Literary event to kick off on January 12

Renowned writers, poets, artists, educationists, singers and musicians will be contributing

LAHORE: The Children Literature Festival (CLF), a social movement on art and literature, along with the Walled City of Lahore Authority (WCLA), announced CLF 2018 would take place from January 12 to 14 across heritage sites.

CLF founder Baela Jamil said “Lahore is a city steeped in heritage and culture. We want to weave a historical narrative into the threads of the CLF.

As such, we are extremely proud of this collaborative effort with the WCLA and are confident that this year’s event will help nurture and multiply children’s love for stories, storytelling, creativity, and reading.”

WCLA Director General Kamran Lashari said, “It has been a great pleasure collaborating with the CLF team to help create this amazing event for all Lahoris. We are confident that it will provide much entertainment and education for all. We hope to continue this collaboration well into the future.”

This year’s festival is structured around the theme of Celebrating Peace, Heritage, and 70 Years of Pakistan that seeks to highlight Pakistan’s cultural treasure trove. The sessions at CLF Walled City will be held simultaneously at 14 heritage sites from Delhi Gate to Asif Jah Haveli, including locations all along the Shahi Guzargah.

The CLF will encapsulate various activities including digital learning, arts and crafts, storytelling through music, puppetry and interactive theatre workshops along with traditional art forms, especially tile making, clay work, and fresco painting.

Renowned writers, poets, artists, educationists, singers and musicians from across the country will be contributing their time and knowledge for the children of Lahore as part of the event. Participants include luminaries such as Zubeida Mustafa, Rumana Husain, Ameena Saiyid, Adeel Hashmi, Arfa Sayeda Zehra, Faisal Bari, Musharraf Ali Farooqi, and Basarat Kazim.

The festival is being supported by organisations such as UNESCO, the Oxford University Press, the British Council, Allied Bank, the Baber Ali Foundation, the Beaconhouse School System and the Lahore Grammar School to help promote a message of peace, heritage and love for literature. The District Education Authority of Lahore has also lent its full support to engage the maximum number of school-going children.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 5^th, 2018.