Ghulam Nabi Gowhar

He was born as Ghulam Nabi Muqeem to Haji Mohammed Akram Mukim in Charari Sharief town of Budgam district, Jammu and Kashmir princely state of British India. He received his initial schooling at his hometown, and graduated from Gandhi Memorial College, Srinagar. Later, he went to Uttar Pradesh and did his Bachelor of Laws from the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU). He postgraduated in Persian language from AMU.

Gowhar originally started his career in judicial. He started legal practice in Budgam, and was then appointed as a judge. Prior to his appointment, he wanted to be a politician, however before participating in elections, he qualified the judicial examination and was appointed as a judge and retired as a Sessions Judge.[3] He, according to the Greater Kashmir wrote some judgements in the form of rhythmic poems, and sometimes used to deliver verdict on the pattern of poetry and stories.

He was also involved in writings while serving as a judge. However, he became known to literary society around 1969 when his first novel titled Mujrim (The Guilty) was published. He later wrote numerous novels until he became the "first novelist of Kashmiri literature" with a first-ever Kashmiri language novel titled Arg-e-Ashud, published in 2012 by the Adbee Markaz Kamraz (AMK), a literary organization of the union territory. In 1973, he wrote second novel titled Meoul (Union), and later Paap Ti Punye (Vice and Virtue). His third novel, which was awarded Sahitya Akademi award in 1988 was also broadcast on Radio Kashmir Jammu. He covered the history of Kashmir before partition in his another novel titled Gilnavith Kath (Torch Bearer), published by the Raider Publishing International, New York.

Besides writing novels, he conducted extensive research about Sufi saints, including Nund Rishi and wrote research books titled Kalam e Sheikhul Alam and Saheef-e-Noor on the subject. He translated poetry of Muhammad Iqbal and Bankim Chandra Chatterjee into Kashmiri language.[3] He also edited the complete literary work of Ghulam Nabi Aariz, the 9th century's Kashmiri poet.[4]

Gowhar was suffering from Kidney disease and died of Kidney failure on 19 June 2018 in Kralpora of Budgam district.[5][6] His death anniversary is celebrated annually by the Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture and Languages, a state-owned literary organization dedicated to promote regional languages and art and culture in the state.[7]