About the project
Gul Pacha Ulfat is a famous Afghan author of the 20th century. In his texts, which consist of both prose and poetry, he writes from the perspective of the Afghan people and is often described as “the advocate of the poor” (quote by his youngest son). His texts are very relevant for the Afghan people, but they remain comparatively unknown in the Western world.
The aim of the project leaders Dewa Wolasmal and Nasrin Ulfat, who are directly related to Gul Pacha Ulfat, is to translate his texts into English and share them with non-Pashto speakers. This side project currently consists of only two members, who work on translating one of his most known poetry books Ghwara Ashar (1955) from Pashto to English. A biographical article is currently being worked on and planned to be published within 2023.
Background
Gul Pacha Ulfat was born in 1909 in Laghman, Afghanistan. He studied religion, Arabic linguistics and philosophy. In 1935 he was employed as a journalist for a national newspaper, until he published his own paper, the Wolas Weekly. In 1947, Ulfat co-founded the first political party of Afghanistan, the Weekh Zalmyan (“awakened youth”). Between 1949 and 1952 he was elected as political representative for the people of Jalalabad, and in 1963 he took on the role of minister in the Central Cabinet. In addition to his political career, he worked as Professor of Pashto language and literature at the University of Kabul. He passed at the age of 67 on the 19th of December 1977 due to heart failure.
Financing
As of today, the project is self-sponsored.