Aligarh, Sep 28 (IANS) A prominent novelist, poet and author Ghazanfar Ali, a former faculty of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) and alumnus has been awarded the prestigious literary award "Iqbal Samman" for 2018. The award, given by the Madhya Pradesh government, carries a cash prize of Rs 2 lakh and a citation.

Ali has 27 books to his credit and has written in almost every genre of literature. He has published 10 novels, two collections each of short stories and poetry, two books comprising sketches and a dozen books on criticism.

His campus novel "Fusoon" and his epic poem Karb-e-Jan has got him huge critical acclaim.

Iqbal Samman for 2017 was conferred on eminent critic, celebrated novelist and poet Shamsur Rehman Farooqui, a member of the AMU Court.

--IANS bk/pcj