Nawa-e-junoon

Shamoon Mamnoon was born in 1937 in the city of Burhanpur, capital of the 14th century Aadilshahi dynasty, and a thriving cradle of Dakani/Urdu poetry in 16th century India. From a very young age, he was deeply immersed in the Urdu language. He grew up with a mother who loved books, a grandfather who was the founder of an Urdu high school in Burhanpur, a paternal grandfather who was the dean of an Arabic university in Surat, Gujrat, and the influence of an older brother who deeply appreciated Urdu literature. Shamoon’s own interest in the fine arts led him to pursue degrees from Barauda University in Architecture, Planning and Visual Design. Under the guidance of his brother, Shamoon continued his education at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (M.I.T.) where he acquired his professional degree in Architecture, which was to shape his professional career as an Architect and Planner who contributed to many significant projects including initial photo-mapping and physical surveys, and city and town planning on the Eastern coast during the formative years of the United Arab Emirates. Shamoon’s personal passion for creativity continued to deepen over time as he came to understand the value of discernment and artistic critique which guided his evolution as both an aesthetic and expressionist. He is an exhibited artist, with calligraphy and abstract works rendered in wood and mixed media. His lifelong immersion in, and love for Urdu literature finally coalesced into his emergence as a poet. He now wields words and metaphors to express his thoughts through the medium of carefully crafted couplets. His evolution continues as he embraces the dual processes of creative expression and critique in the pursuit of constant improvement. Nawa-e-Junoon is his first collection of poetry.