A resident of a small town called Rodala in Faisalabad in Pakistan, Munawar has been repairing the shoes of residents for almost three decades. Having lost his father as a child, he was unable to receive any schooling and was forced to work to earn a livelihood.
However, that did not hamper his creative thoughts and he composed his first bit of poetry at 13 years of age. After years of languishing in oblivion, he finally manhed to get his first book published in 2004 with his own savings. Munawar has two jobs – he delivers newspapers as well as shines and repairs shoes. Together the two jobs help him earn Rs 300 a day.
He sets aside Rs 10 from this money to pay for his books to be published. His work hs gained quite a bit of popularity among the people even though the advent of technology has meant fewer sales of paperbacks.
Munawar is a member of literary groups like the Royal Adabi Academy, Jaranwala and the Naqeebi Karvan-e-Adab. He has also received awards from organizations such as Ashna-e-Saandal Bar, Pakistan Writers’ Guild, and Punjabi Sevak. Munawar Shakeel is a shining example of a man who did not let his circumstances get the better of him and provides inspiration to people around the world.
