Lahore gears up for annual literary extravaganza

Three-day festival set to commence on Friday

LAHORE: Excitement in the city has been steadily increasing in anticipation of the annual Lahore Literary Festival (LLF) slated to commence on Friday.

The festival boasts discussions on politics, literature and arts featuring speakers from various fields. “We at the LLF believe in catalysing new works and thoughts based on interdisciplinary lines,” LLF CEO Razi Ahmed told The Express Tribune. He said over the past years the festival has facilitated public dialogue between the likes of author Mohsin Hamid and art critics Quddus Mirza and artists Faiza Butt and writer Kamila Shamshie among others. “Such interactions are a recurring theme at the LLF,” he said.



“Urdu Scholar CM Naim from the University of Chicago will be speaking on mystery novels and Urdu journals. Khalid Javed from Jamia Millia will share his insights on writer Gabriel Garcia Marquez and magical realism,” Ahmed said. He said the festival also has a range of budding and established Urdu litterateurs speaking on emerging patterns in Urdu fiction. He said the LLF had always reclaimed and celebrated lost Lahori legends such as painter Amrita Sher-Gil, journalist Khushwant Singh and vocalist Noor Jehan.

The tentative schedule for this year includes a session dedicated to the recently deceased author Intezar Hussain. Big names hopping across the border to participate in the LLF include veteran actor Sharmila Tagore, who will deliver the keynote address on the first day. Another discussion features filmmakers Pooja and Mahesh Bhatt. Richard Blair, son of the inimitable George Orwell and Patron of the Orwell Society will also be speaking on two panels.

The festival also boasts an exhaustive list of journalists, scholars and politicians. These include journalists Karan Thapar, Emma Woolf and Anita Anand.

Renowned names in the field of literature such as Shaista Sirajudin, Kamila Shamsie and Mohsin Hamid are also slated to speak over the event. Talking to The Express Tribune, Hamid said the festival always attracted an eclectic and engaging audience. “There are a large number of people who are avid readers and others who are not,” he said. Hamid said the LLF had continued to grow in size over the years. He said the discussion on most panels evolved in a very organic manner.



Security concerns come hand in hand with the festival due to the formidable number of international speakers participating in the event. Last year, parking space near Alhamra on The Mall was closed and visitors had to park cars at Lawrence Gardens. “We work with the provincial government to ensure a safe and secure venue for delegates, volunteers and visitors,” Ahmed said.

Additionally, the roof of Hall 1, where some sessions including Tagore’s keynote address is scheduled to be delivered, is still being constructed. Alhamra on The Mall PRO Subha Sadiq confirmed this when contacted. She refused to comment any further. The festival’s organisers abstained from commenting on the matter.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 17^th, 2016.