Syed Ali Jawad Zaidi (10 March 1916 – 6 December 2004) was an Indian Urdu poet, scholar, and author of over 80 books in several languages.

[1] He was also an Indian independence activist,[2] lawyer and later a civil servant,[3] but is best known for his work in Urdu literature.

[7] During his graduation and later while doing his LLB, he came into contact with leaders of the Indian independence movement, which he joined in the late 1930s.

His poetry drew praise from Sarojini Naidu, and he was subsequently elected as the secretary-general of the All India Student's Federation.

He was laid to rest at the Malka Jahan burial grounds, Lucknow, India, with full state honours provided to an Indian freedom fighter.

He was appointed as the secretary general of the Society of Arts and Culture, Government of Jammu and Kashmir.

He travelled extensively in India and abroad, often working with heads of state and other high-ranking officials.

[citation needed] He was president of the Uttar Pradesh Urdu Academy, Lucknow and as the president of the Zainabbiya Institute of Islamic Studies, Mumbai, and was on the board of Sahitya Akademi, New Delhi and the Sangeet and Natya Akademi, New Delhi and other social, literary and cultural organizations.

These books along with his History of Urdu Literature[17][18] (English),[19] Mirza Ghalib – Ek Parichay (Hindi), Mir Anis, are unique[how?]

F. 15-25/72-L. 1 dated 5 May 1972)[21] Confined to his home in Lucknow due to poor health and failing eyesight during his last years, he wrote using an amanuensis.

[citation needed] The Jawad Memorial Prize[26] was instituted in his remembrance in 2019 for awarding outstanding translations of Urdu works to English.