KARACHI: One knows that the pandemic is not over, not by any stretch of the imagination. One also knows that in many countries Covid protocols have either been relaxed or completely lifted. England is an example of the latter. This goes to show that things are looking up – in a big way. It is in this context that this year’s Karachi Literature Festival (KLF) holds a great deal of significance.

As Arshad Husain, Managing Director of Oxford University Press (OUP) which runs the event, told the media a couple of days back, the last ‘face-to-face’ festival was held in 2020 followed by a hybrid event in 2021. While technology has worked wonders in these trying times and people can digitally meet one another or attend programmes of their choosing, no one can deny the fact that there is no alternative to physical presence at a venue. Arguably, the brightest aspect of literary festivals is that book lovers can see in the flesh or meet in person the poets, writers and critics that they revere and love. In our part of the world, showbiz glitterati add the bling factor to the exercise.

The Karachi Literature Festival, whose 13th iteration is going to be held from Friday at the Beach Luxury Hotel for three days, is an important event because it set in motion in Pakistan the tradition of taking the world of literature and language to a mass platform, diminishing the distance between readers and writers. Also, it projected a gentle and educated face of the country to the rest of the world at a time when it was most needed. Pakistan is a nation of book lovers.

The 2022 edition of KLF promises to be a worthy affair. Although the number of participating countries doesn’t seem to be a formidable one, the speakers belong to the top tier of the literary world. Eminent British novelist and short story writer Hanif Kureishi always impresses the Karachi crowd with his candid conversations. He will be delivering the keynote speech on the last day of the festival. Renowned author and historian Victoria Schofield is the keynote speaker on the opening day.

The second keynote address on the final day will be delivered by a former president of Azad Kashmir Sardar Masood Khan. He is known for his eloquence and clarity of thought. But perhaps the one thing that this year the organisers have worked out well for which they need to be commended is to invite distinguished artist and President Emeritus of the National Academy of Performing Arts (Napa) Zia Mohyeddin to deliver the second keynote speech on day one. His admirers for at least five decades have been listening to him recite pieces of Urdu poetry and read Shakespeare on stage; this time around he will express his views on, one’s only conjecturing, the efficacy of literature.

Apart from that, no fewer than 20 book launches, panel discussions on a variety of subjects and crowd favourite sessions such as Urdu mushaira and qawwali have also been lined up. Mouthwatering prospects!

Published in Dawn, March 4th, 2022