Shafiq Naz is a translator, editor, and publisher whose work spans several languages including English, Urdu, French, and German. He is the Urdu translator of major international literary works such as Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s Le Petit Prince, Samuel Beckett’s En attendant Godot, Antoine Galland’s Ali Baba et les 40 voleurs, and Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist. His translations are noted for their literary sensitivity and linguistic clarity, making landmark works of world literature accessible to Urdu readers.
As an editor, Shafiq Naz has curated a wide range of multilingual poetry anthologies in the form of desk calendars. These include Calendrier de la poésie francophone: L’année en poèmes (French), Der deutsche Lyrikkalender (German), Alhambra Poetry Calendar (English), and Alhamra Ghazal Calendar (Urdu)—each reflecting his commitment to poetry, aesthetics, and cross-cultural literary appreciation. He is also a co-editor (with Ilona Yusuf) of Poetry in English from Pakistan: A 21-st Century Anthology.
Through his publishing house, Alhamra Publishing, Shafiq Naz is actively engaged in promoting literacy and a culture of book reading among Urdu speakers. He has pioneered the publication of Urdu books with full diacritics (zer, zabar, pesh, tashdeed), and has introduced glossaries to help readers expand their vocabulary and deepen their engagement with the language. His work represents a significant contribution to the preservation and modern accessibility of Urdu literary heritage.