Fourth Islamabad Literature Festival will be bigger, better

Islamabad

The fourth Islamabad Literature Festival (ILF), organised by the Oxford University Press (OUP), is set to feature a line-up of around 165 authors, academics, journalists and artistes from Pakistan and abroad. It is scheduled to be held on April 15-17 at the Lok Virsa Museum in Islamabad.

This was announced by Ameena Saiyid, managing director of the Oxford University Press Pakistan, at a press conference held at the Lok Virsa Museum here on Thursday.

“The ILF has grown tremendously since its inception in 2013. Attendance rose from 15,000 in 2013 to more than 30,000 in 2015,” said Ameena Saiyid. “ILF is not merely a local affair. Participants and visitors from all over the country will attend. The festival allows participants’ access to leading writers,” she added.

Ameena disclosed that 151 Pakistani and 14 international speakers will participate in the festival this year. Ahmed Rashid and Masood Ashar will be the keynote speakers at the festival inauguration while the closing ceremony will be addressed by Amjad Islam Amjad and Christophe Jaffrelot, author of The Pakistan Paradox: Instability and Resilience. There will be around 20 book launches and 58 sessions at this year’s edition of ILF.

Ameena said that they are thankful to Lok Virsa Executive Director Fauzia Saeed that she has offered such a scenic place to hold Islamabad Literature Festival. Participants from five countries are participating in the festival. The festival would include 58 sessions in all spread over two and a half days. The 4th Islamabad Literature Festival will feature talks/interviews, panel discussions, ‘mushaira’, English poetry, dramatic readings, book launches, author signings, performing arts, Sufi music, book fair, art exhibition and much more. The festival is free and open to all. Last year almost 30,000 people attended the festival here in Islamabad and satiated their thirst for literature and art. People travel from far off places to attend this literature festival. Last year, there was a man who travelled all the way from Gilgit-Baltistan to attend the festival. Such is the love for literature and poetry in our country. Such festivals should be held in all major cities, we have set a precedent for others to hold such events and it was heartening to see such literature festival in Multan.

Fauzia Saeed, while speaking on the occasion, said that it is not just facilitation but an honour for Lok Virsa where people come closer together and share the same passion. The diplomats and come and see the richness of our culture here. Museum would be an added attraction for them.

Renowned writer Kishwar Naheed said that this festival brings together authors, writers and poets from all over the region. We should conduct such festivals in Peshawar and Quetta so that they don’t feel deprived. There would be two ‘mushairas’, one for the youth and the other one for the elderly. We miss Intizar Hussain a lot, in last festival he was the integral part of the festival, a special reference would be presented here in his memory.

Other than the keynote speakers, some of the prominent speakers at ILF this year are Abdul Malik Baloch, Ali Akbar Natiq, Anatol Lieven, Anwar Masood, Arfa Sayeda Zehra, Ashraf Jehangir Qazi, Babar Ayaz, Barkha Dutt, Basharat Peer, Bina Shah, Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan, F.S. Aijazuddin, Fahmida Riaz, Fouzia Saeed, H.M. Naqvi, Harris Khalique, Hina Rabbani Khar, Jerry Pinto, Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri, Kishwar Naheed, Madeeha Gauhar, Mujahid Barelvi, Munir Ahmed Badini, Mushahid Hussain Sayed, Mustansar Hussain Tarar, Nasim Zehra, Nasira Iqbal, Pavan K. Varma, Pran Nevile, Qaisra Shahraz, Riaz Khokhar, Riaz Mohammad Khan, Saif Mahmood, Salima Hashmi, Sarmad Khoosat, Sudheendra Kulkarni, Talat Hussain, Tariq Rahman, Zaheda Hina, Zehra Nigah, and Zubair Torwali.