Qurratulain Hyder was born in Aligarh and educated in Lucknow, from where she got her Master's degree in English literature. She has published several collections of short stories and a number of novels. Many of her books have been translated into Indian and foreign languages. She has received a number of awards, including India's most prestigious literary award, the Jnanpith, in 1990. She has worked in England as a journalist and has travelled widely all over the world. She was also a Fellow of the Sahitya Akademi.