The 15th Karachi Literature Festival (KLF), one of Pakistan's most anticipated cultural events, kicks off this week on Friday, February 16 at the Beach Luxury Hotel.
This year's literary festival promises to be a lively celebration of literature, art, and intellectual conversation.
This year's KLF will be held under the topic 'Sustainability: Words Changing Mindsets,' with over 200 local and international speakers from eight different countries.
The festival will feature 75 different sessions covering a wide range of topics such as literature, the economy, the environment, education, and current affairs, as well as the launch of at least 25 books and engaging activities such as drama, satire, exhibitions, film screenings, and various artistic expressions.
OUP Pakistan Managing Director Arshad Saeed Husain emphasized the festival's function as a worldwide bridge linking hearts and minds, encouraging attendees to "participate in conversations that inspire change and challenge perspectives."
"The goal is not simply to discuss these vital challenges but also to think of potential solutions. "I hope that is what intellectuals, scholars, and thought leaders will do over the next three days," he stated.
The KLF's debut day will be accessible to the public, with keynote addresses by notable individuals such as Pakistani architect and activist Arif Hasan and British-Palestinian lawyer and writer Selma Dabbagh, followed by a performance of Faiz's poetry by Nighat Choudhry.
Over the weekend, the festival will feature distinguished speakers such as Jordanian academic Joseph Massad, political scientist Dr. Martin Axmann, award-winning journalist Hasnain Kazim, acclaimed novelist and writer Mohsin Hamid, French journalist and novelist Kenize Mourad, fiction writer Claire Chambers, poets Michael Cirelli and Ronya Othman, poets Zehra Nigah and Kishwar Naheed, short story writer Noorul Huda Shah, and novelist Bina Shah, among others.
There will be sessions on Urdu poetry, sustainability, political changes, and a grand Mushaira led by Pakistani poet Iftikhar Arif.
KLF programming will include enlightening talks on literature, ethical governance, urban dynamics, humor, storytelling, human rights, and sustainability, providing visitors with a diverse range of intellectual engagement opportunities.
The event will conclude on Sunday, February 18, with keynote remarks by prominent scholars Najeeba Arif and Joseph Massad, who will honor KLF literary heroes, followed by a soul-stirring Sufi Qawwali performance by Qawwal Najmuddin Saifuddin and Brothers.