The debut was an outright success, the follow-up promises bigger milestones
“Lahore. If I toss up the word and close my eyes, it conjures up gardens and fragrances… the splendor of thousands of private houses with their riot of spring flowers. The winter and spring air are heady. They make the blood hum.” So writes the legendary Bapsi Sidhwa about Lahore and the debut Lahore Literary Festival (LLF).
Lahore, the city of festivals, music, language, politics, and cuisine, has also always been the hub of literature, bringing the “who’s who” of literary world together. Be it the Punjab Public Library – the oldest Pakistani Library– lying in the heart of the city, or the historically significant Pak-Tea house, where notable writers and poets would gather to share their insights on art and literature, Lahore has truly remained the cynosure when it comes to literature. To keep up the traditions, Razi Ahmad founded and kicked off Lahore Literary Festival in 2013, whereby distinguished writers, journalists, artists, and educators flew in from within and outside the country to Lahore.
The event turned out to be a huge success with over 30,000 attendees and about 60 panelists. These 60 panelists included some of the living legends of the literary world such as Intizar Husain, Ms Sidhwa, the ever-elegant Zehra Nigah, William Dalrymple, and Ahmed Rashid accompanied the likes of Mohsin Hamid, Mohammad Hanif, Daniyal Mueenuddin and Tehmina Durrani on the same platform. As one visitor commented, “This is what the Alhamra was built for.”
The Festival started on 22nd February 2013, with a full bang. On the inaugural dinner, hosted by the Chief Minister of Punjab, Mr. Shahbaz Sharif, Mr Husain, Ms Sidhwa, and Ms Nigah were honored for their tireless lifetime contributions to Pakistani literature. Mr. Sharif promised to extend his continuous support for such cultural events in future as well. Later on the evening was made all the more memorable with Ali Sethi’s impactful vocal rendition of Faiz and Shahbaz Qalandar and a mesmerising flute performance by the exceptionally talented Haider Rahman.
It was not an event peculiar to admirers of literature only, people from various spheres of life had gathered to celebrate knowledge and intellect
The first day of the event was one of those unusual and unforgettable days when even the odd weather could not stop the tasteful citizens from flocking in to listen to their favorite speakers, and there stood a huge crowd of about 10,000 people in Alhamra Arts Centre on Mall Road. People could be seen darting from session to session, carrying the LLF-branded umbrellas thoughtfully provided by the organisers. The entire venue was festooned with banners and balloons of red and yellow – providing a wonderful contrast to the otherwise grey day. In fact, the light and cool breeze seemed to have lightened up people’s moods and increase their appetite for learning even more. The courtyard outside Hall 1 housed the Food Court – where punters could be seen satisfying appetites of a more culinary nature. And day two saw the sun come out to welcome visitors – perhaps tempted to peek from behind the clouds to join in the 20,000 or so visitors in their reverie.
Seeing so many people from all walks of life coming in despite all odds only complemented the already high spirited speakers and it was obvious from the way they spoke and how the attendees later described the sessions. Tariq Ali’s opening keynote on day one was described by attendees as ‘electric’, while Hameed Haroon’s session on the ‘Holy Warrior’ was called ‘magnificent’ by others. Day two’s session by Mohammad Hanif had people chatting for hours afterwards, while Mohsin Hamid’s and Tehmina Durrani’s respective sessions saw Alhamra halls 1 and 2 literally packed to the rafters. No matter what the session, the halls were packed to capacity and beyond. In many cases, people could be seen crowding the entrances, clamoring to enter. As Mohsin Hamid commented during his session with Quddus Mirza, just seeing Lahore and the Alhamra packed with people of all ages, from all walks of life, was heartening beyond words.
As Mohsin Hamid commented during his session with Quddus Mirza, just seeing Lahore and the Alhamra packed with people of all ages, from all walks of life, was heartening beyond words
It was not an event peculiar to admirers of literature only, people from various spheres of life had gathered to celebrate knowledge and intellect. Inside Halls 1 and 2 were various stalls from a variety of booksellers and publishers, while Hall 3 and the areas outside hosted exhibitions by the Citizens Archive Pakistan (CAP) and the Office of Conservation and Cultural Outreach (OCCO). And it was not just limited to that, both days ended with enchanting performances. By her charismatic performance, Naheed Siddiqui enhanced the grandeur of day; while day two closed with musical performances from the socially conscious Laal and super rockers Qayaas enhancing the magnificence of the Festival.
Indeed, a few hundred words, no matter how well articulated, will not do justice to the grandeur of the event. However, fortunately, thanks to the free WiFi provided by Wateen Telecom, attendees were able to record and share the pearls of wisdom and knowledge by tweeting and posting constantly from each and every session, blogging their experiences, sharing pictures on Instagram and Facebook and even had friends listen in live via Skype! Plus, the Freedom Booths sponsored by Wateen allowed attends to record messages about their experiences at the Festival, their favorite panels, etc.
Lahore Literary Festival 2013 was the most celebrated event of Lahore last year. The enthusiasm and love for the festival didn’t fade away long after it was over and it’s the most anticipated event for the citizens of Lahore.
