Dawn.com invites its readers to be a part of its Live Blog for the Karachi Literature Festival 2012 and share their experiences by blogging in real time by sending in comments and pictures at blog@dawn.com or use #dawn_com on Twitter.

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The stage has now been taken over by Salman Ahmed which also marks the last session of the 2012 Karachi Literature Festival.

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Hanif Kureishi:

"In Pakistan, I've been very impressed by people's desire to speak, discuss and debate." ——————————————————————————————————————-

 

 

Hanif Kureishi:

"A writer might not directly address an issue but a writer annoys you like Salman Rushdie."

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Hanif Kureishi:

"One thing a writer does is he tells you what's going on - in your neihgborhood, in your country and in your politics."

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Hanif Kureishi:

"In a highly policised country like Pakistan, it seems the new writing emerging is inspiring other young people to start telling their story. Stories by Mohsin Hamid and Mohammad Hanif will serve as inspiration to young people."

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Hanif Kureishi:

"The one place where you find someone who talks from the heart is in a story."

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Keynote speech by Hanif Kureishi to close the 2012 Karachi Literature Festival:

"I have to say it's been a fantastic experience being here. There was a sense of urgency to talk about the country, exchange ideas and I sensed an excitement in this place."

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Khaled Ahmed on not having a representation of minorities at the session:

"We asked one person for clergy to speak to a CSS and his minister was killed in Islamabad the next day, and he decided not to come. And we can't blame him."

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Khaled Ahmed on minorities in Pakistan:

"When Liaquat Ali Khan waved a flag that had a white patch, the minorities then didn't want to be part of the white patch, they wanted to be in the green part."

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Mowadat Rana: "Don't kill me if I tell you there's a terrorist in each of us. Just look at our behaviour with each other and in our homes."

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Dawn.com's Salman Haqqi:

Just attended the MediaSpeak session. It became quite a contentious affair a very vocal audience crying fowl over some of the speaker's defence of their approach to talk shows and journalism in general. Jasmeen Manzoor was especially targeted by the audience for her vocal style and her defence of the TV networks' prioritising of ratings. Mahtab Rashdi stood out by calling into question the notion that TV networks provide what the audience wants.

 

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Mowadat Rana on wars and insurgencies:

"In communities hit by terrorism, people don't look at each other or talk to each other."

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Mowadat Rana on wars and insurgencies:

"It instills dread and fear. If it was only that, it would be fine. But it takes you further to helplessness and hopelessness and the human mind does not have the capability to deal with that."

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At the session on psychological effects of wars and insurgencies, Mowadat Rana says that Charles Dickens was right when he said "It was the best of times. It was the worst of times." It fits in our day and age perfectly.

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Dawn.com's Salman Haqqi tweets:

At the Mediaspeak session. The lack of a moderator is taking the coversation off the point. Speakers are recitng their resumes instead.

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Dawn.com's Salman Haqqi tweets:

The festival seems to be heating up finally. Looks like the festival is going to close with with the proverbial bang!

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Dawn.com's Salman Haqqi at 'How the media talks to us?'

Discussion becoming the same kind of show the talk is supposed to critique!

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Hafsa Adil, Features Editor at Dawn.com:

A lot of good old, aunty-style arguments and pushing-shoving action outside the "mediaspeak" session in the Maharani hall, which, by the way is packed.

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Kishore Bhimani on Indian reporting on Pakistan:

"It can often be schizophrenic and hysterical especially after events like the Mumbai attacks but I'm glad to say they soon die down."

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Declan Walsh on how Pakistani's see western media coverage:

"People get the impression that the entire world is conspiring against Pakistan." He goes on to add this is not true, and that although the news that comes out of Pakistan is very dark, the headlines in national and local papers is also often reflect the same.

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Eyewitnesses and Observers: Writing about Pakistan through a foreign perspective

Anatol Lieven on foreign writing about Pakistan:

"There is a tendency to simplify Pakistan in the west, Pakistani society is particularly complex."

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Claire Chambers during the session on Pakistani Authors and Global Literary Forums says:

"South Asian writers based in England are doing quite well in Britain."

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Vikram Seth quotes Robert Frost and says:

"Home is the place where they let you in."

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Vikram Seth author of A Suitable Boy:

"It took me eleven years not to do my PhD."

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“In life, sometimes your struggle and celebrations go together,” Sindhi poetess Amar Sindhu says during a session on Pakistani languages and goes on to inform the audience how her house (at Sindh University) was raided by “authorities” after her book was published recently.

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Vikram Seth author of A Suitable Boy:

“Writing about music is like dancing about architecture.”

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Dawn.com's Salman Haqqi:

Just saw Anatol Lieven and Mohsin Hamid chatting away over coffee. Wouldn't mind being a fly on the wall to that conversation. It's fascinating to see writers mingle with each other. The festival feels like it's the red carpet at the Oscars, except people are asking "What did you write/read?" rather than "Who are you wearing?"

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The panel on 'Nuclear Pakistan' at the Karachi Literature Festival today, flipped back and forth between the sense of security Pakistan gains from possessing nuclear weapons and the internal problems the country faces that need to be resolved.

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"It is difficult to justify the possession of nuclear weapons," said Dr. Zafar Iqbal Cheema, although he went on to say that the possession of these weapons have given Pakistan a military balance against India.

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If it is in fact a reason to keep ourselves safe then we must scientifically determine the amount of arsenal needed to protect ourselves and stay within that limit instead of participating in a nuclear arms race with our neighbours, said panelist Najmuddin Shaikh, reminding the audience that when the Cold War was at its height the US and Soviet Union had enough nuclear arsenal to destroy the earth 200 times over.

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Dawn.com's Salman Haqqi says:

There's a mellow vibe to the festival today, which is a nice change from the frenetic pace of Day One. Salman Ahmed told a great story about going to a Led Zeppelin concert at Madison Square Garden. After that Nadeem Farooq Paracha, Saad Haroon and Ali Aftab of Beygairat Brigade discussed the role of satire in our society. As expected it was a humorous affair, Haroon, especially, was sharp as a tack with his quick wit and probing one-liners.

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Being a nuclear power, should allow us to decrease funds given conventionally to the military establishment and divert these into different areas like education, health and development, said Shaikh.

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Nuclear weapons cannot save Pakistan from our internal problems, emphasized Cheema, we need to look at internal aspects too.

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Dawn.com's Sara Faruqi reports:

Both Cheema and Shaikh dismissed moderator, Pervez Hoodbhoy's question on nuclear insecurity and jihadist groups getting access to any nuclear arms. "I do not find a link between these two" said Cheema, while Shaikh agreed with him adding it was more of a governance issue than one of nuclear insecurity.

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Dawn.com's Salman Haqqi tweets:

There's definitely a low turnout today as compared to yesterday. I guess Karachiites didn't want to give up a lazy Sunday.

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In Images:  Live cartoon and muppet show at KLF

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Ali Aftab:

"We got a lot of "friendly" advice in response to Aloo Anday.

In the satire/comedy session with Ali Aftab of the Beygairat Brigade and Saad Haroon, Haroon said "Satire is essentially a free speech issue."

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AG Noorani:

"Kashmiris found a ray of hope in Musharraf."

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Mirza Waheed:

"This is not about your India-Pak borders. This is about the people of Kashmir."

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In the session on Kashmir, Mirza Waheed reckons that recent periods of peace will not be sustained.

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Muneeza Shamsie on literary criticism:

"Growing up in Pakistan, there weren't enough book reviews and it was difficult to be guided as to what to read."

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At the session on Literary Criticism, Muniza Naqvi the moderator:

"I am a fiction writer, I am a complete imposter here."

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Salman Ahmed, at his book launch of Rock and Roll Jihad, talks about his first Led Zeppelin concert at MSG.

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@SaharHusain tweets:

Spent the whole day at #KLF and loved every minute of it. Apparently you can live stream the event too. Talk about literature heaven.

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Maleeha Lodhi on Afghanistan:

There can't be a pashtun solution to Afghanistan. There needs to be an Afghan solution.

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@minhajsheikh tweeted:

#KLF is good to educate people and is a great promotion of culture. #dawn_com

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Coverage of the Tolerance Through Children’s Literature session by Faiza Mira, Multimedia Content Producer at Dawn.com

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Yasmin Bhaimia, an artist and former art teacher at the Convent of Jesus and Mary:

I will start off on a positive note and say that it’s a great achievement. The collection of authors is terrific but I believe that the session is catering to the elite class only. If I have to rate it, I am going to say 7 because I believe publicising Urdu literature is equally important. Unless you are in touch with your roots, you cannot really understand other people.

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@Natrani tweets:

"Every women in Pakistan is not a liberal" -Anatol Lieven. #KLF

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Vikram Seth, Indian poet, novelist and travel writer:

This is my first visit to Karachi and I believe that the Karachi Literature Festival is a great way to celebrate books, authors and cultures.

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Sharifah Fadhilah Alshahab, Intern at Dawn.com:

Forty-seven old writer, William Dalrymple drew parallels between Islam and Christianity, describing the former as a sister religion to the latter.

Although himself not particularly religious, he said, he grew up viewing the world through religious spectacles.

"It seems to me it's a very interesting way of looking at the world, to see how people perceive things through the eyes of religion," he said.

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Fauzia Aziz Minallah, Founder of Funkor Child Art Center and author of various books on children:

It is extremely important to teach children to become more tolerant towards each other as the youth carries the torch to change the societal norms. The books I write emphasise on the concept of coexistence which is unfortunately missing from our society. By targeting children, I aim to instill a positive set of practices amongst them.

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Mujahid Barelvi, Senior Anchorperson at CNBC:

I personally believe that the media should highlight this festival as much as possible. We only showcase the bleak side of Pakistan and this festival can be very instrumental in emphasising on the positives.

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@SalmanHaqqi  tweeted:

Kamila Shamsie just passed by me and Amin Guljee is right behind me. It's the who's who of the Pakistani cultural scene. Pretty cool. #KLF

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Guri Hagen, a social anthropologist from Norway:

I think the festival is a ray of hope but I think it’s only reaching out to the elite and English speaking section of the Pakistani society. They have never been difficult to reach out. It’s the poor masses that the administration should target.

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Coverage of the Women Writing Women session by Faiza Mira, Multimedia Content Producer at Dawn.com

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Hanif Kureishi, author of The Buddah of Suburbia:

What drives me is fascination for my work. And, I have to make a living but I'd still do the same thing if I didn't have to make a living. I'm facinated by the desire to speak, write and to be an artist. You're lucky if you're an artist.

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Hanif Kureishi, author of The Buddah of Suburbia:

If you measure a country by its culture, then there is something great going on in Pakistan.

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@sarafaraway tweeted:

"I dont know what identity is, it doesn't bother me anymore. I dont think about it." -Hanif Kureishi. #KLF

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Hanif Kureishi, author of The Buddah of Suburbia:

I'm a writer and I just have to write stories that amuse me. It's the monster characters that are fun, not the nice ones.

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Hanif Kureishi, author of The Buddah of Suburbia:

The link between me and my readers is that the story I write is what is happening around them.

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Khaled Ahmed, moderator of the Pen as a Sword session:

If you write a true narrative in Afghanistan and Pakistan, you have to run away for survival.

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Tabinda Najam Siddiqi, Assistant Multimedia Producer at Dawn.com:

The main garden is nearly full and the audience is enjoying Hanif Kureishi's reading from The Buddah of Suburbia.

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Tabinda Najam Siddiqi, Assistant Multimedia Producer at Dawn.com:

Hanif Kureishi thanks everyone for coming so early to hear him read. Before he starts reading his book The Buddha of Suburbia, he says that the book seems more odd and unfamiliar now, like reading about a complete stranger.

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Khaled Ahmed, moderator of the Pen as a Sword session:

The next big Urdu novel should’ve come from the Hindu community.

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Tabinda Najam Siddiqi, Assistant Multimedia Producer at Dawn.com:

Muneeza Shamsie introduces Hanif Kureishi and will be having a discussion with him in the session.

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Salman Haqqi, journalist at Dawn.com:

There's definitely a festive buzz in the air. It's great to see so many people thrilled about books and literature. Everywhere I go here, I often over hear the phrase, "Have you read that book ...?" in passing.

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Maniza Naqvi, the author of On Air and Mass Transit:

I would have written if I was a man. Nothing would have stopped me from becoming a writer. Just because I feel and look differently does not mean that I have to restrict myself when it comes to writing for a particular genre. I do not write for women. I write about political issues that revolve around these women.

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Hafsa Adil, Features Editor at Dawn.com:

Saadat Hasan Manto on himself: “I’m not a saint, I’m a very bad man.”

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Mumtaz Naqvi, a homemaker and mother:

I love that events like these are happening in Karachi. I'm a huge fan of Kamila Shamsie ever since I read Salt and Saffron. I'm looking forward to her talk.

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Arif Hasan:

With Karachi hoping to be a global city, a strong anti-poor bias has appeared.

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Salman Haqqi, journalist at Dawn.com:

The festival seems to be at full flow as people are pouring in. It's a great turnout so far. I just had the opportunity to interview Anatol Lieven, the author of "Pakistan: A Hard Country." He had some interesting insights about Pakistan.

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Syed Abdul Majid, retired engineer and devout reader of literary books:

I have gained immensely from the inauguration session, and the event has not even officially started yet!

The variety of programs and the diversity of topics will be very engaging for everyone. I attended the Karachi Literature Festival held last year and I have a feeling that the event will be better this year.

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Richard Morrison, an author from United Kingdom and participant of KLF:

I think it’s definitely a positive change for Pakistan and Karachi categorically. The speakers are amazing and I look forward to the sessions.

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Ameena Saiyid, Managing Director, Oxford University Press:

There is so much to publish and read. Whether it’s about refugees, the poverty stricken strata, the problems outlining everyday lives or issues pertaining to human rights in general, Pakistan has much to offer. In short, our country is a researcher’s paradise.

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