Dr Surjit Patar is a renowned Punjabi poet. He obtained a Masters degree from Punjabi University, Patiala and then a Ph.D in Literature on "Transformation of Folklore in Guru Nanak Vani" from Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar. He then joined the academic profession and retired as Professor of Punjabi from Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana.
He started writing poetry in mid-sixties. His works of poetry include "Hawa Vich Likhe Harf" (Words written in the Air), "Birkh Arz Kare" (Thus Spake the Tree), "Hanere Vich Sulagdi Varnmala" (Words Smouldering in the Dark), "Lafzaan Di Dargah" (Shrine of Words), "Patjhar Di Pazeb" (Anklet of Autumn) and Surzameen (Music Land ). He translated many literary works into Punjabi, including the three tragedies of Federico García Lorca, the play Nag Mandala by Girish Karnad and the poems of Bertolt Brecht and Pablo Neruda. He also adapted plays from Jean Giradoux, Euripides and Racine. He has written tele-scripts on Punjabi poets ranging from Sheikh Farid to Shiv Kumar Batalvi.