Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy pushes for investment in young writers

KARACHI: Oscar-winning filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy says nurturing young voices early on is essential to shaping tomorrow’s leaders.

Chinoy, named one of Time Magazine's "100 most influential people in the world" in 2012 for her work as a documentary filmmaker, made the remark Saturday at the ninth edition of Karachi Literature Festival.

“When young voices are nurtured, they become tomorrow’s leaders,” she said during a panel titled "To write or not to write."

Sharing what she believes will help produce stronger writers in the years ahead, she also urged women to tap into their potential.

“When you allow a woman to write, you open the world to her,” Chinoy said, calling for more opportunities for women in writing.

Chinoy also emphasised keeping regional languages and literature alive, saying they should remain part of “our DNA.”

“We should allow ourselves the pleasure to read and understand, and cultivating that is so important,” Chinoy concluded.