ILF opens with book on Begum Ra’ana Liaquat Ali

Experts discuss Kashmir valley situation, choreographers present two dances on peace and revolution

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad Literature Festival, spread over three days, opened on Friday featuring more than 150 speakers this year including 10 international speakers.

Over 55 sessions on different subjects have been lined up and more than nine books are being launched at the festival organised by Oxford University Press (OUP).

On the first day of the ILF, two performances drew a lot of interest. One was a dance of peace and understanding titled AnandTaandav by IftikharMasih. Another was 22 Carore by Laal Hartal. This was a tribute to the revolutionary poet Habib Jalib.

Hina Rabbani Khar, Athar Abbas and Arif Kamal held a discussion on the topic ‘Kashmir: The Valley Seized’, which was moderated by IkramSehgal.

The book ‘The Begum: A Portrait of Ra’ana Liaquat Ali Khan,’ written by Deepa Agarwal and Tahmina Aziz, was launched at the event. The launch featured a panel discussion in which Tahmina Aziz, SamiaLiaquat Ali Khan and Amir Rana participated. It was moderated by MuneezaShamsie.

The documentary film ‘Indus Blues’, directed and produced by Jawad Sharif, was screened. The film highlights Pakistani folk artistes and their struggles to keep their art form alive.

Jahan-e-Sufi - a fusion of folk and qawwali – was presented by the Bakhshi Brothers on the first evening.

According to OUP Pakistan Managing Director Arshad Saeed Hussain, speakers from seven countries including China, United State, Turkey, Iran, Britain and Germany are participating in the literature festival. Speaking to The Express Tribune on Friday, Hussain said that the three-day festival will see 56 sessions of various subjects in which 160 expert speakers and lecturers from different countries will make their presentations. Among other subjects, the sessions will be based on economics, society and foreign affairs. The festival will also hold programmes on poetry and culture.

The OUP director has expressed hope that the festival will see a visitor turnout of 70000 constituting people from the twin cities. The primary purpose of the literature festival is to instill the importance of reading among the people. While we have now landed into an era of digital technology, the OUP director maintained, it is imperative that we make digital books available for our readers. Though digital technology has not deeply concentrated in Pakistan, the future lies in it.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 28^th, 2019.