Wali Alam Shaheen is an acclaimed modern Urdu poet recognized for his linguistic innovation and uncommon brilliance. Born Syed Wali Alam in 1938 in Bihar, India, he published his first poetry collection, rag-e-saaz, in 1967 under the penname Shaheen Ghazipuri. His extensive literary body of work includes eight volumes of poetry, such as baynishaan, dehleez per phool, and zar-e-daagH, with his latest collection, saraaboN se maazrat, scheduled for publication in 2026. Beyond poetry, Shaheen has authored a forthcoming book of essays and reviews and served as a senior editor for the book Across Continents. His poetic contributions have been widely anthologized in publications like Ghazalabad and Pakistani Adab, and his work has been the subject of academic study, including a Russian-language analysis by Dr. Ludmila Vasilyeva and a 2017 PhD thesis at Vinoba Bhave University.

Shaheen’s influence extends into North American literary circles, where his writings have appeared in Canadian Literature, The Toronto South Asian Review, and Arc Poetry Magazine. He is featured in several major reference works, including The Canadian Encyclopedia, the Encyclopedia of Literature in Canada, and The Canadian Dictionary of Quotations. His editorial experience includes leading Urdu Canada, a tri-annual journal dedicated to Urdu literature. Shaheen has been a frequent guest on international radio and television programs, notably featuring in a two-part interview on Voice of America and producing a literary series for Carleton University Radio.

Throughout his career, Shaheen has received numerous prestigious accolades, such as the Altaf Hussain Hali World Urdu Award (1988), the Mir Taqi Mir Award (2009), and the CPA Lifetime Achievement Award (2019). Professionally, he was a statistician who held roles at Marwari College and the Pakistan Tea Board before migrating to Canada in 1973, where he served the federal government for two decades, retiring as a Policy & Costing Advisor with Transport Canada. He has also been an active literary advocate, serving four terms as the Chair of the Race Issues Committee for The Writers’ Union of Canada. Now residing in Manotick, Ontario, he continues to be an active participant in the international literary community.