Prof. Somnath Wakhlu, born at Srinagar in Kashmir, spent his life both in Jammu and Kashmir and thus he got steeped both in Dogri and Kashmiri cultures. He was selected as Lecturer in English by the State Public Service Commission. Later he was promoted as Professor of English.

Prof. Wakhlu is an orator and acknowledged as an eminent writer. He is a distinguished artist, historian and critic and has published more than two hundred and fifty articles on various subjects in various papers and journals and has been giving radio 'talks' from the Jammu and Srinagar radio stations. He has contributed six articles to the Encyclopaedia of Indian Literature, published by the Sahitya Akademi, New Delhi. He has also written a few scripts for the Doordarshan. He has several books to his credit and his book The Golden Age of Pahari Art is awaiting publication.

Presently he is in charge of the Amar Mahal Museum and Library and has been its founder Curator-cum-Librarian for the last two and half decades. He is a member of several academic societies. Photography and painting are his hobbies.

He lives at Jammu with his wife, Shrimati Prabha Devi and his son Dr. Vijay Kumar for the last three decades. He has a daughter Reeta whom he has married off.