LAHORE: The three-day 14th edition of the Lahore Literary Festival (LLF) is set to commence today (Friday) at the Alhamra Art Centre, Mall Road, reaffirming Lahore’s position as a global hub of intellectual and literary discourse.

The opening ceremony will take place at 2pm, bringing together an extraordinary gathering of eminent writers, intellectuals, scholars, researchers, artists and diplomats from Pakistan and across the world. The inaugural session will feature presidential addresses by Zahra and Z.Z. Ahmed, and of LLF chief executive officer Razi Ahmed who will speak about the festival’s vision, objectives and global significance.

The opening session, titled “All About Alexander,” will include a keynote address by historian and Oxford University Emeritus Fellow Robin Lane Fox. Historian F.S. Aijazuddin will formally introduce the session.

Over three days, the LLF will host more than 60 scholarly, literary and intellectual sessions covering a broad spectrum of themes, including history, global politics, diplomacy, culture, fine arts, heritage, film, social sciences, and literature. In a significant reflection of Pakistan’s rich literary traditions, 12 special sessions are dedicated to Urdu and Punjabi language and regional literature have also been scheduled.

The festival features writers and scholars from 15 countries from nearly every continent, further strengthening the LLF’s stature as a genuinely global literary platform.

Razi Ahmed shared his joy at extending the LLF to Karachi, transforming it to a national platform for big ideas. ‘This year in partnership with Mohatta Palace Museum, the LLF has curated lectures by Prof Fox, Dr Ikram and the Spanish historian specialising in Cordoba, Eduardo Manzano,” shared Ahmed.

Amritsar-born, Canadian filmmaker Deepa Mehta would be among the marquee speakers at this year. Mehta is best known for her ‘Elements Trilogy’ — Fire (1996), Earth (1998) and Water (2005). A session based on her films, exploring social injustice and human rights, is planned on Feb 7 with photographer Aun Raza. As part of the LLF programme, Mehta would also feature on a panel with acclaimed British writer Geoff Dyer and Mohsin Hamid.

On the first day alone, multiple parallel sessions will take place in various halls, covering topics like the post-World War II global order, South Asian politics, ancient civilizations, the history of Lahore, arts and culture, humorous literature, a Punjabi mushaira, film screenings, literary discussions, and book launches.

Extensive and well-coordinated preparations are underway at Alhamra to ensure the festival’s flawless execution.

Published in Dawn, February 6th, 2026