The 16th edition of the Karachi Literature Festival (KLF), which begins from February 7 to February 9 at the Beach Luxury Hotel, will participate in the 16th edition of the country and more than 200 literary bridesmaids from across the country and across the Pakistani Dai Vara.
Addressing a press conference here on Tuesday, Oxford University Press (OPOP) Managing Director Irshad Saeed Hussain said there would be more than 70 sessions and 26 books launched.
He said that the main idea of ​​the incident this year is a clay statement. “The reason is that our soil is fertile. It created many literary figures, which is why the festival is celebrating literary stalworts, present or past as well as people belonging to Dye Vara.
Mr Hussein then went down from the memory lane to talk about the start of the KLF. He said it started in 2010 for two reasons. One, providing the public a means of entertainment; And two, to encourage reading the book. Since then, the festival has been organized every year without failure. The festival has set the pace of other festivals in the country. This is a free for all the event, with no seat for anyone.
Explaining the details of the program, Mr Hussein said that the 16th repetition will be a book conversation, panel discussion, dramatic readings and the most famous Urdu Mishra.
“There will be two Mishra this year: one for the established poets and the other for the coming people. He said that there will also be performances of English poetry, film exhibition, Qawwali and other art.
He said that the Chief Minister of Sindh will be the guest of honor on the inaugural day and there will be two important speakers for the inauguration ceremony – Syeda Arifa Zahra and Faqir Ejazuddin. In the UK and Pakistani origin.
“Since this is primarily a literary event, 70 % of our sessions are about English, Urdu and Sindhi literature. Then there will be topics like culture, education, climate change and things like people’s daily. The unique thing of this time is that for two days of the festival, a parallel tension will be dedicated to the youth of Pakistan.
Mr Hussein also mentioned the four prizes that will be given the opening days for books – Sindhi, Baluchi, Pashto and Punjabi in English fiction, Urdu prose, Urdu poetry and regional languages.
Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab, who was filling up for CM, who had to fly abroad, said that whenever he attends the KLF, he has to learn. He called him an honor for Karachi that the incident was held in the city. He advised the organizers to hold a festival at the Fare Hall next time with the full support of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation.
Renowned author, Maniza Shamsi, announced four shortlisted books for the English Fiction Prize. They are: Omar Shahid Hameed’s choice, I left you behind the Nazanin Sheikh, Akbar Amber Khari and Bina Shah in Akar Wonderland.
Journalist Ghazi Salahuddin said that knowing literature and recognizing its importance is more important than political stability.
Mujahid Barilvi and Ali Habib also spoke.
Original Appeared Morning, February 5, 2025
