'Ajeet Cour', a profound and powerful voice in Punjabi Literature, was born in 1934 in Lahore, migrating to Delhi in 1947. She began writing short stories as a teenager and today is the author of twenty-two books which include novels, novellas, short stories, biographical sketches and translations. Her novellas include 'Dhup Wala Shehar' and 'Post Mortem'. Her novel, 'Gauri', has been made into a film while her story 'Na Maaro' has been serialized for television. Her autobiography was first published in Punjabi in two parts, 'Koora Kabara' and 'Khanabadosh'. Her works have been translated into English, Hindi and several other languages. In 1986, Ajeet Cour was awarded the Sahitya Akademi Award for her autobiography. In 2006, she was awarded the Padma Shri for her writing and her contributions in the field of social upliftment. She is the Founder President of the Indian Council for Poverty Alleviation, and has been President, Foundation of SAARC Writers and Literature. In 1977, Ajeet Cour founded the Academy of Fine Arts and Literature, a non-commercial institution in New Delhi for the promotion of the arts, literature, theatre, music and dance.