, a bold and controversial writer of Urdu literature who carved a niche for herself in the twentieth century. In her memoirs she presents a searing, honest account of several crucial years of her life--her childhood, her fight to get an education and her struggle to find her own voice as an individual and as a writer. She took real risks, both in life and in literature. With the power of her pen, she interrogates the grave injustices, prejudices and oppressive social practices of her times.