LAHORE: The fourth edition of the Lahore Literary Festival (LLF) is set to begin at Avari Hotel on Saturday (today).

Originally billed as a three-day event, it has been reduced to two days due to certain ‘constraints’, but promises to be as lively and entertaining as it was in the past. People from various callings, especially literature and history buffs, have expressed their delight at being part of the event for which they wait a whole year.

“The LLF has, over the years, become synonymous with the culture of Lahore and affords people an opportunity to rub shoulders with luminaries from around the world. Besides sessions on diversified themes, there is ample opportunity for people to interact and engage in other fun-filled activities,” Shahan Khan, a student of the Government College University, said.

The festival has mobilised new readers and bolstered book sale of Pakistani writers

He said the event coincided with spring and offered a whiff of fresh air given the fact that there were not many such activities around. “That an event such as a literary festival faces hiccups reflects poorly on those who are supposed to facilitate it,” he added.

“The LLF has become an integral part of the city’s calendar of cultural events and a symbol of resistance and reason,” an academic observed.

After initial hiccups, the LLF organisers have vowed to make sure the event retains its vibrancy and brings a maximum number of people to the new venue.

Speaking to Dawn about the significance of the event, LLF founder and Chief Executive Officer Razi Ahmed said: “We have increased awareness among students, and the citizenry in general, of contemporary English and Urdu literature. The festival mobilised new readers and bolstered book sales of Pakistani writers. We have showcased new talent to publishing houses and journalists.”

In their three years, he said, the LLF had brought about a feel-good vibe to the city of Lahore by staging public discussions and debates. “In doing so, we have proudly reclaimed the rich traditions of Lahore that are culturally and cerebrally rooted, yet at the same time being accessible enough so as to be communicative with a critical mass.”

As for some of the major highlights throughout the years, Ahmed said: “We had the honour of hosting Abdullah Hussein last year, which was sadly his last public appearance. We have been elated to host the likes of Intizar Hussain, Tariq Ali and Romila Thapar during the past three years.”

In reply to another question, he said the festival was growing every year and “we have seen a 114pc jump in the footfall from the festival’s editions in 2013 to 2015. We want to inspire new writers in Urdu, Punjabi and English to come up with thoughtful, original works that we could celebrate and project within Pakistan and internationally. We want to reclaim our land’s cultural and literary heritage for reformulating a more compassionate and humanistic narrative coming from our country”.

Published in Dawn, February 20th, 2016