Dr. Nazia Akhtar is a distinguished academic and Assistant Professor at IIIT Hyderabad, recognised for her pioneering work in South Asian literary studies. Her research brings to light the often-overlooked contributions of twentieth-century Hyderabadi women writers, effectively challenging and expanding the traditional Urdu literary canon.
Dr. Akhtar earned her PhD in Comparative Literature from the University of Western Ontario, where her dissertation focused on literary representations of the Partition in the princely state of Hyderabad. This work questioned the prevailing narrative that South India was largely unaffected by the event. Her upbringing as the daughter of an Indian Air Force fighter pilot fostered an adaptability that has served her well in her academic life.
Currently an Assistant Professor at the Human Sciences Research Centre at IIIT Hyderabad, she teaches courses on Indian and Russian literature. Her prior teaching experience is extensive, including positions at the University of Western Ontario, the University of Hyderabad, and the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Hyderabad.
Dr. Akhtar’s scholarship is most prominently showcased in her books. Her landmark work, Bibi’s Room: Hyderabadi Women and Twentieth-Century Urdu Prose (2022), is a seminal study that addresses the systemic neglect of Hyderabadi women writers. The book focuses on three key authors—Zeenath Sajida, Najma Nikhat, and Jeelani Bano—whom she describes as “thrice marginalised”: as women, as South Indian writers, and as regional voices outside the mainstream. Bibi’s Room provides nuanced biographies, critical analysis, and representative English translations of their works, set against the backdrop of Hyderabad’s unique political and cultural history.
Her second book, The Deccan Sun: Essays and Stories by Zeenath Sajida (2025), continues this mission by presenting her translations of Zeenath Sajida’s witty and eloquent prose to a new English-speaking audience. She has also authored several peer-reviewed articles in academic journals.
A testament to the quality of her research, Dr. Akhtar was awarded the prestigious New India Foundation Fellowship in 2017, which directly supported the creation of Bibi’s Room. She also received a special commendation from the Jawad Memorial Prize for her translation of an Urdu short story by Zeenath Sajida.
Her research methodology is particularly notable. With no formal training in Urdu, she taught herself the language primarily by immersing herself in the writings of the authors she was studying. This self-directed approach demonstrates a deep commitment to her subject.
Dr. Akhtar’s current work involves further translation projects and the creation of an online archive of unpublished texts and personal papers from Urdu writers. This archival work addresses the critical need to preserve literary materials and navigate the complexities of privacy, access, and the use of technology like AI in translation and preservation.