{"id":436315,"date":"2025-02-06T12:46:44","date_gmt":"2025-02-06T07:46:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/propakistani.pk\/lens\/?p=436315"},"modified":"2025-02-06T12:46:44","modified_gmt":"2025-02-06T07:46:44","slug":"16th-karachi-literature-festival-begins-this-friday","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/propakistani.pk\/lens\/16th-karachi-literature-festival-begins-this-friday\/","title":{"rendered":"All You Need to Know About the 16th Karachi Literature Festival"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"first:mt-1.5\">The 16th Karachi Literature Festival (<a href=\"https:\/\/propakistani.pk\/lens\/karachi-literature-festival-kicks-off-today-and-its-a-must-attend-event\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">KLF<\/a>) is all set to kick off this Friday, February 7, at the Beach Luxury Hotel.<\/p>\n<p class=\"first:mt-1.5\">Running until February 9, the festival promises three days of literary brilliance, cultural celebration, and thought-provoking discussions, featuring over 200 literary luminaries from Pakistan and the global Pakistani diaspora.<\/p>\n\t\t<div class=\"p-alsoread\">\r\n\t\t\t<div class=\"heading\">ALSO READ<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t<div><a href=\"https:\/\/propakistani.pk\/lens\/netflix-cuts-ties-with-oscar-nominated-actress-after-islamophobic-tweets\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Netflix Cuts Ties with Oscar-Nominated Actress After Islamophobic Tweets<\/a><\/div>\r\n\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\n<h2><strong>Narratives from the Soil<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/propakistani.pk\/lens\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/karachi.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-436320\" src=\"https:\/\/propakistani.pk\/lens\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/karachi.jpg\" alt=\"karachi literature festival\" width=\"800\" height=\"480\" srcset=\"https:\/\/propakistani.pk\/lens\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/karachi.jpg 800w, https:\/\/propakistani.pk\/lens\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/karachi-300x180.jpg 300w, https:\/\/propakistani.pk\/lens\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/karachi-768x461.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"first:mt-1.5\">This year\u2019s theme, \u201cNarratives from the Soil,\u201d pays homage to Pakistan\u2019s rich literary heritage and the fertile ground that has produced countless literary stalwarts.<\/p>\n<p class=\"first:mt-1.5\">Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, Oxford University Press (OUP) Managing Director Arshad Saeed Husain explained the inspiration behind the theme.<\/p>\n<p class=\"first:mt-1.5\">\u201cOur 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,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"first:mt-1.5\">Husain also took a nostalgic trip down memory lane, recalling the genesis of KLF in 2010. \u201cThe festival began for two reasons: to provide the public with a source of entertainment and to encourage book reading. Ever since, it has been organized every year without fail, setting the pace for other festivals in the country. It\u2019s a free-for-all event, with no reserved seats,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>What to Expect at KLF 2025<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p class=\"first:mt-1.5\">The 16th edition of KLF is packed with an exciting lineup of over 70 sessions and 26 book launches, ensuring there\u2019s something for everyone. Here\u2019s a glimpse of what\u2019s in store:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Book Talks and Panel Discussions<\/strong>: Covering topics ranging from literature in English, Urdu, and Sindhi to culture, education, and climate change.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Dramatic Readings and Mushairas<\/strong>: This year, there will be <strong>two mushairas<\/strong> \u2014 one featuring established poets and another spotlighting emerging talent.<\/li>\n<li><strong>English Poetry Recitals<\/strong>: A treat for poetry lovers.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Film Screenings and Art Performances<\/strong>: Including qawwali and other cultural showcases.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Youth Strand<\/strong>: For the first time, a parallel strand will run for two days, dedicated to the youth of Pakistan.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><strong>Keynote Speakers and Guests<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p class=\"first:mt-1.5\">The festival will open with a bang, featuring Sindh Chief Minister (or Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab, in case of the CM\u2019s absence) as the chief guest.<\/p>\n<p class=\"first:mt-1.5\">The inaugural ceremony will also include keynote addresses by Syeda Arifa Zehra and Fakir Aijazuddin, while the closing day will feature speeches by Asghar Nadeem Syed and Mishal Husain, a UK-based journalist of Pakistani origin.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Awards and Shortlists<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p class=\"first:mt-1.5\">Literary excellence will be celebrated with four prizes to be awarded on the opening day:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>English Fiction Prize<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Urdu Prose Prize<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Urdu Poetry Prize<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Regional Language Prize<\/strong> (covering Sindhi, Balochi, Pashto, and Punjabi literature)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p class=\"first:mt-1.5\">Eminent writer Muneeza Shamsie announced the shortlist for the English Fiction Prize, which includes:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><em>The Election<\/em> by Omar Shahid Hamid<\/li>\n<li><em>I Left You Behind<\/em> by Nazneen Shaikh<\/li>\n<li><em>Akbar in Wonderland<\/em> by Umber Khairi<\/li>\n<li><em>The Monsoon War<\/em> by Bina Shah<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\t\t<div class=\"p-alsoread\">\r\n\t\t\t<div class=\"heading\">ALSO READ<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t<div><a href=\"https:\/\/propakistani.pk\/lens\/inside-mawra-hocane-and-ameer-gilanis-dreamy-nikkah-ceremony-images\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Inside Mawra Hocane and Ameer Gilani&#8217;s Dreamy Nikkah Ceremony [Images]<\/a><\/div>\r\n\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\n<p class=\"first:mt-1.5\">Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab, filling in for the Sindh CM at the press conference, expressed his pride in the city hosting the festival. \u201cIt\u2019s an honor for Karachi that the event is held here. Every time I attend KLF, I learn something new,\u201d he said. He also suggested that future editions of the festival be held at Frere Hall, offering the full support of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation.<\/p>\n<p class=\"first:mt-1.5\">Veteran journalist Ghazi Salahuddin added a profound note to the discussion, emphasizing the importance of literature in society. \u201cGetting to know literature and realizing its significance is more important than political stability,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The 16th Karachi Literature Festival (KLF) is all set to kick off this Friday, February 7, at the Beach Luxury Hotel. Running until February 9, the festival promises three days of literary brilliance, cultural celebration, and thought-provoking discussions, featuring over 200 literary luminaries from Pakistan and the global Pakistani diaspora. Narratives from the Soil This year\u2019s theme, \u201cNarratives from the [&hellip;] <a class=\"g1-link g1-link-more\" href=\"https:\/\/propakistani.pk\/lens\/16th-karachi-literature-festival-begins-this-friday\/\">More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":66,"featured_media":436318,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2494,1296,1298,2525,2546,2547],"tags":[],"adace-sponsor":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-436315","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-art","8":"category-books","9":"category-culture","10":"category-event","11":"category-literature","12":"category-poetry"},"wps_subtitle":"The literature festival begins this weekend.","img_urls":{"thumbnail":["https:\/\/propakistani.pk\/lens\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/karachi-literature-festival-364x205.jpg",364,205,true],"medium":["https:\/\/propakistani.pk\/lens\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/karachi-literature-festival.jpg",1000,560,false],"full":["https:\/\/propakistani.pk\/lens\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/karachi-literature-festival.jpg",1000,560,false]},"author_name":"Sher Alam","categories_name":["Art","Books","Culture","Event","Literature","Poetry"],"title_text":"All You Need to Know About the 16th Karachi Literature Festival","related_stories":"https:\/\/propakistani.pk\/lens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts?filter&per_page=4&categories=2494,1296,1298,2525,2546,2547&exclude=436315","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/propakistani.pk\/lens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/436315","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/propakistani.pk\/lens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/propakistani.pk\/lens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/propakistani.pk\/lens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/66"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/propakistani.pk\/lens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=436315"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/propakistani.pk\/lens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/436315\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/propakistani.pk\/lens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/436318"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/propakistani.pk\/lens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=436315"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/propakistani.pk\/lens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=436315"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/propakistani.pk\/lens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=436315"},{"taxonomy":"adace-sponsor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/propakistani.pk\/lens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/adace-sponsor?post=436315"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}