Misha Anwar Wins First LLF Folklore Writing Prize

Earlier this year, organisers of the Lahore Literary Festival (LLF) announced a contest for young, upcoming writers between the ages of 16 and 25, based within the city.

The purpose of the contest is to encourage youngsters’ interaction with Pakistani art and build expressive stories around it.

For the competition’s debut iteration, participants had to produce an original piece of creative writing in any language, any format, using the art of Ustad Allah Bakhsh as inspiration.

Painter and calligrapher Ustad Allah Bakhsh (1895-1978) was noted for his depictions of rural Punjab as well as works created around Persian and Hindu mythology.

Awarded the Pride of Performance in 1963, Ustad Allah Bakhsh’s paintings of Sohni Mahiwal, Heer Ranjha and of moments from the Tilism-i-Hoshruba are on display at the Alhamra Art Museum, Lahore.

The Folklore Writing Prize carries three cash awards of Rs100,000, Rs50,000 and Rs25,000. Winners were announced over the LLF weekend.

Taking first place is Misha Anwar. Securing second is Areej Anwar and third place goes to Tahreem Munir.

Judges for the prize were author and translator Musharraf Ali Farooqi, artist Risham Syed, professor of art Naela Aamir and writers and editors Hassan Tahir Latif and Wajiha Hyder.

Published in Dawn, Books & Authors, March 5th, 2023