An Urdu Poet. Josh dominated the Urdu literary scene from the 1930s to 1980s subsumed under the Progressive Writers' Movement. He was the only Urdu poet to have a literary journal - Saqi - lampooning and satirising him, and the only eminent poet to be banned by the official media. Josh joined Jamia Usamania, Hyderabad, in the Darul Tarjuma. He wrote a poem against the Nizam and was dismissed from his post. Josh then joined Shalimar Film Company, and lived in Poona for about four years. Later he joined the Communication and Broadcasting department of government of India and was made in charge of the Urdu section. Josh, later on, migrated to Pakistan and was in charge of the Urdu Lughat in Taraqi Urdu Board, Karachi, in 1957. Josh Malihabadi was called Shair-e-Inqlab and his first collection of poems was published under the title of Rooh e Adab. He authored Shola wa Shabnam, Naqsh wa Nigar, Fikr wa Nishat, Junon wa Hikmat and Shairy ki Raten. Josh Malihabadi who was born Shabbir Hossain Khan wrote his autobiography Yadoon Ki Barat which was published in 1966.