KARACHI: More than 200 literary luminaries from the country and across the Pakistani diaspora will take part in the 16th edition of the Karachi Literature Festival (KLF) set to begin from Feb 7 to Feb 9 at the Beach Luxury Hotel.

Speaking at a press conference here on Tuesday, Oxford University Press (OUP) managing director Arshad Saeed Husain said that there will be more than 70 sessions and 26 book launches.

He said this year the theme of the event is Narratives from the Soil. “The reason for it is that our soil is fertile. It has produced many literary figures, which is why the festival is celebrating the literary stalwarts, current or past as well as those belonging to the diaspora.

Mr Husain then went down memory lane to talk about the genesis of KLF. He said it began in 2010 for two reasons. One, to provide the public with a source of entertainment; and two, to encourage book reading. The festival ever since has been organised every year without fail. The festival has set the pace for other festivals in the country. It’s a free for all event, with no seats reserved for anyone.

Giving out details of the programme, Mr Husain said in the 16th iteration there will be book talks, panel discussions, dramatic readings and the most famous Urdu mushaira.

“This year there will be two mushairas: one for the established poets and the other for the upcoming ones. English poetry recital, film screenings, qawwali and other art performances will also take place,” he said.

He said the Sindh chief minister will be the chief guest on the opening day and there will be two keynote speakers for the inaugural ceremony — Syeda Arifa Zehra and Fakir Aijazuddin — and two on the closing day — Asghar Nadeem Syed and Mishal Husain who is based in the UK and of Pakistani origin.

“Since it’s primarily a literary event, 70 per cent of our sessions are about English, Urdu and Sindhi literature. Then there will be topics such as culture, education, climate change and things that effect everyday lives of people. The unique thing this time round is that for two days of the festival, a parallel strand will be dedicated to the youth of Pakistan.”

Mr Husain also mentioned the four prizes which will be given on the opening day for English fiction, Urdu prose, Urdu poetry and for the books in regional languages — Sindhi, Balochi, Pashto and Punjabi.

Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab, who was filling in for the CM who had to fly out abroad, said he gets to learn every time he attends KLF. He called it an honour for Karachi that the event is held in the city. He suggested to the organisers that the next time they should hold the festival at Frere Hall with the full support of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation.

Eminent writer Muneeza Shamsie announced the four shortlisted books for the English fiction prize. They are: The Election by Omar Shahid Hamid, I Left You Behind by Nazneen Shaikh, Akbar in Wonderland by Umber Khairi and The Monsoon War by Bina Shah.

Journalist Ghazi Salahuddin said getting to know literature and realising its significance is more important than political stability.

Mujahid Barelvi and Ali Habib also spoke.

Published in Dawn, February 5th, 2025